Survey of Reservoir Greenhouse gas Emissions

file:///P:/PDF_Harvest/ScienceInventory/ScienceInventoiyHarvest/600.

Survey of Reservoir Greenhouse gas
Emissions

Lake Dalecarlia Water Quality Survey

Jake Beaulieu
25 July, 2022

1. Background

Between 2020 and 2023 the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) will survey water quality and
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 108 reservoirs distributed across the United States (Figure 1). The
objective of the research is to estimate the magnitude of GHG emissions from US reservoirs.

All reservoirs included in this study were previously sampled by the USEPA during the 2017 National Lakes
Assessment (2017 NLA). Data from the 2017 NLA can be found at the EPA website (https://www.epa.gov/national-
aquatic-resource-surveys/data-national-aquatic-resource-surveys). Data for Lake Dalecarlia can be found under
SITE J D NLA17JN-10171.

Afield sensor is used to measure chlorophyll a, dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductivity, water temperature,
and turbidity near the water surface at a minimum of 15 locations within each reservoir. Water samples are
collected from the deepest site for analysis of nutrients and chlorophyll a.

This preliminary report presents water quality results for Lake Dalecarlia. These data will be included in a formal
peer-reviewed publication to be submitted for publication in 2024.

Ecoregions

Coastal Plains
Northern Appalachians
Northern Plains
Southern Appalachians
Southern Plains
Temperate Plains
Upper Midwest
Western Mountains

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Figure 1, Location of the 108 Reservoirs Included in Study.

2. Lake Dalecarlia Survey Design

The Lake Dalecarlia survey design included 15 sampling sites that were sampled on 2020-08-25. Water chemistry
samples were collected from a 1,8m deep site nearby the dam (Figure 2). Click on any of the sites to see the site
id, water temperature, pH, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen at the water surface.

!e

Sample sites

sensor sites

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Survey of Reservoir Greenhouse gas Emissions

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Figure 2. Location of the 15 sampling sites in Lake Dalecarlia.

3. Lake Disturbance and Trophic Status

Lakes are often classified according to their trophic state. There are four trophic state categories that reflect
nutrient availability and plant growth within a lake. A eutrophic lake has high nutrients and high algal and/or
macrophyte plant growth. An oligotrophic lake has low nutrient concentrations and low plant growth. Mesotrophic
lakes fall somewhere in between eutrophic and oligotrophic lakes and hypereutrophic lakes have very high
nutrients and plant growth. Lake trophic state is typically determined by a wide variety of natural factors that
control nutrient supply climate, and basin morphometry. A metric commonly used for defining trophic state is the
concentration of chlorophyll a, an indicator of algae abundance, in the water column. Chlorophyll a concentration
was 231 ug/L during the sampling, indicating the lake was hypereutrophic.

Trophic State Classification

Analyte

Oligotrophic

Mesotrophic

Eutrophic

Hypereutrophic

chlorophyll a (ug/L)

<=2

>2 and <=7

>7 and <=30

>30

In addition to classifying lakes by trophic status, lakes can be classified by degree of disturbance relative to
undisturbed lakes (i.e. reference lakes) within the ecoregion. Degree of disturbance can be based on a wide
variety of metrics, but here we use nutrients (total phosphorus (tp), total nitrogen (tn)), turbidity, chlorophyll a, and
dissolved oxygen (do). Lake disturbance values range from least to most disturbed. Turbidity and do were
averaged across the top 2m of the water column at the water chemistry site. Nutrient and chlorophyll a samples
were collected from a depth of 0.1m.

Chemical Condition Indicators Measured at Water Chemistry Site

Threshold Values	Observed Values

parameter

units

least disturbed

moderately disturbed

most disturbed

concentration

status

do

mg/l

>5

>3 <

i<5

<3

9

least disturbed

turbidity

NTU

<3.7

>3.7 8

OO
CO
LO

V

>5.38

97.98

most disturbed

tp

ug/l

<49

V
-P^
CO

CM

OO

V

n^i

>82

122

most disturbed

tn

ug/l

<1105

LO

o

A

1<1699

>1699

1732

most disturbed

chlorophyll a

ug/l

<13.9

>13.9 <

Si <22.7

>22.7

230.9

most disturbed

4. Within-lake Spatial Patterns

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Survey of Reservoir Greenhouse gas Emissions

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A field sensor was used to measure water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity near the water surface
at all sampling sites. Data are reported in figures and tables below. Hover the cursor over any point in the figures
to reveal the sitelD corresponding to the adjacent data table. Alternatively, click on any row in the data table to
reveal the location of the sampling site on the map.

Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity were highest in the northern portion of the reservoir, near
the 153rd Ave road crossing. Elevated water temperature near the road crossing may have stimulated algal
metabolism, resulting in higher dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity (e.g. algal biomass contributing to turbidity.)

water
sitelD temp

1	27.13

2	29.3

3	28.6

4	28.94

5	27.53

6	28.56

7	27.94

8	30.86

10	27.93

11	28.66

12	29.67

23	28.94

24	27.83

25	28.35

sitelD	pH

1	9.61

2	9.94

3	9.69

4	9.77

5	9.83

6	9.74

7	9.52

8	10.02

10	9.79

11	9.82

12	9.84

23	9.79

24	9.53

25	9.77

H

sitelD

Turbidity
(NTU)

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99.9

Water
Temp.
I(°C)

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