Laserfiche WebLink
ssessing the Health of our Lakes and etlans <br />Many factors affect the health of our water resources, including climate and <br />human activities such as land development and use of pesticides, fertilizers and _ <br />other chemicals. <br />The District's water quality and biological monitoring program -generates data on <br />the relative health of our, water resources and-identifies areas where additional manage- <br />ment activities are needed. Monitoring work also provides valuable <br />information on the effectiveness of projects designed to improve water resources. <br />_ Gathering and Interpreting Water Quality Data <br />Every year the District, along"with Ramsey County, monitors all nine of the District's <br />. major lakes. Secchi disk readings are usad to measure the transparency of the lake <br />water, and water samples. are tested to measure the levels of chlorophyll-a (algae) :and <br />phosphorous (which affects algae growth). The chart below summarizes each lake's <br />health Aver the past ten years-using the lake grading system. Developed by tfie <br />Metrop,Glitan Council, this system translates lake data into a standardized A-F grade. <br /> 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997. '1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 <br />Battle Creek Lake. C G _ C _- ~. C C - ~ C <br />Beaver Lake D C-~ C D C D D C D B <br />" Carver Lake C C` ~ C : - B C C , C ` ,C C ` ~ _~ <br />Gervais Lake C B C ,B B ,B C B C B - <br />Keller Lake.; , C_ 6 ~~' C C - C C C - D <br />Kohlmanlake C_ D D D C D D C D C <br />Pha}eri Lake B A B A A` '_ A A B A'. ~ x <br />Tanners Lake B B B C C C B C C B~ <br />Wak"ef~eld Eake G ~ C " C. D fl ~"~ D F D~ '_ D~ D~. ~~ <br /> $ .. <br />The District also monitors water levels of District fakes every two weeks and after major <br />storm events. `° , <br />In cooperation with the Metropolitan Council, the District has also been monitoring the <br />outlets of the Beltline Interceptor,- Battle Creek and Fish Creek for'standard nutrients and <br />metals. The Metropoiitari Council uses thisin#ormation, which has been collected since <br />1995, to monitor the quality of -the water flowing into the Mississippi River. <br />-- <br /> <br />~~ , <br />t <br />Et ~ .. <br />„~ , <br />~g~ <br />~~- ~, <br />~,~ ~~.' <br />~:< <br />E - ~a <br />X <br />Y <br />,~. <br />~~ <br />~~ <br />r~ k S <br />"a <br />~; ~~. <br />_~~ <br />~. <br />~~ - <br />~- <br />--- :, <br />