A Shoreline Algal Survey of Torch Lake, Clam Lake and Lake Bellaire
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Issue Date
2004-08
Authors
Conkle, Sarah
Lunn, Brianne
Menestrina, Jocelyn
Bretz, Norton
Hannert, Tim
Subject
Torch Lake ; Clam Lake ; Lake Bellaire ; Boardman-Charlevoix Watershed ; HUC 4060105 ; Water quality
Abstract
In the summer of 2004 the Three Lakes Association conducted the latest in a
series of cladophora surveys on Torch Lake, Clam Lake, and Lake Bellaire. A team of
TLA volunteers and Bellaire High School interns using kayaks examined the entire
shoreline of these lakes. Wherever cladophora or cladophora like algae was found near
the shore, the locations were logged with a Global Positioning System (GPS), the size of
the bloom noted, and samples taken. This survey was carried out weekly over the course
of ten weeks and when poor weather conditions limited time on the water, the samples
were examined under a microscope to determine the type of algae. Cladophora, Ulothrix,
and Spirogyra made up approximately 70% of these samples, but like cladophora all
grow in response to the presence of low levels of phosphorus. While phosphorus
promotes growth of all types of plant life, the ones found in our samples are the earliest
and most prolific detectors this substance. Our goal, as in the past, has been to locate
places where phosphorus nutrients are coming into our lakes and use them as a roadmap
for future examinations of the sources. Sources include lawn fertilizers and soaps,
leaking septic systems, agricultural fertilizers, creeks and rivers (which drain regions well
away from the shoreline), and natural wells and seeps.
Description
Shoreline Algal Survey
In the summer of 2004 Three Lakes Association conducted the latest in a series of algal surveys on Lake Bellaire, Clam Lake, and Torch Lake. A team of TLA volunteers and Bellaire High School interns using kayaks examined the entire shoreline of these lakes.
Our goal was to locate places where nutrients like phosphorus might be entering our lakes and use this data as a roadmap for future examinations of the sources.
Observations made during this survey identified a total of 69 significant sites: 45 on Torch, 13 on Bellaire, and 11 on Clam Lake. These sites will be followed up during the summer of 2005.