Inland Lakes Program

 NEW: Draft National Lake Assessment Report
NEW: National Lake Assessment Report Fact Sheet
NEW: National Study of Chemical Residues in Lake Fish Tissue

NEW: Draft 2010 Integrated Report-Comment Period Open Until February 8
http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/tmdl/2010IntReport/2010OhioIntegratedReport_draft.aspx

NEW: Harmful Aglal Blooms in Ohio Waters
Fact Sheets
Poster

NEW:   Algae ID Workshop (Aug 2-3, or Aug 4-5, 2010) and  Dealing With Algal Toxins (Aug 9-10, 2010)
http://stonelab.osu.edu/courses/noncredit/

MICROCYSTIN TOXIN SAMPLING DATA

Grand Lake St. Marys : Go Here 
http://www.epa.ohio.gov/pic/glsm_algae.aspx
Buckeye Lake Go Here
Indian Lake : Go Here
Lake Loramie : Go Here 

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Ohio EPA Lake Selection Criteria:

1) Identify lakes within the watersheds where TMDL field sampling is occurring

2) Identify public drinking water lakes or lakes with heavy recreation

3) Identify possible impaired lakes

4) Identify lakes that need to be assessed for other programmatic needs

Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water completed our first year of lake sampling in 2008.
The eight lakes sampled in 2008 are:

• Buckeye Lake – Fairfield, Licking, Perry Counties
• Clear Fork Reservoir – Richland, Morrow Counties
• Swift Run Lake – Miami County
• Vets Memorial Reservoir (Fostoria Reservoir #6) – Hancock County
• Frazier Quarry (Maysville Regional Water District Reservoir) – Muskingum County
• Dillon Lake – Muskingum County
• Cutler Lake (Blue Rock Lake) – Muskingum County
• Deer Creek Lake – Stark County

The fifteen lakes we sampled in 2009 are:

• Vets Memorial Reservoir (Fostoria Reservoir #6) – Hancock County (finish up five samples)
• Beaver Creek Reservoir – Seneca County
• Akron water supply reservoirs (East Branch Reservoir, LaDue Reservoir and Lake Rockwell)
• Frazier Quarry (Maysville Regional Water District Reservoir) – Muskingum County (finish up five samples)
• Cutler Lake (Blue Rock Lake) – Muskingum County (finish up 5 samples)
• Barnesville – Belmont County (3 reservoirs) 
• Woodsfield – Monroe County
• Griggs Reservoir  – Franklin County
• O'Shaugnessey Reservoir – Delaware County
• Kiser Lake – Champaign County
• Lake Loramie – Shelby County

Note: Lakes to be sampled in 2009 will be sampled 5 times this year and 5 times in 2010 unless otherwise noted.

NEW: The fifteen lakes we will sample in 2010 are:

• Lake Vesuvius - Lawrence County 
• Metzger Reservoir - Allen County
• Beaver Creek Reservoir – Seneca County (finish up 5 samples)
• Akron water supply reservoirs (East Branch Reservoir, LaDue Reservoir and Lake Rockwell) (finish up 5 samples)
• Barnesville – Belmont County (3 reservoirs)  (finish up 5 samples)
• Woodsfield – Monroe County  (finish up 5 samples)
• Griggs Reservoir  – Franklin County  (finish up five samples)
• O'Shaugnessey Reservoir – Delaware County  (finish up 5 samples)
• Kiser Lake – Champaign County (finish up 5 samples)
• Lake Loramie – Shelby County (finish up 5 samples)

Also, Grand Lake St. Marys in Mercer/Auglaize counties will be sampled 5 times in 2010 to collect baseline water quality data in conjunction with the multi- agency water quality improvement initiatives.

Note: The first two lakes listed for sampling in 2010 will be sampled 5 times this year and 5 times in 2011.  All the other lakes listed (except Grand Lake St. Marys) for 2010 will be be sampled the second, and last, time in 2010.

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Ohio EPA initiated a new Inland Lakes Program on March 1, 2006. A lakes monitoring and assessment program has been identified as a key area for development in Ohio EPA's Surface and Ground Water Monitoring Strategy 2005-2009 [PDF 941K].

A State Inland Lakes Team was formed with representatives of all Ohio EPA district offices, the Division of Drinking and Ground Waters, and the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife. The first task was to complete an Inland Lake Assessment Methodology in the form of a white paper by the end of 2006 to determine how collected lake data will be used to integrate with other Ohio EPA programs in the future, such as:

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) page, Water Quality Standards page, and Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report page.

The White Paper was completed on December 29, 2006. The State Inland Lakes Team provided additional information in the 2007 Annual Update and is revising the Procedural Manual. 

The kick-off of the new Ohio EPA Inland Lakes Program is happening in 2008. Information obtained during the 2008 sampling season will be reported in the 2010 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report for those lakes sampled 10 times during the 2008 field season. Vets Memorial Reservoir, Frazier Quarry, and Cutler Lake are being sampled 5 times in 2008 and five times in 2009.  Water quality results from these lakes will be reported in the 2012 Integrated Report.

The Integrated Report fulfills the State’s reporting obligations under Sections 305(b) and 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act. The report indicates the general condition of Ohio’s waters and lists those waters that are currently impaired and may require Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) development in order to meet water quality standards. Inland lakes will be an important component of that assessment.

Ohio EPA will look for opportunities to partner with the Surface Water Volunteer Monitoring Program to assist us with lake data collection.

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The National Lake Survey:

Ohio EPA completed our participation in the U.S. EPA sponsored National Lake Survey during the 2007 field season. For more information, see the following links:

• National Lake Survey Fact Sheet [PDF 802K]
• Ohio Lakes in the National Lake Survey [PDF 32K]
• Satellite Fly-Over Dates for Ohio Lakes in the National Lake Survey [PDF 11K]

Once the data is processed through U.S. EPA approved labs and analyzed, we will make that data available though a link from this Web site.

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Lake Issues In The News:

• Blue Green Algae Impacts on Pets and Livestock (page)
• Blue Green Algae In Grand Lake [PDF 24K]
• Blue Green Algae in Lake Erie - Lyngbya wollei [PDF 165K]

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Links To Information About Lakes and Watersheds 

• Ohio EPA Lake Sampling Procedures [PDF 107K]
• A Lake Management Primer for Non-Scientists [PDF 1,346K]
• Natural Lakes in Ohio [PDF 105K]
• Ohio Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program page
• Ohio Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Plan 2005-2010 - Environmental Targets and Priorities page
• Ohio Water Resource Inventory, Vol.3: Ohio's Public Lakes, Ponds & Reservoirs, 1996 [PDF 1,779K]
• Biological & Water Quality Study of Bass Lake, 2002 [PDF 869K]
• Sediment, Waste Material, Surface Water and Fish Community Study of Pioneer Lake, July 10, 1995 [PDF 141K)
• Important Concepts and Elements of an Adequate State Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Program, August 8, 1997 (PDF 4,253K)
• Ohio DNR Public Fishing Areas: Lake and River Maps page
• Ohio EPA Ohio Sport Fish Consumption Advisory page
• Ohio EPA Wetland Ecology Section page
• Ohio EPA Surface Water Volunteer Monitoring Program page
• Ohio EPA Storm Water Rules page
• Ohio Lake Management Society page
• North American Lake Management Society page
• 1999 Black River TSD - Findley Lake Data [PDF 2,884K]
• 1999 Cuyahoga River TSD - Long Lake Data [PDF 942K]
• 1997 Little Cuyahoga River TSD - Nesmith Lake, Summit Lake, Mogadore Reservoir Data [PDF 1,632K]
• 1998 Biological and Water Quality Study of the Black Fork, Rocky Fork and Jerome Fork of the Mohican River and Selected Tributaries (Clear Fork, Pleasant Hill, and Charles Mill reservoirs) [PDF 1,828K]
• Manual of Ohio EPA Surveillance Methods and Quality Assurance Practices, 2009 [PDF 198K]
• University of Wisconsin - Extension page

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Links To Algae Issues In Lakes

• Ohio HAB Initiative {PDF 30K}
• Bluegreen Algae Classification page
• Bluegreen Algae Advisories - Oregon.gov  page
• Toxic Algae Monitoring - Nebraska DEQ page
• Toxic Algae Presentation - Univ. of Nebraska Lake Water Quality Extension Program page
• CDC (National Center for Environmental Health) - Blue-Green Algae Web Page
• Toxic & Harmful Algal Blooms - Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
• Cyanosite - Webserver for Cyanobacteria Research
• USEPA - 2005 International Symposium on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms
• World Health Organization - Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins in Drinking Water
• Australia, the Queensland Government presents information about a Harmful Algal Bloom Response Plan and Harmful Algal Bloom operational procedures.
• California Department of Health Services - This site gives information about Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) blooms.
• CNN Article - Toxic Algae Return to Lake Erie
• Indiana Department of Natural Resources - This site answers frequently asked questions on Cylindrospermopsis and other potential toxin-producing blue-green algae in Indiana waters.
• Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality - Lakes under watch are tested every Monday and the results are posted on the website by the following Friday for public viewing. Advisories are given for the particular lakes until they stay below 20 ppb for two consecutive weeks. This program was started in 2004 when they purchased the equipment to analyze the algae. This was because of a dog death resulting from blue-green algae in a Nebraska Lake .
• Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Newsletter
• New Hampshire Department of Environmental Safety Blue-Green Algae Information - This is an informative website on blue-green algae and the general information about it. Also the University of New Hampshire is currently conducting research on cyanobacteria.
• New Hamphire Department of Environmental Safety Public Beach Program - Public Beach Inspection Program personnel monitor about 170 beaches. About 15 estuary beaches are sampled weekly or bi-weekly; for other beaches, 2-3 samples are taken from them depending on the size and facilities of the beach. Advisories are given if there is a threat from blue-green algae at the beaches.
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - This site gives information about how toxic algae spells danger for pets and livestock.
• Oregon Department of Human Services Environmental Toxicology Program - This site illustrates the hazards from Microcystis aeruginosa in fresh water.
• Vermont Blue Green Algae Information - Lake Champlain is being monitored by the University of Vermont and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation for blue-green algae. Vermont Department of Health provides a map with "alerts" to lake users based on this bi-weekly sampling program.
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - General information given on what is, and the health risk associated with, blue-green algae. No information given on assessing/monitoring of blue-green.
• Guidelines for design and sampling for cyanobacterial toxin and taste-and-odor studies in lakes and reservoirs:  U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5038 [PDF 2,529K]
• Algae and Cyanobacteria in Fresh Water - World Health Association reports on toxic response from algal toxins in Chapter 8.
• Murray Regional Algal Coordinating Committee Guidelines for Issuing Algal Alerts - MRACC is one of nine NSW Regional Algal Coordinating Committees formed by the (former) State Algal Coordinating Committee (SACC) in Australia.
• State of Delaware Harmful Algae Monitoring Program - Poster

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Contact Information

For more information about the developing Inland Lakes Program, contact:

Linda Merchant-Masonbrink Ohio EPA, Division of Surface Water Inland Lakes Program and HAB Coordinator, and Source Water Assessment and Protection 50 West Town Street, Suite 700 Columbus, Ohio 43215 (614) 644-2135 e-mail: linda.merchant-masonbrink@epa.state.oh.us

 

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