WATER SAMPLE AND TESTING
Water sampling and testing is done on a monthly basis from April to November each year by a volunteer team from the Crystal Lake Association. The team consists of two groups. The sample taking group consisting of Rusty Moody and Bill Merson, and the sample delivery group consisting of Bill Greene and Ray Temple. The water samples must be taken to be analyzed by the lab within 24 hours.
The CLA Water Sample Apparatus, shown below (left), is used to take samples of lake water at each depth of one (1) meter to fourteen (14) meters, by lowering a battery operated bilge pump attached to a calibrated length of ¾ inch clear tubing.
The pump, with weights attached, is lowered to near the bottom of the lake at it’s deepest point (50 feet).
Temperature in degrees Celsius and dissolved oxygen in (mg/l) are taken at each one meter depth as the tubing is raised to the next one meter mark. At each point we wait one minute to clear the tube, and allow the readings to stabilize. The temp/oxygen probe is located on the side of the unit in the return water stream to the lake.
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WATER SAMPLE APPARATUS SECCHI DISK APPARATUS
At depths of 1meter, 3 meters, 7 meters, 10 meters and 13 meters a pint sample of water is taken from the return flow tube shown(left picture) above. These samples are labeled and sent to Columbia Environmental Labs for testing for the following: TOTAL PHOSPHORUS, AMMONIA, NITRITE, ALKALINITY, TURBIDITY, TOTAL IRON and TOTAL MANGANESE.
Sampling Data is available for:"2008 FieldData",and "2009 FieldData"
Columbia Enviornmental Lab Data is available for:"2008 LabData", and "2009 LabData"
The data for the year is then sent to the DEP and a report on the Health of the Lake is compiled by George Knoecklein and published in theCrystal Lake Water Monitoring Report. This data and report are vital to monitor the chemical condition of the lake. The report for 2006 covers 2004 and 2005.
One additional test that is performed is the SECCHI. A round disk, see right picture above, is lowered into the lake on a calibrated cord. The disk is lowered until it just cannot be observed, this measures the clarity of the water and is read in meters.
This lake test does not include bacteria levels to determine swimming conditions.
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