Description:

This document reports the findings of the baseline water quality studies conducted from March 1993 to September 1995 at Priest Lake in Bonner County, Idaho (17010215). The following conclusions were developed. Open water areas of Upper and Lower Priest Lakes can be classified as oligotrophic. Lake waters of shallow nearshore sampling sites showed no indication of nutrient enrichment linked to onshore human development. Both lakes do exhibit a marked decline in water clarity during tributary spring runoff. Phytoplankton growth in Priest Lake may be co-limited by phosphorus and nitrogen at least during summer months. Attached algae growth in the littoral zone of many Priest Lake shoreline areas appears excessive given the low nutrient content of ambient nearshore waters. The primary nutrient fueling sources relating to attached algae biomass were not determined. Phosphorus, nitrogen , and sediment loading from various sources into Priest Lake was determined as low to moderate, except that loading per area of runoff from some residential areas can be high. Some isolated areas of ground water sampling indicated an altering of background water quality by sewage effluent plumes. Project consultants consider human induced nutrients and sediments as a potential threat for deterioration of Priest Lake water quality. Rothrock, G.C. and D.T. Mosier. 1997. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Environmental Quality, Boise, ID. 199 pp.

Record Details:

Record Type:DOCUMENT

Product Published Date:10/24/1997

Record Last Revised:09/26/2003

Record ID: 5952

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Title :PRIEST LAKE, BONNER COUNTY, IDAHO - DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS, 1993-1995

Version :1.0

State :ID

Quality Assurance:

Title :PRIEST LAKE, BONNER COUNTY, IDAHO - DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS, 1993-1995

Data Use & Constraints :The results of duplicate sampling shows good Average Relative Ranges for all constituents measured except total ammonia and TKN. Duplicate sampling for ammonia is considered acceptable, TKN is considered poor. Averages for deionized water field blanks were at or below the detection limits except for total ammonia. The QA results suggest some level of uncertainty in the total inorganic nitrogen data (TIN) presented in this report, although total ammonia was normally of minor concentration compared to total nitrite + nitrate. The exception is for some of the lake analysis with low TIN, and for a few lake sample runs where total ammonia was relatively high producing spikes in the seasonal trends. Caution also must be taken with the organic nitrogen results (TKN - total ammonia).