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LONG-TERM WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM ON THE GREAT LAKES
Citation:
Impact/Purpose:
The Great Lakes National Program Office will: (1) assess the state of water quality in the open lake basins (water greater than 30 meters in depth, or greater than than 3 miles from shore); (2) provide data to detect and evaluate trends and annual changes in chloride, nitrate nitrogen, silica, phytoplankton, total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, and secchi disc depth; (3) provide data sufficient to verify or modify water quality models; and (4) provide data to calculate the Trophic Index of each lake.
Description:
The Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has primary responsibility within the U.S. for conducting surveillance monitoring of the offshore waters of the Great Lakes. This monitoring is intended to fulfill provisions of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (International Joint Commission, 1978) calling for periodic monitoring of the lakes to: 1) assess compliance with jurisdictional control requirements; 2) provide information on non-achievement of agreed-upon water quality objectives; 3) evaluate water quality trends over time; and 4) identify emerging problems in the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem. GLNPO conducts semi-annual Water Quality Surveys of all five lakes to meet the surveillance monitoring requirements. Each summer GLNPO also conducts an intensive survey of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in Lake Erie. Further information on the program may be found at http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/monitoring/limnology/index.htm