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LANDSAT-BASED WATER QUALITY MONITORING OF PYRAMID LAKE
Citation:
Heggem, D T. AND C Edmonds. LANDSAT-BASED WATER QUALITY MONITORING OF PYRAMID LAKE. Presented at Science Forum 2003, Washington, DC, May 5-7, 2003.
Impact/Purpose:
There are four basic objectives of the project:
Demonstrate the application of a comparative landscape assessment in analyzing the vulnerability of surface and coastal water conditions to declines based on landscape conditions (as estimated by landscape indicators as demonstrated in the mid-Atlantic landscape atlas) in western environments;
Develop and apply landscape assessment approaches relative to specific issues, including an ability to prioritize the vulnerability of areas relative to the Clean Water Act 303(d) designations; Quantify relationships between landscape conditions (as measured by landscape indicators) and surface and coastal waters in the west to reduce the uncertainty in comparative landscape assessments, and issue-specific, landscape assessments (e.g., Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDLs);
Complete a west-wide, comparative landscape assessment relative to surface and coastal water vulnerability;
Transfer landscape assessment technologies to Regional Offices so that they can conduct landscape assessments at many scales.
Description:
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (PLPT) in cooperation with federal, state and local entities has been able to increase stream flow, establish water quality standards and improve fish habitat in the Truckee River, a primary source of water for pyramid Lake. In the past, pyramid Lake water quality has been affected adversely by noxious blooms of Nodularia (a blue-green alge). Nodularia fixes nitrogen from air and Truckee River inputs, and decomposition of the Nodularia is considered the primary source of total nitrogen to pyramid Lake. Blooms can occur in all parts of the pyramid lake from August to early November. Temporal Landsat imagery has been investigated as a tool for monitoring the abundance of Nodularia in pyramid Lake. Increases in Nodularia abundance have been associated with increases in near-infrared reflectance measure from Landsat (MSS). Temporal database of Landsat near-infrared reflectance has been used to monitor changes in Nodularia abundance and outbreaks. Results suggest that temporal Landsat MSS near-infrared reflectance data are effective for monitoring Nodularia dynamics.