publications and resources
Interstate Water Report
Online Archives
Under Investigation
Assessing New England’s Lakes and Ponds
by Becky Weidman, NEIWPCC
What portion of lakes and ponds in New England demonstrate impaired conditions? What is the relationship between land use and the biological health of the region’s lakes and ponds? What chemical and biological characteristics are related to waterbody health in New England? These are all undeniably important questions. And when a study now underway is complete, we will have an abundance of data to begin answering them.
During the summer of 2006, NEIWPCC, the EPA New England Regional Laboratory, and regional collaborators including state agencies and universities kicked off the New England Lakes and Ponds Study, otherwise known as NELAP. Utilizing a rigorous statistical process to ensure a representative sample, researchers selected about 300 lakes and ponds reflecting a wide range of characteristics, from pristine environments to ecosystems highly impacted by human activity. With the selections made, the process of assessing each waterbody to determine water quality and ecological condition began. As the study progresses, researchers will pool together the results to make general conclusions about the state of New England’s lakes and ponds.
Technically, it is not the first time such an effort has been made. In the 1990s, EPA began developing sampling methodologies to assess the health of lakes and ponds in the Northeast. Researchers established an ecological picture of the state of lakes and ponds in the region, and identified potential contaminants threatening their health. But the new study incorporates new assessment methodologies alongside traditional evaluation techniques. At each site, scientists are collecting water and sediment samples, which are being analyzed for a suite of nutrients, chemicals, metals, and other constituents. Scientists are also conducting thorough visual observations of each site, noting the presence of invasive species, development, and other relevant biological and man-made features.
With the information collected during the NELAP study, and the results from the previous work, we will be able to identify trends in ecosystem health in this region. We also hope to identify several indicators, both biological and chemical, of lake and pond health that can be utilized in annual monitoring programs to track the ecological status of the region’s lakes and ponds. The study is expected to be completed within the next few years.
Becky Weidman is a NEIWPCC Environmental Analyst and the coordinator of our work on the New England Lakes and Ponds Study.