Water in the World:
Lake Trophic State, Topography and Water Quality Analysis
Developed by Chris Christensen
Agricultural Education Teacher, Marshall, MI
General Information:
We will be looking at lakes today, analyzing data and using a bird’s eye view trying to make sense of the data. Some of these water structures have a small local watershed with no outlet and are tied into the groundwater (as all lakes are to some extent). WallLake is part of the Grand River watershed; what difference does that make as you look at Upper Crooked, Lower Crooked and GullLakes which are connected and part of the Kalamazoo River Watershed? Look at land utilization and review the water quality data; it changes sometimes and improves. Why?
- Once you have Google Earth opened, go to the tools menu to change from the English to the Metric scale. InputLake of the Clouds Porcupine Mountains State Park, Michigan ( 460 48’ 20.95” N 890 44’ 45.44” W). The elevation should be about 327 m (0.203 miles).
- Fly to WallLake (420 31’ 14.65” N 850 23’ 16.44 W).WallLake is part of the Grand River watershed. Complete the questions on the answer sheet.
- Fly to the Blachman’s Swamp (420 29’ 56.73” N 850 23’ 13.90 W). A unique feature of this peat bog is that it is precipitation fed and is the dividing point between the Grand River and KalamazooRiver watersheds. Think carefully about the data and what that means for aquatic creatures.
- Fly to Upper Crooked Lake (420 29’ 42.59” N 850 25’ 50.60 W). This lake is the first in a series as part of the KalamazooRiver watershed. Look at the trends as you move downstream how does land utilization change and impact water as you move downstream.
- Fly to Lower Crooked Lake (420 27’ 55.77” N 850 28’ 00.53 W)
- Fly to Pond 10 (420 28’ 15.19” N 850 27’ 40.09 W). Pond 10, like many small Michigan lakes and ponds, is unique. It is a separate small ecosystem tied in by groundwater to the greater watershed.
- Fly to GullLake (420 24’ 20.77” N 850 24’ 55.71 W). Note the land utilization patterns.Do they seem to match the water quality data?
- Fly to EvergreenLake (420 23’ 52.28” N 850 23’ 03.86 W)
- Fly to LimeLake (440 25’ 13.65” N 890 20’ 43.53 W). This lake is a marl type groundwater fed lake.
Water in the World:
Lake Trophic State, Topography and Water Quality Analysis
NAME ______
- Using the photos (the overhead view will show clouds hence the name), categorize this lake body based on its location, elevation and surrounding features and explain your answer.
Lake category ______
- Look at the data provided for WallLake as compared to the other large lake bodies.Its alkalinity is lower, pH more toward neutral, and conductivity is the lowest of the lakes. Why is this the case?
- The bog has unique characteristics.How do you explain that all the data is on the low end and the only structure close to it is pond 10?
- What is the land utilization around UpperCrookedLake? How is this reflected in the data?
- Review the data for LowerCrookedLake and compare it to UpperCrookedLake. How do you explain the changes?
- Pond 10 is very close to lower CrookedLake. How do you explain the dramatic differences in the data collected?
- What are some of the impacts of land utilization on GullLake?
- Categorize the lake type for Wintergreen. ______
How do you explain some of the differences in oxygen level at similar depths between Wintergreen and GullLakes?
- What will be the major influencing factors for LimeLake in the future (what will cause major changes in water quality)? Look at current land use and where the water feeds for the lake are located.