LAKE MONITORING

Our Lake Monitoring Program is for organizations or individuals interested in the water quality of their lakes. Since 1984, over 150 lakes have been involved in this program. We are happy to work with lake groups to find the best sampling options.

Lake Test Packages

Benefits of Lake Monitoring

Join lake monitoring to learn more about:

The present status of your lake, whether water quality is changing (this requires long-term monitoring), unusual abundance of algae and/or aquatic plants, fish kills, and changes in water clarity

 

Spring and Fall Overturn Sampling

Sample once or twice per year, during spring overturn and/or fall overturn. This timing ensures lake water is well-mixed.

In addition to water chemistry, we recommend Secchi disc (water clarity) readings, water level monitoring (changes in water level can affect lake quality), and oxygen and temperature readings, along with depth
 

Summer Sampling

Sample during the growing season.

In addition to water chemistry, we recommend Secchi disc (water clarity) readings, water level monitoring (changes in water level can affect lake quality), and oxygen and temperature readings, along with depth
 

How do I test my lake water?

Testing your lake is easy!

Simply contact us to determine testing options for your lake and receive your lake testing kit by mail (or pick-up your kit if you prefer). Bottles and sampling instructions are provided in your testing kit. Our lab performs the analyses, and you’ll receive a lake data summary report.
 

Your Lake Data Report

Your lake data report will include current and historical lake data which can reveal water quality variability and trends over time. Each lake analyte includes a summary explanation to help you interpret your results. One or two years of data are often not sufficient to characterize a lake, so ongoing monitoring is encouraged. The database generated by this program may also be useful for graduate students, staff, and local or state professionals who are interested in lake water quality. In order to produce your Lake Report, your data will be uploaded to the DNR statewide database Surface Water Integrated Monitoring Systems (SWIMS).
 

We also encourage participating in the WDNR’s Citizen Lake Monitoring Network (CLMN), which trains volunteers to monitor lake quality

RIVER MONITORING

A river’s water quality is affected by the soils, geology, topography, and land-use activities in its watershed. Water flowing in a river/stream is a combination of direct runoff and baseflow (groundwater contribution). Sampling base flow, runoff events, and biota helps to measure the water quality in a river.

River Test Packages

Base Flow

Base flow quality is measured during low flow periods (usually summer and winter) when surface runoff is minimal. Winter is a particularly good time to measure base flow conditions because cold conditions slow the biological transformation of nutrients. Besides giving an indication of stream health, base flow quality can provide a good measure of a watershed’s groundwater quality. For instance, samples for nitrate and pesticide analyses taken during base flow conditions may indicate the amount of these pollutants that enter a watershed’s groundwater.
 
 

Base Flow Sampling

For most streams, base flow conditions may be sampled during a period when there has been no significant thawing or precipitation for at least three days. Samples are obtained by grab method. Measuring stream flow during this time is desirable as it allows groundwater discharge to be quantified and is useful in delineating the land area contributing groundwater flow to the stream. Sample sites should represent all major tributaries in the watershed. It is preferable to locate these sites immediately above bridges or other easily accessible locations. Ideally, stream flow measurement sites should have open water during the winter; therefore, selecting sites with high velocities and sampling in early winter is advised. On larger tributaries more than one sample site may be desirable to document changes in water quality that may occur from the headwater of the stream to near the mouth of the stream.
 

Potential Benefits of Base Flow Sampling

Determine nutrient and pesticide inputs to streams from groundwater discharge. Provide information to focus time and money to the sub-watersheds that are having the greatest impact on water quality. Assess the average groundwater quality within different sub-basins. Evaluate which land use practices are affecting stream water quality via groundwater flow. Monitor groundwater quality trends within a watershed over time.
 

Runoff Events

Runoff event monitoring has historically been the focus of many stream sampling programs, but many problems are associated with it. Stream flow and contaminant concentrations vary from season to season and throughout any individual runoff event. Continuous event samplers that are triggered automatically and collect samples throughout an entire runoff event are the best tool for getting quantitative water quality information, but these are very expensive. As a result, continuous event samplers are used in few watersheds and then only on main tributary sites.
 

Runoff Event Sampling

We have modified a device called a siphon sampler which automatically collects a sample whenever a predetermined rise in water level occurs. This allows all tributaries to be sampled at similar rises in water level and enables better comparison of water quality conditions throughout a watershed. Siphon samplers are available for University of Wisconsin Stevens Point research projects. In addition to water chemistry, we recommend: Staff gage readings related to the height of the siphon sampler If safe, flow measurements during the event Use of continuous flow measures

Potential Benefits of Runoff Event Sampling

Assist with identifying the sub-watersheds with the most severe water quality problems. Help identify the time of year that has the greatest water quality impacts. Aid in focusing time and money to the sub-watersheds that are having the most impact on water quality. Evaluate the success of BMPs by obtaining high flow water quality samples where new practices have been implemented. Monitor runoff related water quality trends within a watershed over time.
 

Links to other river-related sites in Wisconsin:

Lake and River Monitoring Test Packages

Advanced Lake (A) ($310)

Lake chemistry, including mineralogy and nutrient content. Lakes just starting sampling should run this package for 2 years.

  • Alkalinity
  • Ammonium nitrogen
  • Calcium
  • Chloride
  • Magnesium
  • Nitrate + Nitrite (N)
  • pH
  • Potassium
  • Orthophosphate (P)
  • Sodium
  • Sulfur as sulfate
  • Total hardness
  • Total Kjeldahl nitrogen
  • Total phosphorus
  • Turbidity
Standard Lake (B) ($150)

Analytes in this package would affect the plant growth within the lake, which may be an indication of land use runoff. This package is recommended after running the Advanced Lake package for at least two years.

  • Ammonium nitrogen
  • Chloride
  • Conductivity
  • Nitrate + Nitrite (N)
  • Orthophosphate (P)
  • Total Kjeldahl nitrogen
  • Total phosphorus
Summer Lake (C) ($130)

Summer sampling to assess nutrient content and chlorophyll-a (a measure of algae). We recommend doing this package during the growing season (typically June, July, August and/or September)

  • Chlorophyll-a
  • Nitrate + Nitrite (N)
  • Total Phosphorus
  • Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
River ($145)

Includes nutrients that affect plant growth within a river, this may be an indication of land use runoff.

  • Ammonium nitrogen
  • Chloride
  • Nitrate+Nitrite (N)
  • Orthophosphate (P)
  • Total Kjeldahl nitrogen
  • Total phosphorus
  • Total suspended sediment

Additional analyses are available upon request. 

Contact and Links

River/Watershed Monitoring Program: weal@uwsp.edu or call 715-346-3209.

Lake Monitoring Program: Sarah Snippen at ssnippen@uwsp.edu or 715-346-2420.