JLPOA Members Test for More Than Water Clarity


While water clarity is perhaps the most obvious measure of the health of Johnson Lake, many other aspects are being measured and reported by JLPOA members. The most recent test -- October 7, 2003. You can explore the data from several years of water testing and come to some pretty interesting conclusions on the DNR website.

As they do many times during the year, volunteers from the JLPOA gathered today to take water samples and make observations about many aspects of Johnson Lake water. The testing includes measuring water temperature and dissolved oxygen at various depths, testing for Chlorophyll A and Phosphorus and observing water quality, color and clarity.

Roy Hansen reported a Secchi disk reading of 9 feet today, indicating improving water clarity. To get this number, Hansen, Fred Weber and John Okerstrom took a boat trip to the deep hole. One of the volunteers lowered a black and white metal disc into the water until it just disappeared and then raised it until just visible. The volunteers recorded the average of the two depths.

Water samples taken at the same time are sent to a state lab for analysis. Results become part of a growing lake profile and history. Testing over a long period of time is critical to spotting trends in water quality and developing a plan to protect the lake.

You can review water testing results for 2001, 2002 and 2003 here. Simply enter the official lake name as Johnson Lake and the Water Body ID Code of 2471600. At that point, you'll be able to retrieve data or refine your search. Compare the results for Johnson Lake with results from some others and you'll see how fortunate we are -- as well as how important it is to be advocates for the lake. We hope you take the time to look beyond the numbers and explore the DNR website. It contains lots of information designed to explain the test results and suggest ways that every property owner and lake user can act to protect and enhance water quality.

Posted: Tue - October 7, 2003 at 10:31 PM      

©
Content Copyright 2004-2006, Johnson Lake Property Owners Association, Inc.