Lake Lanier Monitoring

As part of our Lake Lanier Clean Water Campaign, UCR monitors Lake Lanier for chlorophyll-a. By measuring for chlorophyll-a, we will be able to determine the level of algal growth within the water body, which is a common problem in lakes.

Lakes tend to collect and hold nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus as they flow into the lake from sources such as agricultural and industrial areas, municipal wastewater treatment facilities, septic tanks, and lawn fertilizers to name a few. As these nutrients collect in the lake, a main concern is that excessive amounts of algae may begin to grow in the lake and have devastating impacts. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) is currently creating models in accordance with a study they are conducting to determine how much nutrient the lake can hold before problems start to arise. Currently, EPD has placed three segments of Lake Lanier on their “watch list” as these segments have had levels exceeding acceptable standards in the last five years.

UCR’s sampling and quality assurance plan (SQAP) has been approved by EPD for this project, so all of our data collected can also be used by EPD for model verification and for use in their study. We collect samples monthly during the summer from 10 locations on Lake Lanier from aboard our pontoon boat, the Molly B. UCR’s Technical Programs Director, Jason Ulseth, manages this important monitoring project and often uses the assistance of UCR volunteers to collect and process the samples. Once the samples are collected and processed, they are immediately sent to the University of Georgia laboratory for analysis.

The results of our 2010 monitoring revealed two violations of the chlorophyll standard, which confirms the need for an immediate cleanup plan in Lake Lanier’s watershed. UCR is active in the Upper Chattahoochee Basin Group which is comprised of non-profit and government organizations and help guide the assessment and clean up process.

For more information on UCR's Lake Lanier Clean Water Campaign, email Jason Ulseth.