Document Type
Report
Study Date
2000
Abstract
The Colby Environmental Assessment Team (CEAT) engaged in an extensive data collection and analysis effort from September to December of 2000 to produce a comprehensive evaluation of the ecological health of the Lake Wesserunsett ecosystem. CEAT examined several factors related to lake water quality, including land use within the watershed, the impacts of residential and commercial development, and physical and chemical measurements of the lake itself. Lake water quality was the primary focus of the study due to its predictive value regarding overall watershed function and viability. The accumulation of nutrients in a lake due to surface runoff and erosion is a primary concern regarding lake water quality. If concentrations of nutrients, particularly phosphorus, reach threshold levels, a lake can experience algal blooms that decrease the aesthetic, recreational, ecological, and economic value of the lake.
Recommended Citation
Problems in Environmental Science course (Biology 493), Colby College and Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College, "Land Use Patterns in Relation to Lake Water Quality in the Lake Wesserunsett Watershed" (2000). Colby College Watershed Study: Other Area Studies. 3.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/otherlakes/3
Included in
Environmental Health and Protection Commons, Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Comments
Publication Date: Spring 2001
Date of Study: September to December 2000