Water Stewardship Information Sources
| ID | 1116 |
|---|---|
| Citation | Larratt Aquatic Consulting. 2011. Kalamalka Lake Water Quality Study: Microflora, Water Chemistry & Thermal Profiles 2010. Prepared for Greater Vernon Water. |
| Organization | Greater Vernon Water |
| URL | https://lakecountry.civicweb.net/document/14236/Kalamalka%20Lake%20WQ%20Study%20report%20(2010%20Larratt%20Aquatic%20Consulting).pdf?handle=D05C0C14B9C2483A8002278AE1E132DF |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | The injection of nutrient from a manure spreading operation that washed into Coldstream Creek during a rain storm in January 2010 triggered a complex algae bloom in the North Arm of Kalamalka Lake in late winter and a very strong Cyclotella diatom bloom in the spring. Nutrient injections tend to affect several years because only 2% of the water exchanges in Kalamalka Lake each year. ? Overall 0 - 20 m Kalamalka Lake algae production was moderate to high in summer 2010, with 0 - 3465 cells/mL potentially toxin-forming cyanobacteria and 75 - 3785 total cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria numbers were highest in August samples. A surface flagellate Dinobryon bloom occurred again in 2010, causing a fishy taste and odor in the shallow E-Kal intake but no problems for the deeper N-Kal intake. Since Dinobryon filter-feed on minute particulates such as bacteria, their prevalence suggests a significant load of bacteria in the North Arm. ? Both the North and South ends of Kalamalka Lake are subject to significant turbulence; the multi-year thermal data shows more intense seiche activity during warm autumns (seiches are the main transport mechanism for surface contaminants to the intakes). ? Turbidity and mild odor events usually coincide in Kalamalka Lake and are induced by algae growth and seiches. A significant water quality benefit would be realized if intakes were positioned >3 m off the substrate. ? Raw water E. coli are usually a concern during the fall at the north end of Kalamalka Lake but not at the south end. Since the sediments contained viable E. coli in the north but not the south, Coldstream Creek is implicated (Coldstream Creek E. coli = 180 to 11,000 cfu/100 mL during 2010). In the past three years, E. coli spiked in the narrow window of October 13 - 20. At both ends of the lake, 40 m samples did not contain measurable E. coli during 2010. ? In the N Arm, four turbidity spikes exceeding 5 NTU occurred in 2010, however, the overall annual turbidity has declined from 2000 - 2010. ? From 2004 to 2010, growing season average total organic carbon has increased throughout Kalamalka Lake by (6-7 mg/L) and Wood Lake by (5.6-16.2 mg/L). water quality, kalamalka lake, |
| Information Type | report |
| Regional Watershed | Okanagan |
| Sub-watershed if known | Kalamalka |
| Aquifer # | |
| Comments | |
| Project status | complete |
| Contact Name | Heather Larratt |
| Contact Email | [email protected] |