Mike Kaputa, Director Chelan County Natural Resources Dept, hosted a meeting on Sat. 10-25 at the Rec Club to discuss a number of area that we have been discussing:
1: Lake Wenatchee Water Quality
2: Proposed Grant County Chinkook Rearing Ponds on the White River and Nason Creek.
3: Updates to the Shoreline Management Plan.
We will be post notes, observations, presentation materials over the next week or so from each of these sessions. If you see any errors or factual omissions please email admin@lakewenatcheeinfo.com and we’ll add corrections. If you have a different point of view please add a comment. (Photo By Ron Large)
Session 1: Overall Water Quality Observations
By state standards, Lake Wenatchee is very clean. The county and PUD are taking very seriously reports of algae blooms in some locations around the lake shore. The PUD has sponsored annual water monitoring since 2000 to watch for impacts (phosphorus) from the fish ponds. Through 2007 these surveys did not detect any rise in phosphorus. In 2008 a more sophisticated monitoring protocol was put in place (phosphorus, dissolved oxygen and nitrogen) . Monitoring is now being performed bi-weekly at 6 locations (mouth of White River, mouth of Little Wentachee, mid-lake, shore side of fish pens, lake side of fish pens at the mouth of the Wenatchee River exiting the lake); at multiple depths at each location. The only spike in phosphorus detected is during high water in the White River. This program will be continued into 2009 and beyond. Grant County will also be monitoring the water quality in the lake inconjunction with their Chinook rearing program in the spring, it was suggested that they use exactly the same protocol and contractor so the data set is expanded consistently.
The community can help the Dept of Natural Resources to gather data on numerous fronts.
1: Identifying potential inflow that could be carrying in addition Phosphorus.
2: Mapping sewer and septic hookups. (no presumption that these are the source of the problem)
3: Identifying spots of heavy siltation.
4: Becoming trained to help monitor the situation.
As the 2009 monitoring program comes on line we’ll provide contact info for volunteering and submitting suggestions.
You must log in to post a comment.