BLUE LAKE -- GRANT COUNTY: 1996

Size (acres)                         532
Maximum Depth (feet)                  69
Mean Depth (feet)                     40
Lake Volume (acre-feet)            21280
Drainage Area (square miles)      334.00
Altitude (feet)                     1093
Shoreline Length (miles)             7.0

Contour Map

Source of morphometric data: Water Supply Bulletins 42, 43, and 57.


VOLUNTEER-COLLECTED SECCHI DATA
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Date      Temperature      Water      %Cloud Recent        Secchi Lake  
(Y/M/D)    (C)   (F)  pH   Color      Cover  Rain   Wind   (ft)   Ht(in) Abbrev. Comments
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
        STATION 1
96/05/22                                 0                 13.0     0.0  FIELD VISIT
96/06/16  13.0  55.4       Mod Green     0          Calm   11.5     0.0  
96/06/28  14.0  57.2  8.5  Lt Green      0   None   Breezy 12.5     0.0  
96/07/16  21.5  70.7       Lt Green     10   None   Light  10.8     0.0  
96/08/10  23.5  74.3  8.5  Clear         0   None   Calm   16.5     0.0  
96/08/21                                 0                 15.5     0.0  FIELD VISIT
96/09/02  20.0  68.0  8.5  Lt Green      0   None   Calm   14.6     0.0  
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LABORATORY RESULTS
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                    Total       Total                   Fecal Col. Bacteria  Turb-    Suspended Solids           
                    Phosphorus  Nitrogen   Chlorophyll  (colonies/100 mL)    idity    Total   Non-Volatile   Color  
Date         Strata (ug/L)      (mg/L)     (ug/L)       Site 1    Site 2     (NTU)    (mg/L)  (mg/L)         (Pt-Co)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
        STATION 1
96/05/22       E      12        0.41        9.4J           1         1U       1.5                                
96/05/22       H      13        0.45                                                                             
96/08/21       E      14        0.35        3.8            1U        1U       3.4                                
96/08/21       H      33        0.63                                                                             
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E=epilimnion composite, H=hypolimnion composite.  Remarks codes: U = Below detection limits; J = Estimate.


SUMMARY OF VOLUNTEER SURVEY


There was no survey response for 1996.

FIELD OBSERVATIONS OF ECOLOGY STAFF
Lots of zooplankton but not as much as Park Lake.  H2S odor detected in summertime
hypolimnetic samples taken at 14 and 15 meters.  

TROPHIC STATUS
Estimated Trophic State:                                 Meso-eutrophic
Mean Trophic State Index (Secchi):                       40 (Oligo-mesotrophic)
Mean Trophic State Index (Total Phosphorus):             42 (Mesotrophic)
Mean Trophic State Index (Chlorophyll a):                55 (Eutrophic)

SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION OF TROPHIC STATE ASSESSMENT
Blue Lake is classified as meso-eutrophic based on the TSI ratings and the detection
of hydrogen sulfide odor in the summertime hypolimnion.  Also, a significant
filamentous algal bloom and numerous zooplankton indicate a lake high in productivity.


COMMENTS FROM 96/07/16 AQUATIC PLANT SURVEY
Circumnavigated lake.  Sunny, breezy.  Much of shoreline rocky and steep, few rooted
plants except in protected areas.  Dominant submersed plant is Chara.  Iris
pseudacorus in patchy distribution at northeast end of lake, not observed at south
end.  Maximum depth of plant growth:  4.0M. 

AQUATIC PLANT LIST  (This list may be from multiple years and sources.)Chara
sp. (muskwort)  Elodea canadensis (common elodea)  Iris pseudacorus 
(yellow flag)  Juncus sp. (rush)  Lysimachia thyrsiflora (tufted
loosestrife)  Myriophyllum sibiricum (northern watermilfoil)  Myriophyllum
sp. (water-milfoil)  Najas flexilis (common naiad)  Potamogeton
crispus (curly leaf pondweed)  Potamogeton pectinatus (sago pondweed)  
Potamogeton richardsonii (Richardson's pondweed)  Potamogeton sp (thin
leaved) (thin leaved pondweed)  Ranunculus aquatilis (water-buttercup)  
Ruppia maritima (ditch-grass)  Scirpus acutus (hardstem bulrush)  
Scirpus americanus (american bulrush)  Typha sp. (cat-tail)

Data collected and provided by Washington Department of Ecology's Lake Monitoring Program (Maggie Bell-McKinnon, phone 360-407-6124).

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