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CLEAR LAKE -- SPOKANE COUNTY: 1997

Clear Lake is located 2.1 miles south of the Town of Medical Lake. It has no surface inlets or outlets, and is within the Crab Creek drainage.

Size (acres)                         410
Maximum Depth (feet)                 110
Mean Depth (feet)                     26
Lake Volume (acre-feet)            10660
Drainage Area (square miles)        9.51
Altitude (feet)                     2342
Shoreline Length (miles)             9.1

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
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STATION 1
97/06/17 17.8 64.0 8.0 Lt Green 90 None Calm 15.0 0.0
97/07/02 17.8 64.0 8.0 Mod Green 90 Mod Calm 7.5 0.0 SURE DID CHANGE FROM LAST TIME. LOTS OF LITTLE
GREEN PARTICLES IN THE WATER.
97/07/18 18.9 66.0 8.0 Mod Green 25 None Breezy 7.0 0.0 WATER STILL NOT AS CLEAR AS NORMAL, BUT SMALL
PARTICLES ARE LESS.
97/07/31 19.4 66.9 8.0 Mod Green 10 Trace Calm 11.0 0.0 LITTLE YELLOW-GREEN PARTICLES ARE LESS ABUNDANT.
97/08/20 Lt Green 100 Light 10.5 0.0
97/09/25 14.4 57.9 8.0 Mod Green 10 None Light 10.0 0.0
97/10/16 10.0 50.0 7.5 Mod Green 0 None Calm 9.0 0.0 LAST TIME THIS YEAR.
STATION 2
97/05/22 0 16.2 0.0
97/05/22 0 None Light 16.2 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)
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STATION 1
97/05/22 E 28
97/05/22 H 60
97/08/20 E 19 3.9 1U 8
97/08/20 H 153
STATION 2
97/05/22 E 37
97/05/22 H 45
97/08/20 E 20 3.8
97/08/20 H 20
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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 1997.

FIELD OBSERVATIONS OF ECOLOGY STAFF
Volunteer reports that West Medical is overflowing into Clear this year. Water levels
had been very high in spring (2345ft). (Down 2.25ft by sampling). Zooplankton in all
spring casts, though fewer in hypolimnion. By summer, moderate number of small
zooplankton in epilimnion, Chaoborus in 10 M sample. H2S smell at 15 and 20 M. Algae
mats had been floating throughout lake in early spring but by spring sampling were
only seen near shoreline.

TROPHIC STATUS
Estimated Trophic State: Mesotrophic
Mean Trophic State Index (Secchi): 44 (Mesotrophic)
Mean Trophic State Index (Total Phosphorus): 47 (Mesotrophic)
Mean Trophic State Index (Chlorophyll a): 44 (Mesotrophic)

SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION OF TROPHIC STATE ASSESSMENT
All TSI values are tightly aligned and suggest an overall assessment of mesotrophic.

The hydrolab profile data shown for the summer is from site #2.

COMMENTS FROM 94/08/04 AQUATIC PLANT SURVEY
sunny, calm. Water level down 2-3 feet from what looks normal, can not access the
southern part of the lake. Water is pea soup color, many fish and birds, algae
covering plants, forming mats in spots. Dominant macrophyte is M. sibiricum, with
thick patches through the littoral zone. Other prevalent plants were P. pectinatus
and P. richardsonii. Maximum depth of plant growth: 5.8M.

AQUATIC PLANT LIST (This list may be from multiple years and sources.)
Ceratophyllum demersum (Coontail; hornwort) Chara sp. (muskwort)
Elodea canadensis (common elodea) Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall's
waterweed) Myriophyllum sibiricum (northern watermilfoil) Potamogeton
illinoensis (Illinois pondweed) Potamogeton pectinatus (sago pondweed)
Potamogeton pusillus (slender pondweed) Potamogeton richardsonii
(Richardson's pondweed) Potamogeton zosteriformis (eel-grass pondweed)
Ranunculus aquatilis (water-buttercup) Ruppia maritima (ditch-grass)
unknown plant (unknown)

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

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