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SAMISH (EAST ARM) LAKE -- WHATCOM COUNTY: 1997

Size (acres)                         680
Maximum Depth (feet)                  75
Mean Depth (feet)                     31
Lake Volume (acre-feet)            21080
Drainage Area (square miles)        9.20
Altitude (feet)                      273
Shoreline Length (miles)             6.3

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
97/06/18  20.0  68.0  7.0  Lt Green     10   Light  Light  24.0   268.5  
97/07/02  -6.9  19.6  6.5  Lt Green      0   Trace  Calm   18.6     0.0  WATER LEVEL AT 268 FEET THREE INCHES.
97/07/16  20.0  68.0  6.0  Lt Green      0   None   Calm   16.2     0.0  WATER LEVEL WAS 268.5 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.
97/07/29  22.0  71.6  6.0  Lt Green      0   None   Breezy 18.0     0.0  WATER LEVEL WAS 268.23 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.
97/08/28  23.0  73.4  6.0  Lt Green    100   Light  Breezy 11.0     0.0  WATER LEVEL WAS 267 FEET 10 INCHES.
97/09/04                   Undefined    25   None   Light  12.0     0.0  WATER WAS MODERATE GREEN.
97/09/24  -6.4  20.5  6.5  Pea-green     0   None   Calm    9.8     0.0  WATER LEVEL WAS 268.08 FEET
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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
97/06/04       E       4                                                                                         
97/09/04       E       8        0.19        6.1                                                                  
97/09/04       H       9        0.49                                                                             
        STATION 3
97/09/04       E       8        0.23        5.2                                                                  
        STATION 3
97/09/04       E                            4.8                                                                  
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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
6-4-97  Blue-green algae rare.

9-4-97  Blue-green algae--moderate amount

TROPHIC STATUS
Estimated Trophic State:                                 Oligo-mesotrophic
Mean Trophic State Index (Secchi):                       39 (Oligo-mesotrophic)
Mean Trophic State Index (Total Phosphorus):             34 (Oligotrophic)
Mean Trophic State Index (Chlorophyll a):                47 (Mesotrophic)

SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION OF TROPHIC STATE ASSESSMENT
Lake Samish exhibits properties of both an oligotrophic and a mesotrophic lake.
Secchi and phosphorus data suggest an oligotrophic lake yet chlorophyll concentrations
and summertime hypolimnion DO concentrations typify a mesotrophic lake, therefore, an
oligo-mesotrophic assessment is justified.   

COMMENTS FROM 97/06/30 AQUATIC PLANT SURVEY
partly cloudy, breeze. Circumnavigated shoreline.  Not many plants in steeper sided
areas.  shallows with Vallisneria / Elodea meadows.  Popular recreation lake.  Many
water intake lines along shore.  Substrate mostly sandy or rocky  Maximum depth of
plant growth:  4.5M. 

AQUATIC PLANT LIST  (This list may be from multiple years and sources.)
Brasenia schreberi (watershield)  Ceratophyllum demersum (Coontail;
hornwort)  Chara sp. (muskwort)  Elatine sp. (waterwort)  Eleocharis
sp. (spike-rush)  Elodea canadensis (common elodea)  Elodea sp. 
(waterweed)  Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag)  Najas flexilis (common
naiad)  Nitella sp. (stonewort)  Nuphar lutea (yellow water-lily)  
Nuphar polysepala (spatter-dock, yellow water-lily)  Nymphaea odorata 
(fragrant waterlily)  Potamogeton gramineus (grass-leaved pondweed)  
Potamogeton pectinatus (sago pondweed)  Potamogeton sp (thin leaved) 
(thin leaved pondweed)  Potamogeton sp. (pondweed)  Potentilla palustris
(purple (marsh) cinquefoil)  Scirpus sp. (bulrush)  Typha latifolia 
(common cat-tail)  Vallisneria americana (water celery)

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

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