Daniel Johnson

Abstract:

Lakes are an essential part of the ecosystem, since they provide water, food, flood control, recreational activities and help control climate. During the summer, lakes have a layering effect, where temperatures vary, and the amount of oxygen in each layer is different. Chatiemac Lake is privately owned in the Adirondacks, missing basic information to help maintain the excellent qualities of water and its surroundings. For the proposed project, we had two objectives: 1) map and spatially analyze water depths to create a bathymetric map, and 2) collect water quality variables (physical, chemical, and biological) to assess ecological health of the lake. This will be done through field sampling (e.g., mapping water depth, collecting water quality data) and computer-based analysis. The results of this project will be presented at the Summer Research Symposium, and further research will be conducted by ecosystem ecology students.