The Center for Lakes and Streams at Grace College continues to monitor area lakes throughout the winter months. Below is a portion of a story from InkFreeNews, an online news site that serves Kosciusko County, Indiana, about these efforts. Click here for the complete article.
CENTER FOR LAKES & STREAMS EXPANDS WINTER SAMPLING EFFORTS
WINONA LAKE — The Center for Lakes & Streams conducts regular stream sampling on county streams which feed into several local lakes in Warsaw, Winona Lake, North Webster and Syracuse even throughout the winter months.
Stream sampling is a way to gauge how community and environmental factors commonly affect local lakes. Results of sampling can provide clues as to what is causing harm to a lake. According to Research Assistant Stephen Becker, “Sampling tells us how we, as a county, can improve in protecting and maintaining these water resources.”
The center uses a variety of instruments that measure stream temperature, depth, dissolved oxygen, flow rate, pH, and conductivity. Samples are collected for additional lab analyses as well. The Center for Lakes & Streams has regularly sampled streams around local lakes since 2012, and will begin including Tippecanoe, James, and Oswego lakes in their efforts beginning in 2016.
Stream sampling during the winter is crucial to understanding local lake health year-round. Lakes undergo seasonal changes and sampling assists in the understanding of how environmental factors may affect these changes.
Research Assistant Seth Bingham, explains, “While the top layer of water may be iced over, many streams continue to flow under the ice throughout the winter … Though winter sampling is often cold and uncomfortable, it is just as important as sampling during warmer months and allows us to gain a balanced, year-round understanding of our lakes and streams.”
Click here for the complete article.