Water quality of the West Branch Lackawaxen River and limnology of Prompton Lake, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, October 1986 through September 1987

Book · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6895945

Barker, J L ^[1]

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1. Geological Survey, Harrisburg, PA (United States)

Past and present water quality of the West Branch Lackawaxen River and Prompton Lake generally meet the State of Pennsylvania standards for high quality waters that support the maintenance and propagation of cold water fishes. However, suggested criteria by the US EPA intended to control excessive algal growth in the lake are exceeded most, if not all, of the time for nitrogen and most of the time for phosphorus. The average annual nitrogen load entering the lake is 114 tons. Of this total, 41 tons is inorganic nitrite plus nitrate, 48 tons organic nitrogen, and 25 tons ammonia nitrogen. Estimated annual yields of total nitrogen, inorganic nitrite plus nitrate, organic nitrogen, and ammonia nitrogen are 1.9, 0.7, 0.8, and 0.4 tons/sq mi, respectively. The average annual phosphorus load is estimated to be 4.7 tons, which is equivalent to a yield of 0.08 tons/sq mi. About 62%, or 2.9 tons, is dissolved phosphorus that is readily available for plant assimilation. The waters of the West Branch Lackawaxen River and Prompton Lake are decidedly phosphorus limited. The long-term average annual suspended-sediment yield to the lake is about 70 tons/sq mi. Life expectancy of the 774 acre-ft of space allocated for sediment loads in the raised pool is estimated to be about 287 years. Lake profile studies show that thermal and chemical stratification develops in early June and persists through September. Water below a depth of about 20 feet becomes anoxic, or nearly so, by mid-July.

• OSTI ID: 6895945
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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