The Department of Environmental Quality and the United States Geological Survey today announced the release of a summary report of ambient water quality characteristics of Michigan's inland lakes with public access. The "State and Regional Water-Quality Characteristics and Trophic Conditions of Michigan's Inland Lakes, 2001-2005" report was prepared by the USGS, Michigan Water Science Center, in cooperation with the DEQ.

The report summarizes the results of the first five years of Michigan's Lake Water Quality Assessment monitoring project conducted by the DEQ and the USGS under a joint funding agreement supported with Clean Michigan Initiative funding. The ten-year LWQA monitoring project, which will be completed in 2011, is a component of the DEQ's surface water monitoring strategy.

During 2001-2005, 433 lake basins from 364 inland lakes with public access were monitored for baseline water quality conditions and trophic status, an indicator of primary biological productivity. Trophic evaluations based on the data collected for these lakes indicate nearly three-quarters are either mesotrophic or oligotrophic, which are typically perceived as very good to high quality lakes, and 22 percent are eutrophic. Only four percent of the lakes were classified as hypereutrophic, which is perceived as lower quality by most lake users. Although the distribution of lakes in Michigan is not uniform, the highest percentage of oligotrophic lakes are in the Northern Lakes and Forests or North Central Hardwoods Omernik Level III Ecoregions located in northern Michigan.

The report is available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2008/5188/ or by contacting Lori Fuller at lmfuller@usgs.gov or (517) 887-8911. The DEQ contact for the LWQA monitoring project, Ralph Bednarz, can be reached at bednarzr@michigan.gov or (517) 335-4211. Additional information on Michigan's inland lakes monitoring programs is available on the DEQ's Web site at http://www.michigan.gov/deq. Additional information about other USGS, Michigan Water Science Center, reports, water quality data, and Michigan projects is available on the USGS's Web site at http://mi.water.usgs.gov/.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised February 24, 2009 by Pat Watson