Project Over View The engineering firm (Graef-USA) who we hired for applying for the grant for our algae study has prepared this draft of the scope of the project.
This will be presented to the WDNR for their input prior to the application being submitted.
The project has been broken into a four phase project. This scope gets us through the first two phases.
Phase one is studying the water flow through our lakes including groundwater inflow, Stone Creek inflow, and other sources.
Included with the flow monitoring is water sampling and lake management planning.
Phase two is a feasibility study that will use the results of phase one to determine if our lake is a candidate for some sort of phosphorous limiting treatment.
Phase three will be more testing and studying to determine the appropriate treatment.
Phase four will be the actual treatment.
"This grant application will be only for the first two phases because the phase two results might show us there is no appropriate treatment for our lake, then there will be no reason to proceed with the other phases." And if that study and testing proves favorable we will then proceed with a grant application for phase four.
As we proceed with all of these phases we will need to provide in kind support of the project to keep the cost down and to be considered for the grant.
That will include volunteers to help with the monitoring and sampling, use of vehicles, ATV’s, pontoons and boats, and other tasks that we can provide.
Please note that anyone who helps with any of these tasks should keep some kind of log or notes to verify what was done and how much time it took to complete the task.
We will need to provide this information to the WDNR at the conclusion of the project to verify that we have supplied adequate in kind support.
Thank you all in advance for any help you will provide.
Also a special thanks to the Magnuson family for once again providing us access to the snowmobile bridge where some of the monitoring in phase one will occur.
Joe Burger president
Project Scope
Phase I
Task 1 Stream Gauging
The surface water flows will be measured at the inlet and outlet streams, and in the channel connecting the two lakes. The proposed location to gauge the inlet stream is at the bridge on the private drive of Mr. Ole Magnuson. Measurements will be collected monthly at these locations from May through October, for a total of six measurements. The flow velocity measurements are to be made during dry weather conditions occurring at least three days after a rainfall event greater than 0.5 inches.
The streams will be gauged using a Swoffer Model 2100 stream flow meter. At the measuring locations pieces of iron rebar rod will be driven into the ground on both sides of the stream. A measuring tape will be stretched between the rebar rods to allow for evenly spaced measurements to be made. The water depth and velocity will be measured at the center of five foot wide sections across the streams. The data will be recorded on a field form attached to a field notebook.
GRAEF personnel will meet with Lake Association volunteers and train them on flow velocity measurement methods and the use of the Swoffer Model 2100 stream flow meter. GRAEF personnel will collect the first set of data with volunteers, and the remaining five sets of measurements would be collected by volunteers.
Water samples will be collected when the stream velocity is measured. One sample at the inlet and one sample at the outlet and one at the channel between the two lakes will be collected during all six velocity measurement events. The samples will be sent to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) for analysis of total phosphorus. The samples will be collected in WSLH supplied sampling containers, and shipped to the WSLH under Chain-of-Custody protocol. GRAEF will train the Lake Association volunteers on water sampling procedures and sample handling protocols.
The resulting stream velocity and depth data will be evaluated by GRAEF using United States Geological Survey (USGS) standard methods for calculating stream discharges from depth and velocity readings. Spreadsheets of the depth and velocity readings will be prepared for presentation in tabular format. The difference between the inflow and the outflow will be equated to the groundwater discharge total into both lakes. The difference between the measured flow at the channel will be compared to the measured flow at the inlet and at the outlet to quantify the groundwater flow into North Spirit Lake.
The channel between the lakes has more than twice the cross sectional area compared with the cross sectional areas of the inlet and outlet channels, and as a result the water velocity in the channel between the lakes is likely to be lower and more difficult to measure accurately.
Task 2 Sampling Groundwater at Springs
Water samples will be collected at springs and flowing wells identified by Lake Association volunteers in order to estimate the phosphorus concentration in groundwater discharging into North Spirit Lake. Three springs were identified by the Lake Association as locations where groundwater discharges into Northern Spirit Lake. One artesian well that discharges above ground located adjacent to North Spirit Lake was also identified by Lake Association volunteers as a possible sampling point. Two water samples from each of these springs and flowing well will be collected by Lake Association Volunteers using WSLH supplied containers. These water samples will be collected two times during the course of the study.
Task 3 Groundwater Modeling
GRAEF will use the gauging of the inlet and outlet streams at controlled sections will be used to estimate the groundwater flux into the both lakes as a unit. The accuracy of gauging the channel between the two lakes is likely to be less than the two controlled sections because of the larger size of the channel and slower velocities, nature of the channel bottom, and possible multidirectional flows due to the two lakes and the inlet stream. A two-dimensional analytical element groundwater model will be used to approximate the areas supplying groundwater to North Spirit Lake and to Spirit Lake. Assuming similar geological conditions at both lakes, the model will be used to estimate the groundwater inflows to the two lakes and compared to the results of the stream gauging.
Task 4 Land Use Inventory Review
Review land use, based on commercially available photographic data, to incorporate into the Lake Management Plan. Summary statistics will be developed to describe the conditions as part of the Lake Management Planning efforts.
Task 5 Evaluate Sampling Results
Using the stream gauging results, the groundwater flow into North Spirit Lake will be calculated. Comparing the flows at the inlet stream and the channel between the two lakes will be used to estimate the groundwater inflow to North Spirit Lake. The groundwater inflow to Spirit Lake will be calculated from the difference between the outflow from the two lakes and the flow in the channel between the two lakes. Assuming similar geological conditions adjacent to the two lakes, there should be three to five times as much groundwater flowing into Northern Spirit Lake than into Spirit Lake, based on lake sizes. Calculating the estimated groundwater flow at both lakes will be used in the Lake Management Planning efforts and allows for a cross check on the groundwater inflow estimate.
Using the phosphorus sampling results from the springs and surface water samples phosphorus mass balances will be estimated. The water flow into the lakes and the phosphorus concentration will be used to calculate a mass of phosphorus per unit time. The mass per unit time will be compared to the mass per unit time leaving the lake and compared to the estimated mass per unit time entering the lake with the groundwater inflow.
Task 6 Lake Management Planning
GRAEF will work together with Lake Association volunteers to prepare sections of a draft Lake Management Plan. An outline of the plan is and follows:
1. Background
2. Goals for the Lake
3. Lake Association Concerns
4. WDNR Concerns
5. Lake Demographics
6. Public Access and Use
7. Lake Inventory
a. Water Cycle
b. Watershed
c. Water Quality
i. Surface Water
ii. Groundwater
d. Fish and Wildlife
e. Natural Features
f. Development
8. Regulations
9. Management Strategies – Phase II
10. Assessing Effectiveness of Management – Phase III
The Lake Association volunteers will prepare information for sections 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7d, 7e, and 7f. GRAEF will prepare section 4 and 8, and will collaborate with the Lake Association on sections 7a thru 7c. GRAEF will compile the information provided by the volunteers, prepare the sections of the plan and edit the document. Section 9, the Management Strategies will be prepared in Phase II, following collection and evaluation of the groundwater quality data. Section 10, Assessing Effectiveness of Management will be an ongoing evaluation regarding attainment of the management goals.
Phase II
Task 1 Feasibility
The possibility of managing the phosphorus level in North Spirit Lake will be evaluated based on the results of Phase I investigation and the WDNR 2011 study. The conceptual feasibility of treatment methods will be evaluated including aeration, pumping from the lake bottom during stratification, treating the surface water flowing into the lake with iron slag bundles and alum treatments.
If the levels of phosphorus in the groundwater are determined to be sufficiently minimal, the possibility of treating phosphorus in North Spirit Lake with alum will be investigated. Determining the details of planning an alum treatment typically involves determining the internal phosphorus loading resulting from the release of phosphorus from sediments. Sediment samples would be collected from the lake for laboratory evaluation of the internal phosphorus loading from lake sediments.
Task 2 Lake Management Planning
Revise the lake management plan to include the information resulting from the Phase I investigations and the Phase II Task 1 feasibility evaluations.