Subsurface Aeration and Vegetative Growth Affect Dissolved Oxygen and E. coli in a Recently Refilled Lake
ISSN 2158-9429
Volume 16, Issue 2 - December 2023
Editor: Linda Chalker-Scott
Abstract
A freshwater lake was left drained for four years, which allowed the lakebed to revegetate. A year after the dam was restored, subsurface aeration was installed around the swimming beach with the intention of increasing dissolved oxygen (DO) and decreasing E. coli. Lake water was sampled weekly for two years. Across the two years, water quality was generally good for DO, turbidity, temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and visual and odor assessments. However, exceedances of benchmarks were common for E. coli and reactive phosphorus (PO4). Subsurface aerators increased DO, but results for aerators were inconclusive for E. coli and turbidity.
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