Improving Grand Lake St. Marys

RESEARCH

Dr. Robert Hiskey, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Wright State University – Lake Campus, will be collecting samples and providing data for the Grand Lake St. Marys Restoration Initiative, an effort led by the Grand Lake Restoration Commission to clean up Grand Lake St. Marys.  The Lake Campus is located on the northern shores of the lake and has a vested interest in improving the quality of water in Grand Lake St. Marys.

Throughout the summer Dr. Hiskey will be monitoring the level of different nutrients and the type of algae present in the lake. He will be reporting his findings to the Grand Lake Restoration Committee.

Hiskey currently extracts his samples from two locations, both of which are in proximity to the “Airy-Gators” which were installed this spring on the south side of the lake. The Airy-Gator system increases the dissolved oxygen and circulation in Grand Lake St. Marys. 

Dr. Hiskey will be monitoring different nutrients as well as the type of algae present in the lake. Three of the nutrients he will be monitoring include chlorophyll, nitrate and phosphorus. High levels of chlorophyll is desired because it adds oxygen to the water and allows green algae to grow. Green algae is good for the lake's ecosystem. An abundance of phosphorus and nitrate creates the presence of blue-green algae. In the summer of 2009 Grand Lake St. Marys users were notified by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Ohio EPA that blue-green algae was present and that the algae can cause health complications to humans, plants and animals.  This problem sparked the initiative to improve the quality of water in Grand Lake St. Marys.

For more information visit www.lakeimprovement.com.