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Divers probe Lake Ewauna
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| Michael Berg, a civil engineering technician with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, center, retrieves a device used to measure oxygen levels in the water in Lake Ewauna. Ken Skach, a diver with the U.S. Geological Survey helps push the equipment into the boat. Micelis Doyle, far left, project chief, takes data from other devices. |
Published June 10, 2003
Scientists seek cause for loss of oxygen from lake's water
By DYLAN DARLING
H&N Staff Writer
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey spent last week swimming through the murky water of Lake Ewauna and a stretch of the Klamath River from the lake to Keno Dam.
They were looking for clues on what causes oxygen in the water to disappear at certain times.
One cause may be the thick layer of wood chunks, bark and other organic debris that piled up over a period of decades when several mills stored logs on the lake in the early 1900s.
"What we are trying to figure out is how fast that sediment on the bottom is using the oxygen," said Dennis Lynch, Geological Survey district chief for Oregon.
During summer months, levels of dissolved oxygen, which is crucial for fish survival, in the lake drop to dangerously low levels because of a combination of the debris decomposing at the bottom of the lake and decaying algae that consume oxygen from near the surface of the water.
Just how much of the oxygen loss is caused by the decomposition is what the geological survey scientists hope to figure out.
The $64,500 study, funded mostly by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, will be used by river and lake managers to see what, if anything, should be done about the lake-bottom debris.
To make the measurements the scientists used white plastic chambers that are 2 feet in diameter and house a host of high-tech gauges and sensors.
Using scuba gear, Lynch and fellow Geological Survey diver Ken Skach put the chambers down on the bottom of the lake for two-hour periods. The chambers enclose about 15 liters, or about four milk jugs, of water near the bottom of the lake. Inside the chamber a small paddle slowly mixes the water like an old-fashioned ice cream maker to simulate the natural current of water passing over the sediment and debris.
Micelis Doyle, project chief for the geological survey, said the study looked at four different locations on the river, covering about 14 river miles from Lake Ewauna down the Klamath Straits.
He hopes results of the study will provide guidance to government officials responsible for managing water in the Basin.
"They will have a handle as to one factor that is taking oxygen out of the water," he said.
Michael Berg, civil engineering technician for the Bureau, said the study will help managers have a better understanding of the health of the lake and the entire Klamath Basin ecosystem. It will then help in making decisions on how to improve it.
"The information obtained from this study is another piece of the puzzle," he said.
The diving and data collecting was finished up at the end of last week, and a report on it should be done in the fall.
Reporter Dylan Darling covers natural resources. He can be reached at 885-4471, (800) 275-0982, or by e-mail at ddarling@heraldandnews.com.
Scientists seek cause for loss of oxygen from lake's water
By DYLAN DARLING
H&N Staff Writer
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey spent last week swimming through the murky water of Lake Ewauna and a stretch of the Klamath River from the lake to Keno Dam.
They were looking for clues on what causes oxygen in the water to disappear at certain times.
One cause may be the thick layer of wood chunks, bark and other organic debris that piled up over a period of decades when several mills stored logs on the lake in the early 1900s.
"What we are trying to figure out is how fast that sediment on the bottom is using the oxygen," said Dennis Lynch, Geological Survey district chief for Oregon.
During summer months, levels of dissolved oxygen, which is crucial for fish survival, in the lake drop to dangerously low levels because of a combination of the debris decomposing at the bottom of the lake and decaying algae that consume oxygen from near the surface of the water.
Just how much of the oxygen loss is caused by the decomposition is what the geological survey scientists hope to figure out.
The $64,500 study, funded mostly by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, will be used by river and lake managers to see what, if anything, should be done about the lake-bottom debris.
To make the measurements the scientists used white plastic chambers that are 2 feet in diameter and house a host of high-tech gauges and sensors.
Using scuba gear, Lynch and fellow Geological Survey diver Ken Skach put the chambers down on the bottom of the lake for two-hour periods. The chambers enclose about 15 liters, or about four milk jugs, of water near the bottom of the lake. Inside the chamber a small paddle slowly mixes the water like an old-fashioned ice cream maker to simulate the natural current of water passing over the sediment and debris.
Micelis Doyle, project chief for the geological survey, said the study looked at four different locations on the river, covering about 14 river miles from Lake Ewauna down the Klamath Straits.
He hopes results of the study will provide guidance to government officials responsible for managing water in the Basin.
"They will have a handle as to one factor that is taking oxygen out of the water," he said.
Michael Berg, civil engineering technician for the Bureau, said the study will help managers have a better understanding of the health of the lake and the entire Klamath Basin ecosystem. It will then help in making decisions on how to improve it.
"The information obtained from this study is another piece of the puzzle," he said.
The diving and data collecting was finished up at the end of last week, and a report on it should be done in the fall.
Reporter Dylan Darling covers natural resources. He can be reached at 885-4471, (800) 275-0982, or by e-mail at ddarling@heraldandnews.com.
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