Lake Management Plan
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Questions? |
Bass Lake Total Phosphorus Phosphorus is the limiting nutrient in lakes, meaning that plants and algae need it to grow, and the amount of plants and algae present in the lake depends on how much phosphorus is available. Generally, the less phosphorus in the lake, the better the water quality for recreation. more information on total phosphorus Bass Lake total phosphorus concentration at Site 201 has been monitored from 2003 to 2011, and has an average of 17.0 ppb. This is slightly higher than the phosphorus levels in Big Pelican Lake (15.3 pbb) and higher than the phosphorus levels in Fish Lake (11.8 ppb). |
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2011 Results
In 2011, Site 201 was monitored for total phosphorus. The average total phosphorus for 2011 was 15.4 ppb, which is lower than the historical average of 17.0 ppb.
| Site | Mean Total Phosphorus (ppb) | Min Total Phosphorus (ppb) | Max Total Phosphorus (ppb) |
| 201 | 15.4 | 11 | 26 |
Bass Lake is phosphorus limited, which means that algae and aquatic plant growth is dependent upon available phosphorus. The total phosphorus concentrations follow a pattern in Bass Lake. Concentrations are high in May, when the lake is turning over, low in June through mid-August when the lake is stratified, and high again in September when the lake turns over again. This pattern is typical for dimictic lakes that have a distinct bowl-shaped basin like Bass Lake does.