Lake Monitoring & Lake Studies

---

Aqua Link is staffed with highly qualified aquatic biologists and limnologists to meet of your lake monitoring and lake water quality monitoring needs. Lake monitoring includes water quality studies (including algae sampling), aquatic plant (macrophytes) surveys, aquatic plant mapping, bathymetric (water depth) mapping and sediment sampling. Lake monitoring is an essential component in properly managing and protecting ponds, lakes and reservoirs. Lake monitoring data allows professional lake managers to assess whether ponds, lakes and reservoirs are improving or degrading over time.

All of our pond and lake monitoring programs are designed and managed by professional aquatic biologists and lake managers, which have extensive experience in the field of limnology (study of lakes) and lake management and lake restoration. All of our pond and lake projects are approved our in-house NALMS Certified Lake Managers (CLMs). 

The North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) is one of the most premier professional organizations when it comes to management and restoration of lake ecosystems. The NALMS mission is to to forge partnerships among citizens, scientists, and professionals to foster the management and protection of lakes and reservoirs for today and tomorrow. 

Aqua Link has a complete line of lake water quality monitoring equipment and a fleet of watercraft to monitor the water quality of any size pond, lake or reservoir. Insitu water quality data that are routinely collected by our team of professional pond and lake managers are Secchi disk transparency, pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, specific conductance, total dissolved solids, salinity and oxidation reduction potential (ORP). 

Water samples are routinely collected during lake monitoring at various water depths and analyzed for nutrients (various forms of phosphorus and nitrogen), total suspended solids, chlorophyll-a, phaeophytin, hardness, and alkalinity. Lake water samples are also collected for the identification and enumeration of phytoplankton (free floating tiny aquatic plants or algae) and zooplankton. Lake data are commonly analyzed to determine the trophic state of ponds, lakes and reservoirs.  

A Phase I Diagnostic - Feasibility Pond Study or Lake Study is a two-part study designed to determine the current conditions of a pond or lake and its surrounding watershed and to develop a lake and watershed management plan. 

The diagnostic phase of the study generally involves collecting, analyzing and interpreting pond or lake (lake water quality monitoring, lake monitoring) and watershed data. The feasibility phase extends from the diagnostic work and its purpose is to identify and evaluate all plausible pond or lake and watershed best management practices to restore and/or protect pond or lake water quality. 

Therefore, it cannot be overemphasized that the collection, analysis and interpretation of pond or lake data and watershed data are a critical step when evaluating and selecting pond or lake and watershed best management practices for future implementation.