July 4th, 2017 – Water Sampling Data – Lake Windermere

Avg. water temp: 17°C

Avg. site depth: 4.6 m

Avg. pH: 8.1

Avg. D.O: 8 mg/L (South and Mid Stations only)

Avg. turbidity: 1.81 NTU

Avg. conductivity: 217 µs/cm

The sunny Tuesday morning of July 4th was spent re-familiarizing returning summer student, Katie Watt, to the water sampling procedure. She enjoyed spending the morning on the lake and is glad to be back with the Lake Windermere Ambassadors for another summer. Katie’s favourite part of the job is the lake sampling, especially dissolved oxygen (D.O.) testing. While samples for D.O. were only taken this week at Mid and South Stations, between the two there was a comfortable average of 8 mg/L. This is above the 5 mg/L that is necessary for supporting aquatic life. A few things can affect D.O., but mainly the number of photosynthetic organisms in the water, such as phytoplankton and plants, determines it. Temperature plays a major role in fluctuations, too. When the temperature of the lake drops so does oxygen’s ability to escape the water. This is because molecules of cold water are more tightly packed together; this tight structure also increases the attraction between water and oxygen making it harder for oxygen to escape.

If you’re interested in learning more about the lake and what affects it, consider joining us on our Tuesday morning sampling crew! There are still many spots open for the summer, and all ages and education levels are welcome.

To join the Lake Crew on Tuesday mornings this summer, contact Katie Watt at (250) 341-6898 or intern@lakeambassadors.ca.