Life Sciences Commons^™

Recent Trends In Water Clarity Of Lake Pontchartrain, J.C. Francis, M.A. Poirrier

Gulf and Caribbean Research

An analysis of Secchi disk transparency observations from 3 sites on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway indicates that water clarity has increased at the north shore and mid-lake sites, but has not changed at the south shore site. Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality data from 1986 through 1995 were used in the analysis. Further analysis indicates that the increased transparency was not caused by changes in salinity or wind speed. The best explanation for the observed increase is the cessation of shell dredging in 1990.