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Land Use Patterns In Relation To Lake Water Quality In The Salmon Lake Watershed, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College, Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Salmon Lake and McGrath Pond (2009, 1993)

Salmon Lake has a history of algal blooms which have decreased the recreational and aesthetic value of the lake (Nichols et al. 1984). As early as the 1920’s, Salmon Lake was reported to have poor water quality. Algal blooms were reported throughout the 1970’s. Numerous complaints led to a study in 1975 by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) and another in 1984 by the U.S. Geological Survey to determine the cause of the accelerated algal growth in the ponds. Both studies concluded that the primary cause of these algal blooms was high concentrations of phosphorus in the water. …