Definitions of Water Quality: A Survey of Lake-Users of Water Quality-Compromised Lakes

Ashley M Votruba,Jessica R Corman

doi:10.3390/w12082114

Abstract

Understanding and defining water quality is an important precursor for influencing pro-environmental behavior and accurately assessing potential outcomes of human–lake interactions. This study surveyed 82 lake-users in Nebraska regarding their definitions of water quality and the importance of various water quality features to determine if lake-users’ definitions align with complex and multi-faceted governmental and scientific definitions. Survey sites included two recreational reservoirs (e.g., boating and fishing), Holmes Lake (urban watershed) and Branched Oak Lake (agricultural watershed). The biological and chemical parameters are similar between the lakes and both lakes were listed as “impaired” on the Section 303(d) (United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA) list of impaired waters of the US at the time of the surveys. The results of our survey suggest that the overwhelming majority of lake-users’ self-generated definitions of water quality did not include more than one feature of water quality found in the relevant policy and regulatory definitions and they focused primarily on water clarity. Further, when provided a list of specific water quality features, the participants rated all provided features of water quality as highly important. This suggests that the failure to include those features in a self-generated definition is not the consequence of perceiving that feature as low importance.

Highlights

Across the US, over a third of lakes are facing water quality problems [1]
These features were chosen, in part, because they reflected components of the water quality definitions provided by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
For the purpose of this study, we define “complexity” as the number of water quality features included in the definition that reflected components of the water quality definitions provided by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy

Summary

Introduction

Across the US, over a third of lakes are facing water quality problems [1]. what does it mean to have good water quality? How do the public, government, and stakeholders conceptualize water quality? What are the essential characteristics or features of water quality?For lakes, “good” water quality can be defined by many factors, including visual appearance, ability to recreate, or habitability for certain species. Across the US, over a third of lakes are facing water quality problems [1]. What does it mean to have good water quality? “good” water quality can be defined by many factors, including visual appearance, ability to recreate, or habitability for certain species. Water quality can represent diverse critical ecosystem services, such as clean drinking water [3], food security through fisheries [4], and mental well-being [5]. Federal legislation provides some insight into how the government perceives water quality and the pertinent issues surrounding water quality.

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion