Oklahoma Lakes Research Articles

Satellite Mapping of Suspended Sediment and Its Application to Reservoir Assessment

ABSTRACT Lake Thunderbird, a 2428 hectare reservoir located in Norman, Oklahoma, was studied along with 15 other lakes in south central Oklahoma over a two year period. An objective of this study was continued development and testing of satellite-based capabilities to assess the water quality variations within reservoirs. To accomplish this goal, lake measurements and water samples were obtained on each day of Landsat overpass. A mathematical model of the relationship between suspended sediment and reflectance measured by the satellite was calibrated to the 16 south central Oklahoma lakes. A series of multi-date suspended sediment maps was generated for Lake Thunderbird with this model using Landsat MSS near infrared (Band 3) data. These maps were used to quantitatively evaluate the geographic extent of suspended sediment on each date investigated. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using Landsat data to routinely monitor and assess surface water bodies impacted by suspended sediment.

Properties of Selected Oklahoma Lakes in Relation to Remote Sensing of Suspended Sediment

ABSTRACT Suspended solids and algal populations were characterized in 16 south central Oklahoma lakes to relate their properties to the spectral reflectances recorded by satellites. The average concentrations of natural suspended solids in the lakes ranged from 7 to 190 g/m3. Ash content increased from about 65 to 90 percent as suspended solids concentrations increased. Mean particle diameter, determined by photon correlation spectroscopy on samples with more than 40 g/m3 of suspended solids, ranged from 400 to 2,000 nm. Nutrient concentrations were low; dissolved inorganic nitrogen was less than 0.4 g/m3, and water-soluble phosphorus was less than 25 mg/m3. Algal populations were also low, with chlorophyll a concentrations averaging 6 mg/m3 and rarely exceeding 20 mg/m3. Reflectances in the satellite spectral bands varied only slightly in response to changes in visual color and particle size of suspended solids in the turbid lakes. The relatively low chlorophyll concentrations could not be detected in th...

False positive Legionella pneumophila direct immunofluorescent monoclonal antibody test caused by Bacillus cereus spores.

Direct immunofluorescent monoclonal antibody stain testing for Legionella pneumophila in Oklahoma lake water yielded an unknown bacillus with fluorescence intensity equal to that of L. pneumophila stock strains. The organism in question was identified as Bacillus cereus, a ubiquitous bacterium. When B. cereus cultures were studied, fluorescence was seen in spores but not in vegetative cells. Since a positive immunofluorescent monoclonal antibody test (alone) might be considered by some individuals as unequivocal to very good evidence for the presence of L. pneumophila, this finding emphasizes the importance of confirming positive stain results with cultures whenever possible.

Shigellosis outbreak associated with swimming.

In June 1982, an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness caused by Shigella sonnei occurred among residents of two counties in Oklahoma. A case-control study of cases and age and sex-matched controls showed an association with attendance at a southern Oklahoma lake (14/17 cases vs 3/17 controls, matched pair odds ratio [OR] 9/0, confidence interval [CI] 2.4-infinity). A survey of 85 persons who had visited the lake area showed that persons who had swum were more likely to have been ill with a gastrointestinal illness (50 per cent) than persons who had not swum (0 per cent); among those who had swum, illness was more frequent among those who reported having water in their mouths while swimming (62 per cent) than those who did not (19 per cent) (OR = 6.9, 95% CI = 2.2-21.5). No further primary lake-associated cases had onset of symptoms beyond two days of closing the reservoir. Swimming should be considered as a potential source of enteric infections.

Size-Fractionation of Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Lake Water byMembrane Filtration

ABSTRACT Alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) present in the surface waters of five north central Oklahoma lakes was partitioned into four size classes by membrane filtration. Rentention of APA present in whole lakewater samples by 1.2μm (0–88 percent), 0.45μm (0–100 percent), and 0.22μm (0–100 percent) pore-size filters varied greatly between lakes and on different sample dates Collectively, the data indicated that significant lakewater APA may be present in particles less than 1.2μm in size and that dissolved APA may represent either a major or an insignificant proportion of total lakewater APA, depending on the limrological characteristics of the lake system examined.

Effect of artificial destratification on iron, manganese, and zinc in the water, sediments, and two species of benthic macroinvertebrates in an Oklahoma lake

Ham's Lake was destratified in the summers of 1977 and 1978 by pumping surface water to the bottom. However, an arm was prevented from mixing by a submerged dam of a former farm pond and remained stratified. The concentration of manganese in the water increased to over 5 000 µg 1−1 in the hypolimnion of the anoxic arm in summer. Soluble manganese averaged 28% of total concentration. Total iron concentrations were relatively high in the water and sorbed iron values were extremely low in the sediments. Soluble iron averaged 12% of total concentration. Zinc values were low in the water and sediments. Chaoborus punctipennis and Chironomus riparius concentrated iron and zinc and discriminated against manganese. Concentration factors were unaffected by mixing.

An economic analysis of fee versus non-fee recreational areas at three Oklahoma lakes: Ronald Wayne Presley, Ph.D. Oklahoma State University, 1975 [March 1977:5948

An economic analysis of fee versus non-fee recreational areas at three Oklahoma lakes: Ronald Wayne Presley, Ph.D. Oklahoma State University, 1975 [March 1977:5948

Effects of pH, phosphate and ammonia on the rate of uptake of nitrate and ammonia by freshwater phytoplankton

The effect of phosphate (PO4+3) and pH in regulating nitrate (NO3) and ammonia (NH3+) uptake by phytoplankton was investigated in two Oklahoma lakes using 15N tracers. Addition of PO4+3 above ambient concentrations had a negligible effect on the rate of uptake of NO3− or NH3+. Manipulation of pH of lake water had little effect on uptake of either NO3− or NH3+. A correlation analysis suggested that NO3− is not used by phytoplankton when NH3+ concentrations exceed about 210 µg NH3+-N(1)−1.

Effects of whole lake mixing on water quality and phytoplankton

This paper describes the effect of artificial mixing of two Oklahoma lakes with a downflow pump on water quality and algal biomass. Artificial pumping in Arbuckle Lake (951 ha), advanced autumnal turnover, but never destratified the lake completely. Ammonia decreased in the epilimnion, while sulfide (H 2S) declined and dissolved oxygen (DO) increased in the hypolimnion. Other water quality parameters did not change. Near-bottom concentrations of manganese (Mn 2+) increased, indicating pumping did not affect water chemistry near deep sediments (> 16 m). Pumping did not change significantly the depth of the Secchi disc or algal biomass as measured by chlorophyll a. The algal flora was dominated by diatoms at all times, and the density of blue-green algae was always low. Pumping kept Ham's Lake (41 ha) destratified, but seldom produced completely isothermal conditions or isochemical concentrations of DO. There was no drastic change in other water quality parameters. However, artificial mixing decreased water clarity and increased algal biomass by a factor of about 2.5, probably by reducing sinking rates of the phytoplankton. Artificial mixing apparently eliminated a fall pulse of Microcystis.

Effects of lake mixing with an axial flow pump on water chemistry and phytoplankton

This paper describes the effect of total lake mixing with an axial flow (Garton) pump on the limnology and phytoplankton of two Oklahoma lakes.

The Effect of Gizzard Shad on the Fish Population of a Small Oklahoma Lake

Abstract Estimates of the standing crop of fish in two small Oklahoma lakes were made by the short-period simultaneous mark-and-recovery method, employing wire traps. The lakes were similar in physical and chemical characteristics, and each contained bluegill, black and white crappie, redear sunfish, largemouth bass, warmouth, black bullhead, and Gambusia. The one lake which also contained gizzard shad, carp, and green sunfish was treated with rotenone to check the accuracy of the population estimate. The lake without gizzard shad had an estimated standing crop of 655 pounds per acre, 608 pounds of which was composed of desirable-sized fish. Recovery from the lake treated with rotenone indicated a standing crop of 1,043 pounds per acre but the weight of desirable-sized fish was 142 pounds per acre less than in the lake without shad. The faster growth, plumper condition, and greater average length of fishes in the lake without shad indicated that direct interspecific competition occurs between centrarchids...

Plant Communities of Oklahoma Lakes

Plant Communities of Oklahoma Lakes