State Water Resources Research Institute Program


Project ID: 2012ND255B
Title: Studies of Seasonal Succession of Cyanobacteria and Green Algae at Heinrich-Martin Impoundment, North Dakota
Project Type: Research
Start Date: 3/01/2012
End Date: 2/28/2013
Congressional District: 001
Focus Categories: Non Point Pollution, Nutrients
Keywords: Green Algae, Cyanobacteria, Impoundments, Seasonal Variation, Phytoplankton
Principal Investigator: Lin, Wei (North Dakota State Univeristy)
Federal Funds: $ 7,500
Non-Federal Matching Funds: $ 15,001
Abstract: In North Dakota, farms and ranches occupy more than 39million acres, almost 90% of North Dakota's land area. So the major sources of nutrients (Nitrogen and Phosphorous) loading into the ND's lakes and reservoirs are erosion and runoff from animal feeding operations, and hydrologic modifications. Runoff from agricultural lands contain nine times higher concentrations of nitrogen(N) and ten times higher concentrations of phosphorous(P) than urban areas. Nuisance algal blooms can be expected with TP concentration greater than about 0.01mg/L and TN concentrations greater than 0.15mg/L. So the excessive levels of phosphorous and nitrogen loadings into North Dakota lakes may result in an overstimulation of nuisance algal blooms. This study will be carried out in a lake in North Dakota known to be under stress.

The specific objectives of the study are as follows:

  1. To conduct laboratory experiments to find out possible mechanisms and factors affecting for N and P release from sediments to water column;
  2. To collect water samples and phytoplankton samples to determine impacts of both weather changes and artificial aeration on nutrients variation and phytoplankton population shift;
  3. To analyze chemical, physical, and biological data to find out potential factors for N limitation and what causes for P rich condition in HMD; and,
  4. To analyze field data to assess effectiveness of artificial aeration.

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