Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2010KY136B

Identification of heavy metal sources in Wilgreen Lake, Madison County, Kentucky

Institute: Kentucky
Year Established: 2010 Start Date: 2010-03-01 End Date: 2011-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $3,250 Total Non-Federal Funds: $6,500

Principal Investigators: Walter Borowski

Project Summary: The project will involve water sampling, sediment coring, sediment grab sampling, and leaching experiments of sediments from Wilgreen Lake (Madison County, Kentucky) in order to investigate heavy metal concentrations. The study will include collection of at least two, 1-meter-long cores from the upper reaches of Taylor Fork and Old Town Branch to assess historical trapping of heavy metals within lake sediments. Additional sediment grab samples will be collected from throughout the lake and analyzed. Water samples will be collected (representing the entire water column from surface to bottom) during the lake's seasonal changes. Water entering the lake from the main tributaries over the course of the field season will also be monitored. Finally, the project will involve experiments testing whether heavy metals can be released from sediments by placing collected sediment samples in laboratory conditions similar to their ambient environment (sediment pore waters).