7-28 Clear Waters Ahead: A community-engaged water quality monitoring project at Buckeye Lake, Ohio

Session: Undergraduate Research, Part I (Posters)

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Buckeye Lake is a 3,100 acre lake which was first constructed in the early 1800s as a feeder lake for the Ohio Erie canal system. As one of the oldest man-made lakes in Ohio, Buckeye Lake has a long history of recreational use by the local community and is a popular boating and fishing destination. However, Buckeye Lake’s water quality is highly impacted by human activities in the region, particularly agriculture. Agricultural run-off into the lake has caused nutrient levels to rise, leading to increasing frequency of harmful algal blooms over the past few decades. In response to lake eutrophication and decreasing water quality, local residents and business owners founded the organization Buckeye Lake for Tomorrow. This community organization has successfully rehabilitated some wetlands in the lake watershed and has worked with community members to reduce direct nutrient input, however, consistent monitoring of water quality parameters is an aspect of their conservation and restoration efforts where Buckeye Lake for Tomorrow needs assistance. Our introductory Earth Science class took on the project of collecting water quality data for Buckeye Lake in the fall semester of 2025. We collected water quality data including secchi depth, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH from 11 sites around the lake. At each location we also collected water samples for testing for microcystin content. Our results show relatively high microcystin levels for several locations around the lake, including a swimming area. Additionally, we noted low water clarity in most areas of the lake, and some areas with highly reduced dissolved oxygen levels in deeper waters. While progress is being made, our data suggest that further efforts to reduce nutrients in Buckeye Lake are still necessary. Consistent monitoring over a longer time period will help to determine the impact of nutrient reduction efforts on Buckeye Lake and may be useful in determining future conservation and restoration projects and goals.

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