The Vermont Lay Monitoring Program trains and equips dedicated volunteers (Lay Monitors) to conduct periodic lake water quality sampling from their boats using quality-assured methods through strict protocol.
You can find more information about the Lay Monitoring Program at:
https://dec.vermont.gov/watershed/lakes-ponds/monitor/lay-monitoring
A message from Echo Lake’s Lay Monitor, Peter Engels:
We test the water in Echo Lake for Clarity, Phosphorous Content, and Algae content. We go out about once a week, during June, July and August. Testing is done at two locations, which we find using GPS. At location 1, clarity is measured using a standard Secchi Disk, lowered to a depth where it begins to disappear. From this depth, we obtain water samples, which we process using the standard protocol used in all Vermont lakes. These samples are picked up by the State, which then does a chemical analysis to measure Phosphorous and Chlorophyll content. Since suspended Chlorophyll is generated by Algae in the water, and Phosphorous is a primary chemical needed for plant growth, these two measurements, along with observed water clarity, are, in effect, a measurement of the health of our lake. Clarity varies during the year; it is best right at ice-out and deteriorates during the summer. The data from each year is published the next Spring.
Based on summer averages of Secchi Transparency Echo Lake is designated an Oligotrophic lake. Secchi Transparency is a measure of the clarity of lake water. Oligotrophic lakes have very low nutrient concentrations. It is deep and supports a cold-water fishery. Also, characterized by a small algae population and very clear water all summer and has a mostly rocky or sandy bottom and little plant growth.
You can find information about Echo Lake’s annual data reports at:
https://anrweb.vermont.gov/DEC/_DEC/LakeSummary.aspx?LakeID=ECHO%20(CHARTN)
Recently, the Vermont Lakes and Ponds Management and Protection Program (VLPP) devised a Score Card to share available data on overall lake health with lake users focusing on key aspects of lake health: nutrients, aquatic invasive species, shoreland and lake habitat, and mercury pollution.
For more information about Echo Lake’s Vermont Inland Lake Scorecard go to:
https://dec.vermont.gov/watershed/lakes-ponds/data-maps/scorecard