LaRosa Testing Results 10/2021

The raw data from the tributary testing done over the summer was sent to ELPA at the end of September.  Echo Lake was tested for both Chloride (which is usually found in road salt) and Phosphorus (nutrient loading).  Our Watershed Manager, Ben Copans has looked over the data and made a few observations.  Chloride levels were consistently low in all tested tributaries.  As far as Phosphorus, Dickie Brook’s levels were higher in the spring than during the rest of the testing period.  Bennett Brook’s levels increased over the summer.  Cold Spring Brook, which flows off Winape Hills, had higher levels in the spring and at the end of summer.  The Inlet’s Phosphorus levels were consistently low, which reflects Seymour Lake’s Phosphorus levels.  Phosphorus levels are usually higher in the spring or during periods of high rainfall.  While none of the results were out of the ordinary there were spikes (a sudden or extreme increase) in several of Cold Spring Brook’s and Bennett Brook’s samples, which may need to be addressed.  More than likely ELPA will request a second year of LaRosa testing to get a more accurate picture of our tributaries.  This winter a more formal analysis will be done by the LaRosa Partnership Program in which they will be developing a reporting platform to display and interpret the results.  Information on these will be in the ELPA spring newsletter and will be posted on the ELPA website.