Lmvp.org
Title
The Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program
Description
The LMVP was created in 1992 and began with four lakes in the Kansas City area. Since then about 200 volunteers have participated and water samples have been collected on over 50 different lakes around the state. Many lakes have several sample sites. Table Rock Lake, for example, currently has 18 sample sites.
The goals of the LMVP are: 1) to determine the current water quality based on productivity or trophic state of Missouri's lakes, 2) to monitor for changes in water quality over time, and 3) to educate the public about lake ecology and water quality issues.
The aspect of water quality that most interests the LMVP is lake productivity. We gauge productivity by measuring the amount of algae suspended in lake water. Algae are small plants that provide food and oxygen for fish and other aquatic life. While some algae are essential for a healthy lake, too much can have a negative impact on recreational uses and aquatic life. The LMVP also measures the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the lake. These two nutrients act as fertilizers, promoting algal growth. In some of our lakes, inorganic solids such as soil particles give the water a brownish color. The LMVP measures the amount of inorganic suspended solids in lakes where it might influence water clarity. All volunteers also take Secchi transparency readings. This is done with a Secchi disk, an eight-inch diameter black and white disk that is lowered into the lake until it disappears, thus providing a measure of water clarity. Lakes in our program have a wide range of Secchi values from less than 10 inches to over 16 feet.
Contact
- LMVP
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- Columbia MO
- US 65211
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- +1.5738825430
