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Ruth Wilson is our water tester and conducts periodic clarity tests. Ruth's testing is coordinated by the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program MVLP. During 2007, Carl Anderson and Eric Groves completed their training with the MVLP.
Lew Wetzel from Casco provides phosphorous tests for us and takes the samples to the U of Maine lab in Orono. He also has a direct reading dissolved oxygen test meter.
Thanks to Ruth, Carl, Eric, and Lew!
A special thanks for Pixie Williams for sharing her expertise and time!
Here is Pixie's latest report - Dated August 6, 2007:
It was a joy to do the botanical survey of Saturday Pond. Here are the results.
Best wishes, Pixie Williams
July 2005 Results (614K PDF file)
What is Gleotrichia? -an article from COLA
| Secchi Disk Readings | ||||
| Date | Depth (m) | Location | Tester | Conditions |
| 06/17/08 | 5.05 | Eric Groves | 1:50 PM, 01 MPH wind, SW direction, cloudy, bright. heavy layer of pollen on surface. esp near shore | |
| 08/18/08 | 5.85 | Eric Groves | 10:45 AM; 04 MPH wind, SE direction, bright sky, did not hit bottom | |
| 07/17/08 | 6.05 | Carl Anderson | Large wake boat disturbing water most of day | |
| 08/20/08 | 6.51 | Carl Anderson | Strong wind all day | |
| 09/15/08 | 5.41 | Carl Anderson | Very strong wind with many white caps on day before | |
| 10/15/08 | 7.11 | Carl Anderson | Disc on bottom | |
| Secchi Disk Readings | ||||
| Date | Depth (m) | Location | Tester | Conditions |
| 07/22/07 | 6.25, 6.30 | Ruth Wilson | ||
| 07/23/07 | 6.04 | Carl Anderson | ||
| 08/01/07 | 6.96 | deepest point | Eric Groves | 9:45 AM, sunny, no wind |
| 08/18/07 | 6.70 | deepest point | Ruth Wilson | 10:30 AM, wind 8 MPH |
| 08/20/07 | 7.11 | deepest point | Eric Groves | 2:23 PM, cloudy, bright, did not hit bottom |
| 09/02/07 | 6.52 | deepest point | Eric Groves | 11:35 AM, bright, wind 3 MPH NW, did not hit bottom |
| 09/18/07 | 6.82 | deepest point | Carl Anderson | |
| 10/03/07 | 7.10 | deepest point | Carl Anderson | |
August 18, 2007: Lew Wetzel, assisted by Ruth Wilson and Eric Williams, conducted the following tests:
Phosphorous: 7 parts per billion in the deepest part (basin).
Bottom: 23.9'
Conditions: Air Temp = 62 F, Time = 1020 hrs, Wind = 08, direction = N
| Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Profiles-deepest part (basin) | ||
| Depth (m) | degC | Dissolved O2 (ppm) |
| 0.0 | 22.9 | 8.3 |
| 1.0 | 23.0 | 8.2 |
| 2.0 | 23.1 | 8.3 |
| 3.0 | 23.1 | 8.3 |
| 4.0 | 23.1 | 8.3 |
| 5.0 | 23.1 | 8.3 |
| 6.0 | 23.0 | 8.3 |
Aug 30, 2006: Lew Wetzel took a sample and had it analyzed at the U Maine Orono lab:
Phosphorous: 5 parts per billion.
| Secchi Disk Readings | ||
| Date | Depth (m) | Tester |
| 05/29/06 | 5.65, 5.60 | Ruth Wilson |
| 06/17/06 | 6.89, 6.95 | Ruth Wilson |
| 06/25/06 | 6.65, 6.70 | Ruth Wilson |
August 14, 2005: Lew Wetzel conducted the following tests:
Phosphorous: 6 parts per billion in the northwest cove; 6 parts per billion in the deepest part (basin).
Secchi reading at deepest part: 6.40 meters
Conditions: Air Temp = 75 F, Time = 1040 hrs, Wind = 02, direction = NE
| Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Profiles-deepest part (basin) | ||
| Depth (m) | degC | Dissolved O2 (ppm) |
| 0.0 | 26.4 | 8.0 |
| 1.0 | 26.4 | 7.9 |
| 2.0 | 26.3 | 7.9 |
| 3.0 | 26.0 | 7.8 |
| 4.0 | 25.5 | 7.5 |
| 5.0 | 20.6 | 5.7 |
| 6.0 | 15.7 | 2.6 |
| 7.0 | 14.1 | 1.5 |
September 2004: Lew Wetzel conducted phosphorous testing on the pond during September 2004. The results were improved from previous readings.
Phosphorous: 5 parts per billion in the northwest cove; 6 parts per billion in the deepest part (basin).
Previous Phosphorous tests - See 1984-90 and 1995
July 27, 2004: Scott Lennox reported on his water test results. He and his daughter Mandy took measurements on July 27, 2004 at 8:30 AM. The sky was overcast, wind was 0 MPH, outside temperature was 17.5 C and the water depth at the sample point was 7.25 meters.
Secchi Disk reading: 6.05 meters.
| Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Profiles | ||
| Depth (m) | degC | Dissolved O2 (ppm) |
| 6.5 | 16.0 | 2.4 |
| 5.5 | 19.5 | 5.2 |
| 4.0 | 22.5 | 8.4 |
| 1.0 | 22.5 | 11.2 |
Report from Scott Lennox:
Periodic testing of the lake occurred from June to October with results consistent with the findings from previous years. Where our observations differed from 1998, they tended to be slightly improved.
The annual summer temperature stratification began to develop in June and was fully developed by July. Our July 30 testing provided a surface temperature of 26 degrees C (80 degrees F) and a 6.5 meter (21 feet) temperature of 20 degrees C (68 degrees F). This effect had disappeared with our last measurements in October. Our July water samples indicated correspondingly reduced levels of dissolved oxygen at each deeper level again consistent with or slightly better than 1998 levels. Our final monitoring revealed that the summer stratification had completely disappeared and we obtained a uniform temperature and level of dissolved oxygen.
Our Secchi disk monitoring of water clarity provided results that varied from typical 5.9 meters (19.5 feet) in July to an impressive 7.45 meters (24.5 feet) in October. This is significant because we conduct our testing in the deepest part of the lake (25 feet), and, as such, this measurement is likely to represent the top end of our potential results. One partial explanation for the improved results lies in the use of our new improved viewing scope, provided to us by the Maine DEP during our re-certification program. Secchi disk testing must be done with both scopes and reported to the Maine DEP separately. The use of the new scope can improve results up to 0.3 meters.
As with last year, these results compare favorably to the findings of prior years as far back as the mid 1980s. While the weather was above normal in warmth and brightness during the summer, the spring and fall also experienced significant storms and resulting runoff. Despite this, the test results, particularly in September and October, were among our best ever.
Scott and Mandy Lennox conducted the following tests:
July 30, 1999
Secchi Disc: 6.25 m (new viewfinder representing better than usual results)
Temp @ bottom: 20°c
Temp @ top: 26°C
Clarity: good
Dissolved Oxygen: 7.6ppm (1m down)
September 4, 1999
Secchi Disc: 6.65 m
Temp @ bottom: 21°C
Temp @ top: 24°c (little temperature gradient)
Clarity: good
Dissolved Oxygen: 8.5ppm (1m down) 9.0ppm (4m down) 6ppm (bottom)
DEP continued testing. Scott and Beth Lennox met with Linda Bacon of the DEP and gave the following summary:
Temperature readings for 1996 indicate that stratification started in late May and continued through July, then started to break down during August. Transparency readings ranged from 4.1 m to 6.2 m and averaged 5.2 m. The seasonal total phosphorus averages were 9 parts per billion (ppb) for the epilmnion and 10 ppb on the bottom of the lake. The Chlorophyll a average was 2.8 ppb, and the two color readings averages 25 SPU. The two alkalinity readings averaged 5.5 parts per million (ppm).
In 1995, The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with assistance from members of the Saturday Pond Watershed Association performed monthly water quality sampling.
Report from the Maine DEP (1.7M PDF file ***large file)
Phosphorous tests: 1995 = 7 ppb (average of 5 tests)
The State of Maine conducted tests during these years:
Surface Area: 69.0 ha. (170.5 a.)
Flushing Rate: 0.99 flushes/yr
Volume: 2094336.0 cu. m.
Direct Drainage Area: 3.38 sq. km. (1.31 sq. mi.)
| Secchi Disk Readings | |||
| Year | Min.Depth (m) | Mean Depth (m) | Max Depth (m) |
| 1984 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 6.0 |
| 1987 | 5.4 | 6.4 | 7.0 |
| 1988 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 6.5 |
| 1989 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 6.8 |
| 1990 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 |
| Chemical Parameters | |||
| Year | Mean pH | Mean ALK | Total Phos, Means (ppb) EPI CORE |
| 1984 | 13 | ||
| 1987 | |||
| 1988 | 6.5 | 4.0 | |
| 1989 | 6.5 | 9 | |
| 1990 | 9 | ||
| Late Summer Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Profiles | ||||||||||||
| Depth | 08/30/84 | 08/24/87 | 09/18/87 | 09/16/88 | 08/03/89 | 09/07/89 | ||||||
| (meters) | degC | ppm | degC | ppm | degC | ppm | degC | ppm | degC | ppm | degC | ppm |
| 1.0 | 24.0 | 8.2 | 20.8 | 8.2 | 18.5 | 9.0 | 18.2 | 9.0 | 24.5 | 8.2 | 19.8 | 9.2 |
| 2.0 | 23.8 | 8.2 | 20.8 | 8.2 | 18.5 | 9.0 | 18.2 | 9.0 | 23.8 | 8.1 | 18.5 | 9.3 |
| 3.0 | 23.8 | 8.1 | 20.8 | 8.2 | 18.5 | 8.9 | 18.0 | 9.0 | 23.4 | 7.9 | 18.3 | 9.3 |
| 4.0 | 23.5 | 8.1 | 20.8 | 8.2 | 18.4 | 8.9 | 17.8 | 9.0 | 23.0 | 7.6 | 18.1 | 9.2 |
| 5.0 | 23.2 | 7.6 | 20.8 | 8.2 | 18.2 | 8.9 | 17.5 | 9.0 | 18.7 | 4.0 | 18.0 | 9.1 |
| 6.0 | 22.8 | 0.1 | 20.5 | 8.2 | 18.1 | 8.9 | 17.3 | 9.0 | 14.5 | 0.2 | 17.9 | 8.1 |