미국 지질조사국(U.S. Geological Survey, USGS)과 네바다대학 리노캠퍼스는 타호호수(Lake Tahoe)의 연안에 서식하는 부영양화의 증가 및 조류 성장의 원인을 연구할 계획이다. 캘리포니아 라혼탄수질관리위원회(Lahontan Water Quality Control Board, LWQCB)의 지원으로 진행되며, 호수 연안 환경의 수질 및 생태계 파괴와 관련한 광범위한 문제를 조사할 방침이다.

지난 10년동안 연안 부착생물의 성장으로 타호호수의 조류의 형태는 급격하게 증가했으며, 호수는 기후변화와 외래종의 도입이 계속됨에 따라 환경을 위협받고 있다.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of Nevada, Reno, will study the cause of eutrophication, or increased algae growth, along the nearshore of Lake Tahoe. Supported by California's Lahontan Water Quality Control Board (LWQCB), the investigation is in response to widespread concerns with water quality and ecological degradation of the lake's nearshore environment.

Over the last decade, nearshore periphyton growth, a form of algae, has increased dramatically in Lake Tahoe. The lake's fragile environment continues to be threatened by a changing climate and an introduction of invasive species. The study will investigate the relationship between algae growth and sources of nutrients on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, north of Ward Creek.

The investigation is a key component of LWQCB's Lake Tahoe Nearshore Water Quality Protection Plan. The plan was released in 2014 to help guide management of the lake and establish nearshore water quality protection policies. The 10-month algae study will sample nutrient concentrations and other important chemical and physical parameters at five sections of the lake. The findings will be used to distinguish whether elevated nutrient concentrations are from Ward Creek spring runoff, other on-shore locations, groundwater, or lake upwelling.

This effort to help protect the Lake Tahoe nearshore environment is being funded with $200,000 from LWQCB and $200,000 from the USGS in matching federal funds. The USGS and the University of Nevada, Reno, will produce a final report of the findings in the summer of 2017.

[출처 = Water World / 2015년 8월 17일]