Northeast Temperate Network water quality report, 2006-2009: Acadia National Park

Gawley, William

This is the first report on the water quality of Acadia National Park (ACAD) generated by the Northeast Temperate Network (NETN) Water Quality Monitoring Program. This report includes data gathered during the first four years of the monitoring program (2006-2009) and displays these results in graphic form, accompanied by a brief interpretation.The vital signs for lakes, ponds and streams included in the NETN Freshwater Monitoring Protocol (Lombard et al. 2006) are water quality, nutrient enrichment, water quantity, and the detection of invasive plant species. These metrics were chosen to address the NPS Inventory and Monitoring objective to detect change in the status of physical, chemical, or biological attributes of the ecosystem.The NETN freshwater monitoring protocol calls for a total of 37 park lakes and streams to be sampled monthly from May through October, with 11 sites monitored annually and the remainder visited on a two year (streams) or three year (lakes) rotating schedule. Park staff measure physical and in-situ water chemistry parameters each month, and periodically gather water samples for analysis at the University of Maine’s (UMO) Sawyer Environmental Chemistry Research Laboratory. Additionally, stage height (water level) is recorded weekly at 17 lakes during the open-water season. All monitoring data are incorporated into a series of comprehensive databases that ultimately feed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)“STORET” data system, the repository for all NPS water quality and quantity data.

Northeast Temperate Network water quality report, 2006-2009: Acadia National Park

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