GREAT SACANDAGA LAKE
COLIFORM MONITORING PROGRAM – 2013
COMBINED RESULTS: FIRST AND SECOND INTERIM REPORTS
(WATER SAMPLING: JULY 15 AND AUGUST 19, 2013)
prepared for The Great Sacandaga Lake Association
By
Lawrence W. Eichler, Research Scientist
&
Charles W. Boylen, Associate Director Darrin Fresh Water Institute
5060 Lakeshore Drive Bolton Landing, NY 12814
Great Sacandaga Lake Coliform Monitoring Program
The Great Sacandaga Lake Coliform Monitoring Program (GSLCMP) for 2013 is designed to quantify the bacterial water quality at selected locations in Great Sacandaga Lake for contact recreation purposes. Public bathing facilities, recreational areas and runoff locations will be a primary focus. Approximately 12 shoreline locations will be sampled during July and an additional 12 locations sampled in August. The time interval coincides with the period of maximum population density and intensity of recreational use. Two primary measurements will be made for each sample: Total Coliform (TC) and Fecal Coliform (FC) Bacteria. These bacteria serve as indicators of the presence of animal or human waste. The presence of elevated levels of these bacteria indicate potentially disease-causing protozoa, bacteria and other microorganisms may be present in the water. Follow-up sampling will be conducted within 48 hours for any samples exceeding contact recreation standards (Table 1) at the discretion of the lake association. Should adjacent public swimming areas exist, they will be sampled along with any follow-up sampling efforts. Sampling sites will be chosen in consultation with the Great Sacandaga Lake Association (GSLA). DFWI personnel will attempt to assist the local regulatory authorities with location of bacterial sources, working closely with the county and local authorities to locate and correct sources of contamination. Follow-up investigations by the NYS Department of Health, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and county and local government personnel are encouraged at sites with elevated fecal coliform levels.
Action Levels of the Great Sacandaga Lake Coliform Monitoring Program
In order to respond effectively to contamination problems detected during the Great Sacandaga Lake Coliform Monitoring Program, the following actions will occur:
1. If 200 or more fecal coliform bacteria per 100 milliliters are reported, the site will be resampled during the next sampling cycle.
2. If 400 or more fecal coliform bacteria per 100 milliliters are reported, the site will be resampled within 24 to 48 hours. The data for both samples will be reported to the GSLAC. They will accept responsibility for contacting the appropriate regulatory agencies.
Follow-up samples to locate specific shoreline problems are not within the guidelines of this program and will be the responsibility of the appropriate regulatory agencies. The Darrin Fresh Water Institute will provide technical assistance upon request, however the cost of additional sampling and analysis must be covered by the local, county or state agency responsible for water quality complaints.
SUGGESTIONS FOR INTERPRETATION OF COLIFORM DATA
New York State Department of Health has determined maximum allowable bacterial levels for contact recreation (swimming, wading, etc.). A table of these bacterial concentrations is included. When these maximum bacterial levels are exceeded, the New York State Department of Health is empowered to close the location to bathing until the problem or problems are corrected. These levels are used by the Darrin Fresh Water Institute to determine appropriate responses to various bacterial concentrations found during sampling. A table of these responses is included.
Interpretation of data to determine and locate sources of contamination (human or other warm-blooded animal) requires more than just current bacterial levels. A knowledge of past history of the site, weather, geology of the area, drainage patterns, and some information on human activities in the area are also useful. To differentiate between human waste and that produced by other warm-blooded animals, it is sometimes helpful to refer to the ratio of fecal coliform to Enterococcus bacteria (FC/EC). An FC/EC ratio of 4 or greater is generally considered indicative of contamination of human origin. Enterococcus (EC) Bacteria abundance will be determined for any resample locations.
Table 1. New York State coliform bacteria standards for bathing beaches.
Maximum Allowable Levels of Coliform Bacteria in Waters Used for Contact
Recreation (NYS Dept. of Health)
Bacterial Test Max. 5 Sample Mean Max. Single Result
Total Coliform 2400 per 100 mls
Fecal Coliform 200 per 100 mls 1000 per 100 mls
Enterococcus 33 per 100 mls 61 per 100 mls
Definitions
TC – Total Coliform Bacteria
FC – Fecal Coliform Bacteria EC – Enterococcus Bacteria
FC/EC – Ratio of Fecal Coliform to Enterococcus Bacteria TNTC – Too Numerous to Count
CONF – Confluent growth of target bacteria MAT – Confluent growth of non-target bacteria
? – High background, referring to non-target growth of bacteria interfering with counts of target bacteria
lt – Less than
LA – Laboratory accident preventing enumeration of bacteria
2013 GREAT SACANDAGA LAKE COLIFORM MONITORING PROGRAM
SITE | DATE | TC/100ml | FC/100ml l | FS/100ml | FC/FS | NOTES |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Town of Broadalbin
|
||||||
Broadalbin Fishing Access | 15-Jul-13 | 56? | 30 | Bathers, clear, 27°C | ||
19-Aug-13 | 9 | 7 | Clear, cool, bathers | |||
Town of Day | ||||||
Allentown Creek | 15-Jul-13 | 900 | 180 | Clear, 18°C, Moderate flow | ||
Saratoga County Boat Launch | 15-Jul-13 | 15 | 2 | Clear, high water | ||
Town of Day Beach | 15-Jul-13 | 17? | 14 | No bathers, high water, clear | ||
19-Aug-13 | 11 | 1 | Calm, clear, no bathers | |||
Town of Edinburg | ||||||
Ponderosa Pines Beach | 15-Jul-13 | 80? | 20? | No bathers, clear, 26°C | ||
1-Aug-13 | 17 | 3 | Choppy, clear, no bathers | |||
Town of Mayfield | ||||||
Kennyetto Creek @ Route 30 | 15-Jul-13 | 1200 | 380 | Brown, Moderate flow, clear, 21°C | ||
19-Aug-13 | 460 FS/100 ml (230) |
290 FC/FS (1.3) |
Low flow, cool, clear | |||
Mayfield Town Beach | 15-Jul-13 | 120 | 80 | No bathers, 26°C, slightly turbid | ||
19-Aug-13 | 8 | 2 | Clear, calm, 1 bather | |||
Vandenburg Point Swim Area | 15-Jul-13 | 52 | 13? | Bathers, clear, 27°C | ||
19-Aug-13 | 20 | 14 | Calm, clear, no bathers | |||
Woods Hollow Marina | 19-Aug-13 | 2 | It 1 | Cool, calm | ||
Town of Northampton | ||||||
Little Lake Outlet | 19-Aug-13 | 17 | 9 | Calm, clear, no bathers | ||
Northville Town Beach | 15-Jul-13 | 28 | 12 | High water, no bathers, calm, 25°C | ||
19-Aug-13 | 1 | It 1 | Closed, no bathers, clear | |||
NYS DEC Northampton Beach | 15-Jul-13 | 10 | 3 | No bathers, high water, 26°C | ||
Northampton Beach | 19-Aug-13 | 17 | 9 | Calm, clear, bathers | ||
Sacandaga Beach/Sport Island Pub | 15-Jul-13 | 80? | 6 | Clear, bathers, 26°C | ||
19-Aug-13 | 11 | 3 | Clear, calm, bathers | |||
Sacandaga Park Brook | 19-Aug-13 | 136 | 58 | Very low flow, clear | ||
Town of Providence | ||||||
Providence Town Beach | 15-Jul-13 | 25 | 2 | Clear, no bathers, 26°C | ||
19-Aug-13 | 3 | 1 | Clear, calm, no bathers |
GSLA Editor Note: Each of the two 2013 interim reports contained an identical project description, action level statement and suggestions for interpretation. For this reason, the project description and other introductory notes are presented once. The results of both samplings are contained in the combined 2013 Great Sacandaga Lake Coliform Monitoring Report table at the end of the report. Each report is available upon request to the GSLA.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS: “Public bathing facilities, recreational areas and runoff locations were the primary focus of bacterial testing in 2013. Bacterial levels were low at nearly all sites and within acceptable limits of recreational use based on NYS DOH Standards.” (Lawrence W. Eichler, Research Scientist)