Use of paleolimnology to document the effect of lake shoreland development on water quality

Four Wisconsin, USA lakes were examined with paleolimnological techniques to determine the effects of shoreland development on water quality. Geochemical parameters such as aluminum, iron, manganese, phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon were used to document watershed inputs while redox sensitive elements provided information on changes in hypolimnetic oxygen levels. Changes in the diatom community were used to assess the impacts of development upon the lakes' trophic status as well as changes in the littoral community. We assessed the relative sensitivity of high vs. low ANC lakes. The initial shoreland development, late in the 19(th) or early in the 20(th) century, involved seasonal cabins and minimal disturbance of the shoreland. This development phase had minimal impact upon the lakes compared to that during the mid- and late-twentieth century. Increased levels of iron and aluminum indicated the highest input of sediment occurred during the construction phase of converting shoreland homes from seasonal to year-round usage. Phosphorus deposition increased moderately in the high alkalinity lakes but more so in the low alkalinity lakes. In the low alkalinity stratified lake, increased levels of iron and manganese in the last decade indicated more anoxia in the hypolimnion. Phosphorus levels have also increased during this time period most likely as a result of elevated phosphorus release from the sediments. In the high alkalinity lakes, as the nutrient levels increased, diatom production initially shifted from benthic taxa of the family Fragilariaceae to metalimnetic taxa and as nutrients increased further, epilimnetic species. In the low alkalinity lakes, prior to settlement the major site of diatom prodution was the open water. Coincidental with the early shoreland development was an increase of macrophyte density as indicated by the epiphytic diatom Achnanthidium minutissimum ((Kutzing) Czarnecki (= Achnanthes minutissima Kutzing). The water quality in the high alkalinity lakes showed some improvement following completion of the home construction phase, especially in the lake with lower development density. The low alkalinity lakes did not show improved water quality and appear more sensitive to shoreland development.