The surface of the lake is completely frozen despite the weirdly warm day that happened several days ago. Ice boaters were zooming all around the lake, and it looked like a lot of fun! Bill P. and I trekked to the deep hole... on foot! The deep hole of the lake is normally around 65 feet deep, but with low water levels the deepest sample was just under 59 feet. It was cool knowing that much water lay underneath my boots! We used a manual auger to make a hole through the 8 inches of ice. Check out my other post on safely enjoying icy lakes!
Sampling consisted of taking an electronic depth profile. I was hoping to see distinct temperature stratification underneath the ice; the temperature gradually increased with increasing depth. The water near the surface is the coldest (that's how the ice forms on the surface). I took water samples that will be analyzed for nutrients. I also am interested in the amount of primary productivity (phytoplankton and algae growth) that occurs in the winter. I took samples near the surface and near the bottom and will investigate the amount of chlorophyll-a (the green stuff found in plants that help convert sunlight into food) present. Hopefully the lake will be frozen when I return in February!
