Description
The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) - Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is seeking applications for a lake assessment effort to provide assistance with an R&D effort on Lake Okeechobee. The proposed work will involve several months of intensive water quality data collection in and/or near Lake Okeechobee, extending through the bloom season and including approximately 30 days before and after to capture rapid seasonal transitions. The objective is to generate critical information needed to elucidate the environmental drivers of HAB formation in Lake Okeechobee.
• The work will involve surface water sampling and subsurface sensor measurements.
• The newly collected data from Lake Okeechobee will be compared to historical datasets from Clinton Lake in Lawrence, KS.
• The comparison is expected to provide valuable insights into the site-specific behavior of HABs in Lake Okeechobee and contribute to a broader understanding of bloom dynamics.
• The public will benefit from this work in the form of improved understanding of the causes of algal blooms relative to environmental and water quality changes in a public reservoir used for drinking water and recreation.