LAKE COUNTY, IL 2015 A L S R NTIOCH AKE UMMARY EPORT LAKE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT ECOLOGICAL SERVICES INSIDE THIS ISSUE: SUMMARY 1 WATERSHED 2 WATERSHED MAP 3 WATER CLARITY 4 TOTAL SUSPENDED 5 NUTRIENTS CONDUCTIVITY AND 6 CHLODIRE TSI 7 Bathymetric Maps Antioch Lake 8 Stratification In the early 1930’s, local farmers constructed a dam at the north end of what was then a natural slough. Over the next three years, water continued to fill in what is now the lake Blue-Green Algae 9 which is located in Antioch Township near the Village of Antioch. The lake has a surface FQI / Littoral Zone 10 area of 467.82 acres and a maximum depth of 8.37 feet and a mean depth of 5.32 feet. Friends of Lake Antioch actively manages the lake for boating, fishing, swimming, aesthet- Aquatic Plants 11 ics and plant management. Antioch Lake has also been a participant in the Illinois Environ- mental Protection Agency’s (IEPA) Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program since 2002. Aquatic Plants 12 The Antioch Lake shoreline length is 2.44 miles, and is surrounded by residential develop- Curly Leaf Pondweed 13 ment. Antioch Lake receives water from several inlets that drains water from approximate- NPDES 14 ly 441.67 acres and empties through a culvert at the north end of the lake. The water flows into Lake Tranquility, and eventually into Sequoit Creek, which flows to Lake Marie of the Beach 15 Fox River Chain O’Lakes . The primary land uses within Antioch Lake’s watershed are Protect Your Waters single family homes and transportation. Electric trolling motors are permitted on the lake and there is no public access to Antioch Lake. Dissolved Oxygen 16 Water quality parameters, such as nutrients, suspended solids, oxygen, temperature, water Aquatic Plants and Fish 17 Carp 18 ECOLOGICAL SERVICES WATER QUALITY SPECIALISTS Shoreline Erosion 19 Gerard Urbanozo Alana Bartolai Lake Management Plans 20 [email protected] [email protected] Lake Recommendations 21 PAGE 2 2015 ANTIOCH LAKE SUMMARY REPORT ANTIOCH LAKE LAKE FACTS clarity were measured from May-September 2015. The aquatic plant community was assessed in Township: July when most of the plants are likely to be present. Antioch Township Historically Antioch Lake has had a variety of lake quality issues including abundance of carp, T46N, R10E, severe algal blooms, and nutrient enrichment. In general the 2015 water quality in Antioch Lake Sections 17 and 18 was poor due to the lack of aquatic plants and frequent algae blooms. Total phosphorus in Anti- och Lake averaged 0.085 mg/L which is a 41.38% decrease from the 2001 concentration of Major Watershed: 0.145 mg/L and but higher than the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency impairment rate Fox River of 0.050 mg/L. Sources of phosphorus include inputs from the watershed, local sources (i.e., Sub-Watershed: lawn fertilizers and agricultural runoff) and internal loading from the sediment. Sequoit Creek Surface Area: Nitrogen is the other nutrient critical for algal growth. The average Total Kjeldahl nitrogen 89 acres (TKN) concentration for Antioch was 1.27 mg/L, which was higher than the county median of Shoreline Length: 1.20 mg/L. A total nitrogen to total phosphorus (TN:TP) ratio of 15:1 indicates that phospho- 2.44 miles rus was the nutrient limiting aquatic plant and algae growth in Antioch Lake. By using phospho- Maximum Depth: rous as an indicator, the trophic state index (TSIp) ranked Antioch Lake as eutrophic with a TSIp 8.37 feet value of 68.2. This means that the lake has high nutrients which can result in algae growth. The Average Depth: 2015 average total suspended solids (TSS) concentration for Antioch Lake was 8.0 mg/L, which 5.32 feet was lower than the county median of 8.2 mg/L and a 47% decrease from the 2001 average of Lake Volume: 15.2 mg/L. 467.82 acre-feet Water clarity was measured by Secchi depth, with the lowest reading in August (2.13 ft) and the Watershed Area: deepest was in June (8.7 ft). The average Secchi depth for the season was 4.49 ft, which was 441.67 acres deeper than the county median (2.96 ft). The average conductivity of Antioch Lake was 0.8669 Lake Type: mS/cm which is higher than the county median (0.7920 mS/cm). This was a 18% increase from Impoundment the 2001 average (0.7369 mS/cm). The average chloride concentration in Antioch Lake in 2015 Current Uses: was 174 mg/L which was higher than the county median of 139 mg/L. Fishing, non-motorize boating, Antioch Lake does not have a diverse and healthy plant community, White Waterlily and Sago swimming and aesthetics Pondweed were the dominant species occurring 10.4% and 1.0% ,respectively, of the 96 sites surveyed. The macro algae Chara was found at 11.5% of the sites sampled. ANTIOCH LAKE WATERSHED The lake is located in the Upper Fox River sub basin, within the Fox River watershed. A water- shed is a drainage basin where water from rain or snow melt drains into a body of water, such as a river, lake, reservoir, wetland or storm drain. The source of a lakes water supply is very im- portant in determining its water quality and choosing management practices to protect the lake. Antioch Lake receives a majority of its water from inlets from often have variable water quality that is heavily influenced by human activity. The lake has several inflow locations, including a small creek that drains the southern residential area, a large square culvert that drains the area by Illinois Highway 173 at the northeast side, and 8 culvert/swales that drain the residential areas surrounding the lake. Antioch Lake empties through a culvert at the north end of the lake. The water flows into Lake Tranquility, and even- tually into Sequoit Creek, which flows to Lake Marie of the Fox River Chain O’Lakes. The re- tention time, the time it takes for water entering a lake to flow out again was calculated to be approximately 1.29 years. The major sources of runoff for Antioch Lake were Residential (45.1%), Water (20%) Transportation (11.5%), and Agriculture (6.2). The impervious surfaces (parking lots, roads, buildings, compacted soil) do not allow rain to infiltrate into the ground. Land management practices of the large amount of residential area in the water shed impacts the lake. Controlling water that runs from the land’s surface into the lake is important for drainage lakes. LAKE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT PAGE 3 ANTIOCH LAKE WATERSHED AND LAND USE Agricultural Forest and Grassland Government and Institutional Multi Family Public and Private Open Space Retail/Commercial Single Family Transportation Water Wetlands PAGE 4 2015 ANTIOCH LAKE SUMMARY REPORT WATER CLARITY Turbid waters become warmer as suspended Water clarity is an indicator of water quality related to chemical and physical properties. Meas- particles absorb heat urements taken with a Secchi disk indicate the light penetration into a body of water. Algae, mi- croscopic animals, water color, eroded soil, and resuspension of bottom sediment are factors from sunlight, causing that interfere with light penetration and reduce water transparency. If light penetration is re- oxygen levels to fall. duced significantly, macrophytes growth may be decreased which would in turn impact the or- (Warm water holds less ganisms dependent upon them for food and cover. The 2015 average clarity for Antioch Lake oxygen than cooler wa- was 4.49 feet (ES); this was a 32% increase in the lakes transparency since 2001 (3.4 feet) and ter.) Photosynthesis de- the water clarity was slightly above the county median of 2.96 feet. The shallowest Secchi depth creases with lesser light, for Antioch was in August and the deepest was in June at 2.1 feet and 8.7 feet respectively. Al- resulting in even lower gae blooms are a common occurrence in Antioch Lake and can affect transparency. Lack of Algae oxygen levels. in June attributed to a deep Secchi reading. VOLUNTEER LAKE A Secchi disk is an eight-inch MONITOR PROGRAM diameter weighted metal plate Volunteers measure water painted black and white in clarity using the Secchi disk alternating quadrants. A calibrated twice a month May through rope is used to lower the disc into October. In 2015 there the water and measure the depth were 56 lakes participating to which it is visible. in Lake County. If you would like more information VLMP —WATER QUALITY please contact: Additional water clarity measurements were taken in Antioch Lake through participation in the Alana Bartolai Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s (IEPA) Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (847) 377-8009 (VLMP). Antioch Lake has participated in the program since 2004. Participation in the VLMP [email protected] program has provided Antioch Lake with annual baseline data that can be used to determine long www.epa.state.il.us/water/ term water quality trends and support current lake management decision making. The shallowest vlmp/index.html average VLMP reading was in 2004 and the deepest was in 2013 at 2.54 feet and 5.82 feet re- spectively. The volunteers on Antioch Lake have provided data that is vital for the management of this lake. If you would like to participate or need more information about becoming a VLMP please contact the LCHD-ES. VLMP (ft.) 3.24 2.94 2.54 3.58 LAKE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT PAGE 5 TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS Another measure of water clarity is turbidity, which is caused by particles of matter rather than TSS the dissolved organic compounds. Suspended particles dissipate light, which may limit the depth Total Suspended Solids plants can grow. The total suspended solid (TSS) parameter (turbidity) is composed of nonvola- tile suspended compounds (NVSS), non-organic clay or sediment materials, and volatile suspend- TSS are particles of algae or ed solids (TVS) (algae and other organic matter). sediment suspended in the Seasonal Secchi readings changes are affected by algal growth. The absence or low density of al- water column. gae in early spring usually provides deeper clarity but as the water warms clarity decreases with more algae present in the water. The 2015 TSS concentrations in Antioch Lake averaged 8.0 TVS mg/L which was below the county median of 8.2 mg/L and 46.05% lower than the 2001 aver- Total Volatile Solids age concentration of 15.2 mg/L. High TSS values are typically correlated with poor water clarity (Secchi disk depth) and can be detrimental to many aspects of the lake ecosystem including the TVS represents the fraction plant and fish communities. of total solids that are There are internal and external sources of sediment affecting the turbidity in Antioch Lake. In- organic in nature, such as ternal sources of sediment suspension include wind and wave, and carp population (Common algae cells Carp). Carp are one of the most damaging aquatic invasive species due to their feeding behavior that disrupts shallowly rooted plants, decreasing water clarity. External sources include sedi- NVSS ments that are transported into the lake from a feeder creek, bank erosion and other sources in Non-Volatile Suspended the watershed. The average calculated nonvolatile suspended solids (NVSS) was 2.79 mg/L. Solids The low NVSS means that the majority of the TSS concentration in 2015 can be attributed to solids that organic in nature. NVSS represents the non- The Secchi depths in 2015 were at its shallowest in August (2.13 feet) and the deepest was in organic clay and sediments June (8.70 feet). The July and August readings corresponded with the highest TSS concentration that are suspended in the (12.0 mg/L). Algae bloom was observed at the time the samples were taken. Heavy rains in water column. June and July brought nutrients into Antioch Lake causing the total phosphorous (TP) level to increase steadily. The lack of aquatic plants allowed algae to utilize the available nutrients in the TDS lake, causing algae blooms. Total Dissolved Solids TDS are the amount of dissolved substance such as salts or minerals in the water after evaporation. PAGE 6 2015 ANTIOCH LAKE SUMMARY REPORT WHAT HAS BEEN DONE NUTRIENTS TO REDUCE PHOSPHORUS LEVELS IN Antioch LAKE The nutrients organisms need to live or grow are typically taken in from the environment. In a lake the primary nutrients needed for aquatic plant and algal growth are phosphorus and nitro- July 2010- The State of gen. In most lakes, including Antioch, phosphorus is the limiting nutrient, which means every- Illinois passed a law to thing that plants and algae need to grow is available in excess: sunlight, warm temperature, and nitrogen. reduce the amount of Phosphorus has a direct effect on the amount of plant and algal growth in lakes. The 2015 aver- phosphorus content in age total phosphorus (TP) epilimnion (near surface sample) concentration in Antioch Lake was dishwashing and laundry 0.085 mg/L, this was an 41% decrease from the 2001 concentration (0.145 mg/L). Lakes with concentrations exceeding 0.050 mg/L can support high densities of algae and aquatic plants, detergents. which can reduce water clarity and dissolved oxygen levels and are considered impaired by the July 2010- The State of IEPA. Phosphorus originates from a variety of sources, many of which are related to human ac- tivities which include: human and animal waste, soil erosion, septic systems, common carp, and Illinois passed another law runoff from farmland and lawns. Algae blooms were frequent during the later part of the sum- restricting the use of lawn mer on Antioch Lake as the TP concentration increased. fertilizers containing Nitrogen is the other nutrient critical for algal growth. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen is a measure of phosphorus by organic nitrogen, and is typically bound up in algal and plant cells. The average 2015 TKN for Antioch Lake was 1.25 mg/L. If inorganic nitrogen (NO2, NO3, NH4) concentrations exceed Storm drains lead 0.3 mg/L in spring, sufficient nitrogen is available to support summer algae blooms. However, to the nearest low nitrogen levels do not guarantee less algae blooms. The TN:TP ratio for Antioch Lake was lake, river, pond 15:1, which means that the limiting nutrient for aquatic plants was phosphorus. or wetland. They do not go to a CONDUCTIVITY AND CHLORIDE treatment plant. Conductivity is a measure of a waters ability to conduct electricity, measured by the water’s ion- ic activity and content. The higher the concentration of (dissolved) ions the higher the conductiv- ity becomes. Conductivity readings, which are influenced by chloride concentrations, have been increasing throughout the past decade in Lake County. Lakes with residential and/or urban land uses in their watershed often have higher conductivity readings and higher Cl- concentrations because of the use of road salts. Storm water run-off from impervious surfaces such as roads and parking lots can deliver high concentrations of Cl- to nearby water bodies. Road salt used in the winter road maintenance consists of the following ions: sodium chloride, calcium chloride, po- tassium chloride, magnesium chloride, or ferrocyanides which are detected when chlorides are analyzed. The 2015 average conductivity for Antioch Lake 0.8669 mS/cm. This parameter was above the county median of 0.7920 mS/cm and which is a 17% increase from the 2001 value of 0.7369 mS/cm. These values are influenced by the winter road maintenance of Route 173, 59 and the surrounding residential areas. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has deter- mined that chloride concentrations higher than 230 mg/L can disrupt aquatic systems and pro- Salts dissolve and longed exposure can harm 10% of aquatic species. move downhill or Antioch Lake’s Cl– concentration was 173.8 mg/ into the nearest L. Chlorides tend to accumulate within a water- storm drain with storm-water and shed as these ions do not break down and are not snowmelt runoff to utilized by plants or animals. High chloride con- the nearest lake, riv- centrations may make it difficult for many of our er or pond. They do native species to survive. However, many of our not settle out; they invasive species, such as Eurasian Watermilfoil, remain in the water cycle virtually for- Cattail and Common Reed, are tolerant to high Novotny et al. 2007 ever. chloride concentrations. LAKE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT PAGE 7 TROPHIC STATE INDEX Another way to look at phosphorus levels and how they affect lake productivity is to use a Trophic State Index (TSI) based on phosphorus (TSIp). TSIp values are commonly used to classi- fy and compare lake productivity levels (trophic state). A lakes response to additional phosphorus is an accelerated rate of eutrophication. Eutrophication is a natural process where lakes become increasingly enriched with nutrients. Lakes start out with clear water and few aquatic plants and over time become more enriched with nutrients and vegetation until the lake becomes a wet- land. This process takes thousands of years to take place. However, human activities on a lake or in the watershed accelerate this process by resulting in rapid soil erosion and heavy phosphorus inputs. This accelerated aging process on a lake is referred to as cultural eutrophication. The TSIp index classifies the lake into one of four categories: oligotrophic (nutrient-poor, biologically unproductive), mesotrophic (intermediate nutrient availability and biological productivity), and eutrophic (nutrient rich, highly productive), or hypereutrophic (extremely nutrient-rich, pro- ductive). In 2015, Antioch Lake was eutrophic with a TSIp Value of 68.2, placing it 93rd out of 173 lakes in the county. Lake Carina was 1st with a 37.4 TSIp Value. “When human activi- ties accelerate lake eutrophication, it is referred to as cul- tural eutrophica- tion. Cultural eu- trophication may result from shore- line erosion, agri- cultural and urban runoff, wastewater discharges or septic seepage, and other Source: RMB Environmental non-point source LAKE LEVEL pollution sources.” Lakes with stable water levels potentially have less shoreline erosion problems. The lake level in Antioch Lake was measured from the top of a seawall to the waters surface. The lake level increased from May to September by almost 1 inch. The highest water level occurred in June and the lowest level in August. The most significant water level fluctuation occurred from July to August with an decrease in the lake level of 8.4 inches. Antioch Lake’s water level appear to be significantly influenced by rain events. The watershed’s primary land use of single family homes surrounding the lake has the potential to deliver significant amounts of storm water. In order to accurately monitor water levels it is recommended that a staff gauge be installed and levels measured and recorded frequently (daily or weekly). The data provides lake managers a much better idea of lake level fluctua- tions relative to rainfall events and can aid in future decisions regarding lake level. Staff gauge is a great tool for measuring water level in lakes, rivers, reservoirs. The data collected can be compiled to help understand the natural fluctuations of the lake. Large fluctuations in lake level can lead to shoreline erosion. PAGE 8 2015 ANTIOCH LAKE SUMMARY REPORT BATHYMETRIC MAPS Bathymetric maps are also known as depth contour maps and display the shape and depth of a lake. They are valuable tools for lake managers because they provide information about the surface area and volume of the lake at certain depths. This in- BATHYMETRIC formation can then be used to MAPS PROVIDE determine the volume of lake LAKE MANAGERS that goes anoxic, how much of WITH AN the lake bottom can be inhabited ACCURATE LAKE by plants, and is essential in the VOLUME THAT application of whole-lake herbi- CAN BE USED FOR cide treatments, harvesting ac- HERBICIDE tivities and alum treatments of APPLICATION AND your lake. Other common uses HELP ANGLERS for the map include sedimenta- FIND POTENTIAL tion control, fish stocking, and FISHING SPOTS. habitat management. The LCHD-ES collects field data using a Lowrance and transduc- er. Once collected, the data will be analyzed and imported into ArcGIS for further analysis. STRATIFICATION Antioch Lake had a weak A lake’s water quality and ability to support fish are affected by the extent to which the water stratificatio mixes. The depth, size, and shape of a lake are the most important factors influencing mixing, but n in in July. climate, lakeshore topography, inflow from streams and vegetation also play a role. Variations in The Lake density caused by different temperatures can prevent warm and cold water from mixing, called maybe stratification. susceptible For example: when lake ice melts in early spring, the temperature and density of lake water will to wind be similar from top to bottom. Since it is uniform throughout the water column, the lake can mix driven turn completely recharging the bottom water with oxygen and bringing nutrients up to the surface. over during Some lakes in summer experience stratification where the lake is dividing into three zones: epilimnion (warm surface layer), thermocline (transition zone between warm and cold water) and hypoliminion (cold bottom water). Stratification traps nutrients released from bottom sediments in the hypoliminion and prevents mixing. Monthly depth profiles were measured on Antioch Lake by measuring water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and pH every foot from the lake surface to the lake bottom. The relative thermal resistance to mixing (RTRM) value can be calculated from this data which can tell us if the lake stratifies, how great the stratification is, and what depth it occurs. Antioch Lake typically stratifies during the summer months as seen in 2001, but in 2015 there was only a weak stratification that occurred in July. This could have been a result of wind driven turn over and heavy rains that occurred in mid-July. 2015 ANTIOCH LAKE SUMMARY REPORT PAGE 9 BLUE-GREEN ALGAE Algae are important to the freshwater ecosystems, and most species of algae are not harmful. FOR MORE INFORMATION Algae blooms are often caused by blue-green algae, or “cyanobacteria”, which are similar to bac- ON BLUE-GREEN ALGAE: teria in structure but utilize photosynthesis to grow. They have no nucleus and lack the photo- www.epa.state.il.us/ synthetic pigments found in algae. They usually are too small to be seen individually, but can water/surface-water/blue- form visible colonies that can cover large areas of lakes. Certain species of blue-green algae can green-algae.html produce toxins that could pose a health risk to people and animals when they are exposed to TO REPORT BLUE-GREEN them in large enough quantities. ALGAE BLOOM: Lake County Health Antioch Lake has poor water clarity, high phosphorus concentrations, and seasonal algal blooms. Department Algal blooms may be kept under control by reducing nutrients and sediments entering the lake 847-377-8030 from the watershed. Blooms can last for an extended period of time, which prevents sunlight from reaching underwater plants and algae that are important to the ecosystem. The water can appear blue-green, bright green, brown, or red and may look like paint floating on the water. Not all blue-green algae produce harmful toxins. The three types of cyanobacteria that are often associated with Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) are the Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, and Microcystis. The presence of these cyanobacteria does not generally mean that the toxins are present in the water. The presence of toxins can only be verified through a sample analyzed in the lab. Poisoning has caused the death of cows, dogs, and other animals. Most human cases oc- curred when people swim or ski in affected recreational water bodies during a bloom. If you suspect that you are experiencing symptoms related to exposure to blue-green algae such as stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, fever, muscle weakness, or difficulty breathing contact your doctor or the poison control center. For more information or to report a blue- green algae bloom, contact the Lake County Health Department Environmental Services (847) Anabaena Sp. 377-8030. Microcystis Sp. Aphanizomenon Sp. PAGE 10 2015 ANTIOCH LAKE SUMMARY REPORT FLORISTIC QUALITY INDEX LAKE COUNTY Floristic quality index (FQI) is an assessment tool designed to evaluate the closeness that the flora AVERAGE of an area is to that of undisturbed conditions. It can be used to: 1) identify natural areas, 2) FQI = 13.4 compare the quality of different sites or different locations within a single site, 3) monitor long- term floristic trends, and 4) monitor habitat restoration efforts. Each aquatic plant in a lake is ANTIOCH LAKE assigned a number between 1 and 10 (10 indicating the plant species most sensitive to disturb- FQI = 8.5 ance). This is done for every floating and submersed plant species found in the lake. These num- bers are averaged and multiplied by the square root of the number of species present to calculate RANK = 127 /170 an FQI. A high FQI number indicates that there are a large number of sensitive, high quality plant species present in the lake. Non-native species were counted in the FQI calculations for AQUATIC PLANTS Lake County lakes. In 2015, Antioch had an FQI of 8.5 ranking 127 out of 170 in Lake County. The median FQI of lakes that we have studied from 2000-2015 is 13.4. Cedar Lake is 1st with SPECIES an FQI of 37.4. OBSERVED = 6 In many lakes macrophytes contribute to the aesthetically pleasing appear- ance of the setting and are enjoyable in their own right. but even more im- portant, they are an essential element in the life systems of most lakes. LITORAL ZONE Floating Leaf Plants Algae Emergent Plants Submerged Plants Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources