The Laurentian Great Lakes are vastly important bodies of freshwater, which supply drinking water for over 40 million people. The ecosystems and the chemistry of the lakes have changed over the years due to natural and anthropogenic factors. This is especially prominent along the southern Lake Michigan basin, which is heavily industrialized and highly populated. During the warm weather months, beach health monitoring is of utmost importance along the southern beaches of Lake Michigan, and E. coli tests are performed regularly. Due to the drawbacks associated with these bacterial analyses, correlations between bacterial contamination and chemical markers continue to be investigated. During the 2011 summer, beach and tributary water samples were collected weekly. Filtered lake water was analyzed to determine anion concentrations and microbial levels. Larger water samples were filtered to collect phytoplankton, which were frozen and extracted to determine pigment content. Results of the data analyses will be presented.

Investigations into water quality indicators along southern Lake Michigan beaches

244th National Meeting (2012)

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