Silver Lake, located just outside of Salt Lake City, supplies Utah with nearly 30 percent of its drinkable water and is a source of stunning views and fishing. Although the Division of Water Quality monitors the major reservoirs in the area, Silver Lake is not included in the monitoring process. For several years, this research group has performed a quantitative analysis of water quality of Silver Lake to determine baseline values and see seasonal and yearly trends to get an understanding of how climate change and an increase in visitor numbers may affect water quality. Tested parameters include surface temperature, pH, water conductivity, nitrate concentration and water flow. Despite record high temperatures and an increase in visitor count, the waters of Silver Lake stayed within healthy lake parameters. In a new initiative, additional data collected from lakes within city parks has provided a nice compare and contrast to how water quality is different in protected vs non-protected areas, Silver Lake being protected by a variety of watershed restrictions. The nitrate, phosphate, and e-coli data is helping to establish what is typical in an urban lake with significant numbers of people, dog, and bird interactions to help establish what might be “watch out” conditions in the future that might appear at Silver Lake.

Quantitative analysis of water quality of Silver Lake

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