2017 LAKE STEWARDS NEWSLETTER | 15 Lake Partner Program: Volunteer Q&A Tips from FOCA For over twenty years, FOCA has partnered with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) on long-term water quality monitoring. The goal of the Lake Partner Program (LPP) is to better understand the water quality of Ontario’s inland lakes from water samples collected by citizensandanalyzedbyMOECCstaff.Eachyear,600volunteers monitor nearly 550 lakes at over 800 sampling locations. Thank you to all our lake stewards! A recent survey of LPP volunteers underscored some recurring questions about the sampling process, and annual results. Here are some FAQs: What happens AFTER I send my kit back? When water sample kits are received at the MOECC’s Dorset Environmental Science Centre (DESC) between April and November, they are unpacked and water sample containers are submitted to the DESC Water Chemistry Laboratory for analysis. Next, the LPP data undergo a series of quality controls and quality assurance checks to ensure that accurate results are reported. A database is created and sent for approval by senior managers, before being released online in the early New Year. Next, the reusablesamplingequipmentiswashedandcleaned,newkitsare assembled and sent to volunteers, and the process starts again! How soon can I get results from my sampling? And, where can I find our lake’s results? The DESC lab analyzes thousands of samples from across the province for various parameters. In 2015 alone, approximately 4,500 LPP total phosphorus samples were analyzed, but this is only about one quarter of all the work happening at the lab! FOCA is notified by DESC when annual results have been released and posted, usually in February/March, and we inform Lake Stewards via the FOCA Elert (e-news). The link to an interactive online map with the most current sample results can always be accessed from FOCA’s website: https://foca. on.ca/lake-partner-program-sampling-assistance/. What does it mean if our results have been fairly stable for several years now? Should we stop testing? No! This is long-term data collection, because the complex and dynamic nature of inland lakes requires continued monitoring and research. Please, keep going with your sampling! For many lakes, we now have over a decade of annual data collected, which allows the detection of changes that may be occurring due to impacts from climate change, nutrient loading, changes in water clarity or other environmental stressors. What does it mean if our results are suddenly quite different this year? It could be an anomaly or a sampling error (for example: contamination by zooplankton left in the sample tube after rinsing), or it may indicate the start of a change that will become clearer over time. Some lakes exhibit differencesintotalphosphorusasaresultoflargechanges in rainfall year-over-year or other variables, such as more waterfowlactivity,withassociatedfecalmatter.Variation from year-to-year in total phosphorus concentrations is not unusual! Before your next water sample, review FOCA’s video tips to ensure your sampling technique is at its peak: https://youtu.be/8NUFVK8eQ6Q Where can I find out more about regional trends in Ontario’s lakes? Review the LPP Report Card (released in 2015) for trends and more description of the water quality indicators being measured: total phosphorus, calcium and water clarity. The report willalsohelpyoutodefine the trophic status of your waterbody (mesotrophic, oligotrophic, etc.), since each type has unique characteristics. You can download the Report Card from the LPP pages of FOCA’s website. If I want to help more, should I sample more often? No.Consistencyistheimportantfactor.Yourkitwilltellyou howoftentosample,andwillsupplythecorrectnumberof water sample tubes. In general, lakes within the Canadian Shield are sampled for TP once each year in May, whereas “off-Shield”lakes(whicharegenerallymoresusceptibleto algal blooms) are sampled monthly, from May to October. For all volunteers, Secchi depth observations are made twice a month (ideally), from May to October. Thank you, to all our LPP volunteers! Want to know if your waterbody is already being sampled, or needs some new volunteers? Contact FOCA today! info@foca.on.ca How Can I Get Involved?