Partners for Conservation 
Ambient Lake Monitoring Program
In 1977 the Illinois EPA’s Ambient Lake Monitoring Program (ALMP)
was created in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Conservation
(now known as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources) to assess
trends in a select few Illinois publicly-owned lakes. In 1978 the
ALMP (program) came under the sole jurisdiction of the Illinois EPA
and by 1996 had evolved into the program we know today. The Illinois
EPA biologists work out of three Illinois EPA regional offices: Springfield,
Marion, and Des Plaines and monitor lakes in their respective areas.
Approximately fifty lakes are monitored annually and of those, twenty-five
are termed “Core Lakes”. A total of 75 publicly-owned
lakes were chosen throughout the state of Illinois as Core Lakes.
Previously these lakes were monitored every three years in order to
establish a long-term monitoring trends database. However, in 2008
the ALMP (program) moved toward more of a “watershed basin approach”
in regard to sampling, and these lakes and select others will be monitored
on a five year rotational basis. This approach will allow additional
lakes in the same watershed to be monitored, as well as provide a
better overall picture of the watershed by coordinating the Illinois
EPA stream and lake monitoring.
Data collected during monitoring allows the Illinois EPA and communities
to work together to diagnose lake problems which ultimately can be
used to develop best management practices, and then, following implementation,
evaluate their effectiveness. All lakes are monitored five times yearly;
once during the spring runoff and turnover period (April or May),
three times during the summer (June, July, August), and once during
the fall turnover period (October). Depending on the size of the lake,
usually three lake sites are monitored. Monitoring includes collection
of water quality and sediment samples as well as, field observation
data/measurements such as Secchi disk transparency readings, dissolved
oxygen, temperature, quantity of algae, macrophytes, and other key
aspects of the lake and sampling event. Water quality samples are
collected from one foot below the surface at all sites and two feet
above the bottom at only the deepest site. These samples are routinely
analyzed for suspended solids, nutrients, and chlorophyll. Additional
parameters may be added for a designated period of time at select
lakes based on changing data needs.
Results of recent statewide assessments can be found in the "Integrated
Water Quality Report and Section 303d List" documents
and the "Illinois Water Quality
Mapping Tool". "Illinois Water Quality
Report" and the summarized version, "Condition
of Illinois Water Resources", also include information
regarding previous assessments made based on the data collected during
the designated monitoring period.
Related Information
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