Abstract
The Biltmore Lake community has more than 650 homes on over 1,000 acres surrounding Enka Lake in Candler, NC. In the fall of 2016, the residents of the community asked the UNC Asheville Environmental Studies Department to help assess water quality in their lake. Specifically, sedimentation had recently required dredging the bottom of the lake and algal blooms had posed an aesthetic nuisance. The goal of this research was to identify more specifically where the sediment and nutrient problems were coming from. Water samples and flow measurements were collected from tributary streams leading into Enka Lake and from the dam as surface water exited the lake. Groundwater discharge beneath the lake was evaluated via scuba diving and seepage meters. Surface water was tested for temperature, pH, conductivity, and turbidity. Surface water and groundwater samples were collected and tested for major ions with a specific focus on nitrate and ammonium. A majority of the surface water flow into the lake came from one tributary (Bill Moore Creek) and brought with it the highest turbidity values and nitrate flux. Groundwater into the lake was negligible to the overall water budget, but concentrated flow was found in select areas.
How to Cite
McMechen, C., (2017) “Investigating the Causes of Sedimentation and Algal Blooms in Enka Lake, Candler, North Carolina”, Capstone, The UNC Asheville Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship 30(2).
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