The closest thing you are going to get is the following: Oligotrophic lake eutrophic lake hypereutrophic lake
There are a ton of "intermediate" states. Also, categories like marl ponds, peat bogs, fens...... many to most of these are defined on the very things you question. However, the idea of impairment versus unimpaired will be largely water body dependent much as it is with streams. The TMDL program under the clean water act for steams indicates that each stream, and in some cases segments of streams must be individually evaluated. The TMDLs for one stream are not transposable to another within the same state. Further, the TMDL for the same stream that crosses a state boundary will not be equivalent because the states set the standards for TMDLs. Now, I believe Illinois had a similar lake monitoring program through the IL EPA. I do not know what their categories were or how or if the actually classified these surface waters. I do know the program was active in the 80's and it likely still is. So, maybe that is a place to start. Further, the US Army Corps of Engineers has a number of publications on wetland classification. This might also help as ponds and lakes are just another kidn of wetland ultimately. You might also check the National Wetland Inventory classification system for guidelines there. These suggestions are not the limit, just starting points where you may find the stuff you are looking for. Malcolm McCallum On Sat, Nov 3, 2012 at 12:20 PM, Kirsten Harma <[email protected]> wrote: > Does anyone know if someone has developed a single, integrated water > quality index that combines the basic parameters (Temp, DO, Conductivity, pH > and secchi depth). We're curious if > there is an easy way to categorize a lake as in "good" "fair" or "poor" > condition based on such an index (along the lines of an Index of Biotic > Integrity based on fish or macroinvertebrates). > > > > Kirsten Joy Harma > Program Coordinator > Lake Windermere Ambassadors > Office: (250) 341-6898 > E-mail: [email protected] > > Website: www.lakeambassadors.ca > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -- Malcolm L. McCallum Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry School of Biological Sciences University of Missouri at Kansas City Managing Editor, Herpetological Conservation and Biology "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - Allan Nation 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction MAY help restore populations. 2022: Soylent Green is People! The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) Wealth w/o work Pleasure w/o conscience Knowledge w/o character Commerce w/o morality Science w/o humanity Worship w/o sacrifice Politics w/o principle Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
