Boone Reservoir

Ecological Health Indicators at
Boone Reservoir, 2009

Dissolved oxygen

Dissolved oxygen rated poor at the forebay and South Holston mid-reservoir monitoring locations and good at the Watauga mid-reservoir location. Dissolved oxygen concentrations have varied considerably from year to year and from site to site. Weather conditions and the related changes in reservoir flows are a major factor in these differences.

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll concentrations were elevated at all monitoring locations, rating poor. High chlorophyll concentrations are a common problem on Boone, typically rating poor or at the low end of the fair range.

Fish

As in previous years, the fish community rated fair at all three monitoring locations. TVA did not collect as many species as expected and found relatively few intolerant species (species known to require good water quality conditions).

Bottom life

Bottom life rated fair at the forebay and South Holston mid-reservoir locations and poor at the Watauga mid-reservoir location. Most of the animals collected were species able to tolerate poor water quality conditions.  For all locations, bottom life typically rates poor or at the low end of the fair range.

Sediment

Sediment quality rated good at the South Holston mid-reservoir location and fair at the forebay and  Watauga mid-reservoir locations because the concentration of copper was slightly higher than expected background levels. Problems with metals and organic contaminants have persisted over the years;  chlordane, a pesticide previously used to control termites and crop pests, has been present in the sediments at all monitoring locations, and elevated levels of copper and sometimes zinc have been present at the Watauga River mid-reservoir site. Chlordane was not detected in the sediments collected at the forebay for the first time in 2007, and  chlordane was not detected at any location in 2009.

 

 

See definitions of ecological health indicators and monitoring locations.