Implementing Solutions for Muskrat Lake

Muskrat Lake has recently been suffering from nutrient overloading due to unknown causes. The purpose of this investigation is to determine where excess nutrients are concentrated in the Muskrat Lake watershed, to monitor their levels over a six-week period, and to test the BioCord Reactor as a novel solution. The reactor is commonly used in man-made wastewater remediation systems to increase the level of biological treatment, and decrease concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus. Collection bottles were rinsed three times at each collection site before samples were taken and shipped to the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and the Ministry of Environment for analysis, or brought back to the lab. Lab equipment was purchased from HACH Industries, and the HACH TNT Kit 843 procedure was slightly modified to scan for an ultra-low level of phosphorus. Overall, the results suggest that agricultural runoff, the mixed wood forests, and the municipal wastewater treatment plant do not have significant impacts on the watershed, but more analysis is necessary before any definitive conclusions can be drawn. Furthermore, the BioCord Reactor was shown to be ineffective at the test site due to low rainfall, water depth, and water speed. More sites need to be analyzed for a longer period of time in order to determine if this technology is feasible as a short-term remediation tool for eutrophication.