A comparative study of freshwater mussels in Burt Lake Canal: related to land use and nutrient input.

Abstract

Years of herbicide and fertilizer use by residents in the Burt Lake Canal has led other home owners on Burt Lake to wonder the implications of this use on the ecosystem of the lake. The purpose of this project is to examine the ecosystem of the canal and see how the canal differs from the lake and if and how the canal ecosystem disperses into the lake. The Burt Lake Canal was built in the 1960’s as a way to increase home values by allowing water access. Past residents of the canal have used copper sulfates as a way of regulating plant growth but have since switched to spraying herbicides. There is also a large amount of run-off from fertilizer use and drainage pipes from nearby roads. Mussels were surveyed for as a bioindicator of canal health. Nutrients, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen were all tested for to see how the canal ecosystem meets the niche of these unionids. Several species of freshwater mussels, Dreissena polymorpha, Ligunia nasuta, and Pyganodon grandis were found within the canal. D. polymorpha was the only specie found outside of the canal. Nutrient concentrations and the diversity of mussel species suggest that the canal has a diverse specialized environment that does not impact the rest of the lake.