AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PHYTOPLANKTON IN LAKE MAUMELLE

Lake Maumelle is a shallow (average depth 7.5m) oligotrophic reservoir located in Pulaski County, west of Little Rock, Arkansas. Constructed in 1956, the lake is the primary drinking water source for the Little Rock Metropolitan area. With increasing emphasis on disinfection byproducts, the water utility is concerned with the phytoplankton contribution to total organic carbon which impacts disinfection byproduct concentrations. Based on phytoplankton identification (to the genus level) and counts, the seasonal patterns of the phytoplankton community are being identified. In addition, the phytoplankters are separated into size fractions to determine which fraction is contributing the majority of the biomass. Biomass is being calculated based on the geometric shape that most closely resembles a phytoplankter. It is hypothesized that the phytoplankton biomass is primarily in the smaller size fractions and the majority of carbon and nutrient recycling is in a microbial loop rather than higher tropic levels