ED41A-3444:
Monitoring Water Quality at Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA Following Improvements to the Tidal Channel to the San Francisco Bay
Abstract:
Elliot Ahumada, Esosa Oghogho, Samantha Nguyen, Humberto Bracho, DiegoQuintero, Ashanti Johnson and Kevin Cuff
Lake Merritt is a tidal lagoon in the center of Oakland, California, just east of Downtown. Water
quality at Lake Merritt has been a major concern for community members and researchers
for many years (Pham 200X). Results of past research lead to recommendations to lengthen
a channel that connects Lake Merritt with the San Francisco Bay to improve water flow and
quality. In 2012 the City of Oakland responded to these recommendations by initiating the
creation of a 230-meter long channel. In conducting our research we use a water quality index
that takes into account measurements of pH, temperature, water hardness (dissolved solids),
ammonia, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and nitrate. Newly collected data is then compared with
that collected by Pham using comparable parameters to assess the impact of recent changes
at the Lake on its overall water quality. In addition, we measured the abundance of aquatic
species at four different sites within the Lake. Preliminary results suggest that an increase in the
abundance of fish and improved overall water quality have resulted from channel extension at
Lake Merritt.