CS(AR)-20/97-98 : Water quality monitoring and evaluation of Mansar lake, Dist. Udhampur, J&K

Abstract

Water quality monitoring of lakes are essential to detection of various water quality parameters. In order to monitor the lake water conditions, water samples from different depths were collected. The collected samples cover both temporal and spatial variations of lake water. In the present study attempt has been made to monitor water quality characteristics of Mansar lake.

pH value of lake water was found to vary from 7.8 to 8.2 with the maximum near surface and minimum near bottom in the lake. Temperature decreases with depth in July while remains constant from surface to bottom in January. On the basis of temperature in July, Mansar Lake can classified into epilimnion zone (surface to 3 m depth) thermocline (3 to 9 m) and hypolimnion (below 9 m). Temperature variation indicates that mixing of lake takes place in winter and remains stratified in rainy and summer season. Ec, Hardness and alkalinity vary with depth. Calcium, Sodium and magnesium are dominant cation, and bicarbonate is dominant anion. Presence of cations in the lake water observed as Calcium > Sodium > Magnesium > Potassium and anions as Bicarbonate > Chloride > Sulphate > Nitrate > Phosphate. The concentration of phosphorous is more than 0.03 mg/1, which is the characteristic of eutrophic lake.