Owen Placido

Abstract:

Lakes are an integral part of water quality in any watershed. Georgiaville Pond is a close to 100-acre lake located in Smithfield, Rhode Island. It is part of the Woonasquatucket River watershed. Over the past three years, Georgiaville Pond has had a cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae harmful algal bloom (HAB) as reported by the RI Department of Environmental Management. Cyanobacteria is always present in the water but when large blooms occur some of the bacteria produce toxins that are harmful to humans and animals. These years were the only times in the past ten years that the DEM has placed a cyanobacteria advisory on Georgiaville pond. The purpose of this research project is to understand how the water quality in Georgiaville Pond has changed over the past ten years, and try to explain the recent increase in cyanobacteria blooms. The investigation will use water quality data from the URI Watershed Watch lab, and a GIS analysis to map out the land use surrounding the pond. This study will track how the health of Georgiaville pond has changed over time and will provide useful data for understanding recent harmful algal blooms.