Cascade Project at North Temperate Lakes LTER Core Data Nutrients 1991 - 2016

Physical and chemical variables are measured at one central station near the deepest point of each lake. In most cases these measurements are made in the morning (0800 to 0900). Vertical profiles are taken at varied depth intervals. Chemical measurements are sometimes made in a pooled mixed layer sample (PML); sometimes in the epilimnion, metalimnion, and hypolimnion; and sometimes in vertical profiles. In the latter case, depths for sampling usually correspond to the surface plus depths of 50percent, 25percent, 10percent, 5percent and 1percent of surface irradiance. The 1991-1999 chemistry data was obtained from the Lachat auto-analyzer. Like the process data, there are up to seven samples per sampling date due to Van Dorn collections across a depth interval according to percent irradiance. Voichick and LeBouton (1994) describe the autoanalyzer procedures in detail. Nutrient samples were sent to the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies for analysis beginning in 2000. The Kjeldahl method for measuring nitrogen is not used at IES, and so measurements reported from 2000 onwards are Total Nitrogen.