Lake Wallenpaupack Water Quality Evaluation, PA: water chemistry, 1980-2012

PPL Corporation created Lake Wallenpaupack in 1926 and uses water from the lake to generate
hydroelectric power… The Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District (LWWMD) was
established in 1979 to preserve and protect the water quality of Lake Wallenpaupack. The LWWMD
Board of Directors consists of representatives of the business community, local government, and
PPL Corporation. PPL Corporation has funded a yearly water quality monitoring program for Lake
Wallenpaupack since the early 1980s. …The water quality of Lake Wallenpaupack has been
monitored on a yearly basis from 1980 through the present. In general, the water quality of Lake
Wallenpaupack has improved since 1980. Over the past several years, total phosphorus levels in
the lake have been stable and consistently lower (better) than 1980 total phosphorus levels.
Chlorophyll a and transparency levels were also better than the 1980 levels for many years.
However, chlorophyll a have been increasing in recent years, to a peak in 2002, while
transparency has been decreasing (becoming less favorable). The main water quality parameters
that were evaluated as part of this study include dissolved oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen,
chlorophyll a, transparency, pH, alkalinity, phytoplankton, and zooplankton