Lake Beseck Living

~All things Lake Beseck brought together in one informative space~

MIDDLEFIELD, CT

Whether you are interested in family activities in the area, efforts being made toward issues such as weed control and algae of the lake, becoming a volunteer, or you want to stay on top of crime events in the area, this is the place to be.

HOBO DATA LOGGERS AT BESECK LAKE

January 22, 2021  /  Amy Poturnicki

Many of us think of our drawdown as a tool that aides in killing off invasive plants. However, different conditions need to come together in order for it to be effective.

In CTDEEP's manual, Caring for Our Lakes: "Winter drawdown of lakes and ponds exposes sediments and macrophytes to freezing temperatures. This technique has been proven very effective in killing Eurasian watermilfoil beds when circumstances are right. The kill is most complete, for example, when the freeze occurs after the sediments have had a chance to dry. The primary advantage of winter drawdown is the relatively low cost compared to other weed control options.”

Larry Marsicano, Aquatic Ecosystem Research was involved in a study that was published in 2014 that had specific evidence supporting that "Eurasian watermilfoil root systems can be killed by either exposure to a temperature of −5 C, or a sediment moisture level of 0.02 m3/m3 for 24 to 48 h". The abstract “A laboratory examination of the effectiveness of a winter seasonal lake drawdown to control invasive Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)” can be found here.

On January 21, 2021, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Invasive Aquatic Plant Program placed three HOBO data loggers in Beseck Lake. These data loggers are being used to track air temperature, sediment temperature, and sediment moisture during the winter drawdown of the lake.  This data is important in determining when and if the lake is reaching optimal conditions that would allow freezing of the roots of invasive species during our drawdown. See the HOBO graphs below that are updated hourly, it includes data every 5 minutes . You can also Check out the dashboard to see the data in real-time.

Please ignore any data before January 21, 2021 at 2pm. HOBO Site 3 has two sediment moisture probes, labeled as A and B. The temperature is listed in degrees Celsius, zero is freezing.

*Note: When sediment temperature is below freezing, the accuracy of sediment moisture declines.

 

HOBO DASHBOARD

Check out the data from each monitor, compare their differences. Play around with the sliders at the bottom of each chart to take a closer look at something specific. You can sort by past day, week, month. (note that deployment was on January 21, 2021, prior data is from testing done at the Ag Station) Switch from SI Units to US Units to display the temperature in Fahrenheit. Watch for sustained sediment temperatures of −5 °C (23 °F) for 48 hours that replicate the lab conditions successful at killing invasive plant roots.

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