The Relationship Between Taste and Odor Problems and Lake Enrichment from Kansas Lakes in Agricultural Watersheds

ABSTRACT Taste and odor are frequently cited problems in Kansas water supply lakes in agricultural watersheds. This study assesses the relative magnitude of summer lake water taste and odor as it relates to lake enrichment levels in six representative Kansas lakes. Mean chlorophyll concentrations ranged from 3.05 μg/L to 16.63 μg/L. Algal species included various flagellates, green algae, and diatoms. Cryptomonas was common in all lakes. While surface and bottom water odors increased during the summer, bottom water odors persisted longer, until lake destratification. Anabaena and Cyclotella were most often associated with lake water odor. While bottom water odor ranking was not associated with lake trophic state (P = 0.21), surface water odors were associated with lake trophic state (r = 0.81, P = 0.05).