National Lakes Assessment (NLA)

GLEC has assisted EPA with the 2007, 2012, and 2017 NLA surveys of about 1,000 randomly selected and 200 reference site lakes and reservoirs each survey year. GLEC and GLEC subcontractor field crews have sample 390 lakes and reservoirs throughout the U.S. For all NLA surveys, GLEC has conducted training workshops, provided oversight of state agency/subcontractor field crews; developed field and laboratory manuals and QAPPs; and conducted GIS desktop site evaluations and survey mapping plans. GLEC assisted EPA in the authoring and design of the official NLA 2007 report entitled National Lakes Assessment – A Collaborative Survey of the Nation’s Lakes. In 2012, GLEC began its ongoing role as NARS national logistics coordinator supporting field sampling and laboratory analysis and tracking along with methods and documentation. GLEC’s principal water quality laboratory is currently leading post-survey immunoassay evaluations of microcystin and cylindrospermopsin (algal toxins) levels in NLA 2017 water samples.