Throughout the summer months, the team routinely collects samples from 16 different lakes along with seven beaches. Thanks to volunteer boat captains, open water samples are consistently taken at the deepest points while beach samples are taken at the public beaches. The utilization of different sampling tools like ProDSS, Van Dorn sampler and Secchi Disk, along with testing for E. coli and nutrient levels, reveal the health of the lake.

In addition to the lakes that are regularly sampled each year, the Lilly Center also samples certain lakes every 10 years. These are known as the “Decade Lakes,” and their testing enables the Lilly Center to monitor their conditions on a much larger scale. The Decade Lake study began in 2013 and was recently sampled again in 2023. All of the data collected in this 10-year gap is compiled into the 2023 Beneath the Surface Report. By sampling these lakes every 10 years, the Lilly Center is able to observe trends, in combination with annual testing, to get an overall picture of the health of Kosciusko County’s lakes.

The research team also conducts biweekly sampling of inflows and outflows of streams that feed our yearly sampled lakes. Similar to how lakes are sampled, stream sampling utilizes ProDSS and nutrient sampling. In addition, the Flow Tracker adds measurements of velocity and depth across the width of the stream.

In conjunction with manual testing, the Stream Sensors located throughout the county provide live data. See Live Stream Data. This combination of manual testing and sensors lets the Lilly Center teams more quickly identify patterns between cyanobacteria plus toxins and the amount of water going into the lake.

By utilizing all of these sample locations, the Lilly Center is working to make the freshwater lakes and streams of Kosciusko County clean, healthy, safe and beautiful.