Overview
The project aims to determine the amounts of nutrients, such as phosphorus, that are found in the Lake of the Woods from within the lake and through shoreline erosion. In combination with other studies looking at nutrients coming from rivers and streams, the results will provide a better understanding of sources of nutrients and help guide management to improve water quality in the Lake of the Woods.The results will added to the integrated model for US and Canadian watershed inflows to Lake of the Woods, which will assist to replicate and predict water movement and quality.
Location of Study
Lake of the Woods.
Researcher Profiles
Reza 
Valipour, Research Scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada
I have been a Research Scientist at Environment Climate Change Canada (ECCC) since 2017, My work focuses on creating three-dimensional models of lakes to simulate water circulation and water quality. I received a PhD in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University in 2012. After receiving my PhD, I spent a few years in the private sector, before joining ECCC in 2014 as a visiting research fellow to work on lake hydrodynamics and nutrient modeling research projects. As part of my current research, I am working on modeling water circulation, sediment transport and water quality in the Lake of the Woods, which also includes extensive lake-wide field data collections and laboratory experiments. In addition, I am involved in other ECCC research projects on large lakes including Lake Erie, Lake Winnipeg, Lake St. Clair and Lake Ontario.
Description of Study
We are developing a three-dimensional model of Lake of the Woods to better understand how nutrients and sediments enter and move within the lake. To properly model the impact of nutrients in the water, we also conducted a series of laboratory experiments at ECCC facilities (using a 2-m rotating flume). This experiment will measure the relationship between sediments already in the lake, and nutrients entering through areas near the lake. We are now analyzing the laboratory results, and plan to use them to improve our water quality model, and include the impacts of sediments already found in the water
Preliminary Results
Next Steps
Stay tuned for more!
Key Partners
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- International Joint Commission
- Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change
- Other stakeholders with interests related to lake and watershed modelling, land management option development and data exchange.