Thirty three lakes are monitored using the benchmark system. The goal of this work is to have constant standard measurements and observations of lakes and their basins in Poland. These results help assess and predict lake environment changes which occur as a result of human activity.
Basic monitoring allows for a description of the state of pollution in lakes and provides information about water quality regional differences, and their sources. Monitoring studies are conducted each year on different lakes. The tests are done twice a year, in the Spring and Autumn. In the future, tests are to be conducted on all lakes whose surface area is larger than 50 ha, as well as on smaller reservoirs that are economically or ecologically important within a particular region.
Between 1974 and 1994, 960 lakes were monitored, using the basic system. The results indicate that these lakes are generally of poor quality. Only 4% of the lakes were classified as class I and transitional class I/II. Almost 1/4 of all the lakes in Poland are non-classifiable (Table - with information on cleanliness of lakes).
The classification of lake water quality can be related to trophic water terminology. It appears that 4% of the tested lakes which are class I waters, can be considered mesotrophic, about 36% can be considered eutrophic and over 60% are both eutrophic and hypertrophic to a high degree.
Lakes in Poland are characterised by a strong sensitivity to run-off from water reception basins. Only about 7% of the 943 lakes which were tested showed a significant resistance to outside influences because of their morphometric and hydrographic characteristics, and the shape and cover of the reception basin areas.
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