The relationship between human activities and the trophic status of Idaho lakes

Thesis. A human ecological approach is utilized to develop, measure and analyze human influences on eutrophication in Idaho lakes. Eighty-five lakes were selected for study from the over 2,500 lakes in the state. The lakes were chose primarily for their recreational value or for their trophic status problems. This study is part of a larger, interdisciplinary study, the Idaho Clean Lakes Project, and utilizes the same extensive data base. Many of the lakes, especially the high mountain lakes, were previously unsampled. The variables studied represent the influences of landuse, land ownership, population growth, and recreational use. The orientation of the research is the ecosystem-watershed concept, emphasizing the watershed as the major boundary of study for each lake. The watershed population and watershed population growth between 1970 and 1980 are major demographic variables, relatively unique in eutrophication studies. [...