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- Stormwater & Flood Protection
- Stormwater Quality
- Stormwater Quality Projects & Evaluations
- Lake Bradford & Great Neck Lake Monitoring
Lake Bradford & Great Neck Lake Monitoring
Surface water quality and sediment evaluation.
Surface water quality and sediment evaluation.
In response to residents' concerns, the City is evaluating environmental conditions at Lake Bradford and Great Neck Lake that can affect water quality.
The main environmental conditions that can affect growth of aquatic weeds, algae, and the health of aquatic life include the depth of the water and specific water quality parameters. The City has partnered with Old Dominion University Research Foundation to conduct an evaluation that includes:
Water depth: The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality standards for pond depth is a minimum of 4 feet. This depth promotes healthy water quality conditions by moderating temperature fluctuations throughout the day, especially during warmer temperatures. The City requires a minimum depth of 5 feet in ponds and lakes. In addition, the City implements a lake management maintenance dredging program to remove accumulated sediment.
Water depth can impact water quality and aquatic health as it relates to dissolved oxygen. Because of the shallow water, an autonomous surface vessel will be used to measure the water depth using a single beam echosounder to create a map for each lake.
Sediment measurement: As part of the depth evaluation, the thickness of the accumulated sediment on the bottom of the lakes will be measured to estimate the amount of sediment that can be removed through maintenance dredging. This information may also be used to estimate potential dredging costs.
Ground-penetrating radar will be used to create a map of sediment thickness, and a portable coring platform will retrieve sediment cores for subsequent textural analysis.
Water quality measurements: Surface water samples will be collected and analyzed for indicators of aquatic health and potential for algae blooms. Parameters include dissolved oxygen, salinity, and temperature. This data will be analyzed to determine if it's within normal ranges.
The cost of the study is $60,000 and the work started in May 2023. The water depth survey maps were completed in September 2023 and are posted in the results section below. The results of the sediment survey and cores analysis will be completed in January 2024.
The original project schedule was delayed as a result of logistical challenges with lily pads, shallow waters, and weather conditions that impacted the survey schedule.
Aquatic plant overgrowth at Lake Bradford.
Great Neck Lake algae bloom.
The water depth survey maps completed in September 2023. Water depths show deeper water in the center of the lakes and shallower depths in the fingers of each lake.
Both Lake Bradford and Great Neck Lake are located within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Details
Lake Bradford
Great Neck Lake
Details
Stormwater Drainage Basin
Lake Bradford
Little Creek
Great Neck Lake
Eastern Lynnhaven River
Details
Watershed (Hydrologic Unit Code)
Lake Bradford
Lower Chesapeake Bay - Little Creek (CB26)
Great Neck Lake
Lynnhaven River (CB25)
Details
Council District
Lake Bradford
District 9
Great Neck Lake
District 8
Details
Drainage Area (acres)
Lake Bradford
481
Great Neck Lake
249
Details
Percent Impervious within Drainage Area
Lake Bradford
52%
Great Neck Lake
43%
Details
Water Surface Area (acres)
Lake Bradford
100
Great Neck Lake
30
Details
Ownership
Lake Bradford
Privately owned/City maintenance of structures
Great Neck Lake
Privately owned/City maintenance of structures
Details
Neighborhood Establishment Date
Lake Bradford
1930s-1940s
Great Neck Lake
Early 1960s