Boone Reservoir

Ecological health rating

As in previous years, the ecological health of Boone Reservoir rated poor in 2011. Throughout the years, each indicator at all sample locations has exhibited some stress: high concentrations of chlorophyll, low dissolved oxygen concentrations, fair fish assemblage, poor bottom life, and the presence of metals and/or organic contaminants in the sediments.

TVA monitors three locations on Boone Reservoir—the deep, still water near the dam, called the forebay, and two mid-reservoir locations—usually on a two-year cycle.

Boone Reservoir Ecological Health Ratings, 1994-2011

Click chart for raw data.

The table below shows the ratings for individual ecological health indicators at Boone in 2011. These ratings are briefly explained in the paragraphs that follow.

Monitoring locations	Dissolved oxygen	Chlorophyll	Fish	Bottom life	Sediment
Ecological Health Indicators at Boone Reservoir, 2011
Forebay	Poor	Poor	Fair	Fair	Fair
Mid-reservoir (South Holston)	Poor	Poor	Fair	Fair	Fair
Mid-reservoir (Watauga River)	Good	Poor	Fair	Fair	Fair
Dissolved oxygen Dissolved oxygen rated poor at the forebay and South Holston mid-reservoir monitoring locations and good at the Watauga mid-reservoir location. Dissolved oxygen concentrations have varied considerably from year to year and from site to site. Weather conditions and the related changes in reservoir flows are a major factor in these differences. Chlorophyll Chlorophyll concentrations were elevated at all monitoring locations, rating poor. High chlorophyll concentrations are a common problem on Boone, typically rating poor or at the low end of the fair range. Fish As in previous years, the fish community rated fair at all three monitoring locations. TVA did not collect as many species as expected and found relatively few intolerant species (species known to require good water quality conditions). Bottom life Bottom life rated fair at all monitoring locations. Most of the animals collected were species able to tolerate poor water quality conditions. For all locations, bottom life typically rates poor or at the low end of the fair range. Sediment Sediment quality rated fair at all monitoring locations. PCBs were detected at all sites. The concentration of arsenic was slightly above suggested background levels in the forebay and the concentration of chromium was slightly elevated at the South Holston River mid-reservoir site. Problems with metals and organic contaminants have persisted over the years; chlordane and PCBs have been present in the sediments at all monitoring locations, and elevated levels of copper and sometimes zinc have been present at the Watauga River mid-reservoir site. These metals (arsenic, chromium, copper, and zinc) naturally occur in soils but can also originate from many sources. Their concentrations in sediments deposited in the reservoir are generally near – slightly above or below – suggested background concentrations. See definitions of ecological health indicators and monitoring locations.

Fish consumption advisories

Boone Reservoir - TVA maintains a program to examine contaminants in fish fillets from TVA reservoirs and their major tributary streams on a rotational basis. The data collected from this program is distributed to the state officials who are responsible for placing or removing fish tissue consumption advisories on those bodies of water. For information on advisories currently in effect for Boone Reservoir, visit the Water Quality Division of Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation’s web page. http://www.tn.gov/environment/water.shtml