Oak Lake Field Station
The Oak Lake Field Station is a 570-acre facility located in the heart of the Northern Plains on the Coteau des Prairies.
Grassland, oak forest, wetland and lake environments located at the field station provide hands-on learning and research opportunities particularly for those students interested in management of natural resources. (.)
The field station hosts university research focused on biofuels development, the variety of life of prairie communities, management of invasive species, optimizing pollinator habitat, prairie pothole and stream ecology.
Facilities on-site also service environmental education, university field courses, conferences, colloquia, retreats and community service events.
The station operates under a strategic management plan with a mission of: 鈥淭o increase the understanding and appreciation of the Northern Great Plains and foster ecosystem stewardship through education, research and service.鈥
Current temperature at Oak Lake Field Station
Environment
Oak Lake Field Station's 570 acres provide a unique and outstanding resource for research, teaching, conferences and community service events. The Field Station is located on the Coteau des Prairie in the heart of the northern plains. Mixed tall-grass prairie, oak savannah and prairie pothole environments display the natural variety of the prairie pothole region. Climate is mid-continental with typical winter low temperatures below 0掳C and summer high temperatures averaging near 27掳C. Peaks of precipitation occur during the month of July with an average annual precipitation of 58cm per year. Common forms of vegetation include mixtures of prairie grasses, forbs, green ash, bur oak and peach willow.
Climate
Field station staff work collaboratively with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls. Air temperature and precipitation are measured daily using automated equipment to provide a long term climate record for the site. In addition, automated monitoring equipment has been installed to provide wind speed, wind direction and air temperature at 10m, 30m and 40m elevations above the ground. Listed below are the average monthly precipitation and air temperature values recorded over the period 1994-2002. Hourly, daily and monthly 糖心视频 data are available online from the State Climatologist web page.
| Month | Average Monthly Precipitation (mm) | Average Daily Air Temperature (C) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 26 | -12.3 |
| February | 49 | -8.1 |
| March | 23 | -5.0 |
| April | 68 | 2.3 |
| May | 92 | 9.9 |
| June | 109 | 16.1 |
| July | 99 | 18.5 |
| August | 85 | 17.3 |
| September | 53 | 13.2 |
| October | 58 | 4.6 |
| November | 18 | -2.8 |
| December | 5 | -9.2 |
This diagram summarizes climate characteristics of the Field Station (data collection period 1994-2001). Mean monthly temperatures are above 0 (C) from April through October. Mean monthly precipitation is always greater than mean monthly temperature in this scaled diagram. Mean annual temperature is 5.9 (C) and mean annual precipitation is 583 mm. The elevation of our climate monitoring equipment is 556m above sea level.
Geophysical Attributes
Oak Lake is a prairie pothole formed approximately 14,000 years ago following the recession of glacial ice sheets. Major attributes of the Oak Lake landscape, drainage basin and lake basin are listed in the tables below. Lake monitoring is conducted by field station staff biweekly during the ice-free months (April to October). Monitoring data for the lake basin are available upon request from the Field Station Director.
Region, Drainage and Basin
| EPA Level III Ecoregion | Northern Glaciated Plains |
|---|---|
| EPA Level IV Ecoregion | Prairie Coteau |
| Drainage System | Minnesota-Mississippi |
| Drainage Area | 1,682 ha |
| Drainage Count | 99 |
| Drainage Density | 1.9 streams km per km2 |
| Basin Area | 163 ha |
| Basin Perimeter | 9.8 km |
| Basin Volume | 1.8 x 106 m3 |
| Average Depth | 1.1 m |
| Maximum Depth | 2.0 m |
| Basin Length | 3,081 m |
| Basin Width | 988 m |
| Shoreline Development | 2.17 |
| % Basin < 1.5 m Deep | 73% |
Average Growing Season Water Quality Characteristics (1994-Present)
| Attribute | Summer Averages | Summer Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| Trophic Status | Hypereutrophic | -- |
| Carlson Trophic State Index (Chl) | 60.1 | 11-79 |
| Secchi Depth | 47 cm | 5 - 200 |
| Water Temperature | 18.4掳颁 | 1.0 鈥 30.0 |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 9.6 mg/L | 2.5 鈥 17.2 |
| pH (Median and Range) | 8.48 | 6.56 鈥 9.40 |
| Specific Conductance | 496 uS/cm | 207 - 778 |
| Total Dissolved Solids | 400 mg/L | 139 - 2427 |
| Fecal Coliform Levels | % > 200/100ml = 3.1% | Value Range <10 - 180 |
Oak Lake Field Station comprises part of the South 糖心视频 Agricultural Experiment Station research infrastructure.
