Biological Assessment of The Water Quality of Karacaören 1 Dam Lake, Burdur – Türkiye

This study was carried out to evaluate the water quality of Karacaören I Dam Lake using benthic macroinvertebrates with the application of Family Biotic Index (FBI), Biologic Monitoring Working Party Score System (BMWP) and Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT) biotic indices. Benthic macroinvertebrate samples were collected bimonthly between January 2022 and December 2022 from seven sampling sites kick-net methods to collect samples from littoral region and Ekman grab to collect samples from muddy areas. A total of 841 macroinvertebrates belonging to 11 orders and 24 families were identified. The results of the BMWP biotic index showed that the water quality of stations 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were moderately polluted by organic substances (class III). In contrast, stations 1 and 7 (class IV) had poor water quality due to pollution from organic substances. ASPT results showed that stations 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 possessed good water quality (class II) while station 2 possessed moderate level water quality (class III). While the FBI results showed station 1 and 5 water were in excellent condition. The results of this investigation support the assertion that anthropogenic factors have impacted the lake's water quality. Therefore, realizing the planned use of Karacaören I Dam Lake water as a potential source of drinking water is related to adopting protection measures to prevent further deterioration of the water quality.