DOZENS of volunteers are set to descend on Windermere for a huge survey to assess the environmental health of the lake.

Launched jointly by the Freshwater Biological Association (FBA) and Lancaster University, the ‘Love Your Lake: Big Windermere Survey’ will see a team of volunteer citizen scientists survey Windermere on Sunday, June 26.

According to the association, citizen scientists will be trained to collect water samples from 100 different locations on Windermere and in the becks and lakes that flow into it.

The samples will be analysed for nutrient and bacterial concentrations at independent laboratories.

FBA said it will produce the largest, one-day snapshot of conditions in Windermere.

An FBA spokesman said: “Windermere is a centrepiece of the UNESCO Lake District World Heritage site.

“Ecologically important, for example as a home to rare fish species including the Arctic charr, Windermere is also a major destination for tourists and an increasingly popular venue for water sports such as wild swimming, kayaking and sailing.

“However, concerns have been raised about the health of the lake, in particular because of algal blooms and bacterial pollution, including faecal indicator organisms, that can potentially harm wildlife and humans.

“The Big Windermere Survey will focus on the key nutrients and bacteria that lie behind these issues, contributing to scientific understanding of water quality at Windermere and supporting the development of future initiatives to improve the condition of the lake.”