PHOSPHATE IN LAKES AND STREAMS

PHOSPHORUS IN SURFACE WATER

• PARTICULATE PHOSPHORUS• In living things• In minerals or adsorbed to clays, etc.• Adsorbed to dead organics

• DISSOLVED PHOSPHORUS• Orthophosphates• Polyphosphates• Organic molecules with phosphorus• Esters of phosphate

P IN STRATIFIED LAKES

TOTAL P AND CHLOROPHYLL

NUTRIENT PROFILES OF THE RIFT LAKESSRP= Soluble Reactive Phosphate

PHOSPHATE CYCLE

RED MUD – BLACK MUD

P AT SEDIMENT – WATER INTERFACE

Chambers oxygenated

Chambers anoxic

Conditions 30cm from bottom in 14M deep lake.

SULFATE REDUCING BACTERIA AND RELEASE OF PHOSPHATE

EPIPELIC ALGAE, PH & PHOSPHATE

MACROPHYTES PUMPING P FROM SEDIMENT TO WATER COLUMN

FORMS OF P IN THE EPILIMNION

CALCITE AND P ADSORPTION

ANTHROPOGENIC SOURCES

PHOSPHORUS AND LAKE 226

P AND PRIMARY

PRODUCTION

PRODUCTIVITY AND TOTAL PHOSPHORUS

LEVEL OF PRODUCTIVITY TOTAL P (µg/L)

ULTRA OLIGOTROPHIC <5

OLIGO MESOTROPHIC 5-10

MESO EUTROPHIC 10-30

EUTROPHIC 30-100

HYPEREUTROPHIC >100

NUTRIENT LOADING

• WATERSHED AREA• AREAL INPUT RATE• FLUSHING RATE• EXTENT OF MIXING

SOURCES FOR NUTRIENT LOADING IN CHESAPEAKE BAY

POINT-SOURCE DECLINE IN PHOSPHATE LOADING IN CHESAPEAKE BAY

LAKE POWELL AND LAKE MEADE

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

LAKE PONCHARTRAIN

LAKE PONCHARTRAIN

LAKE ERIE