Internal nutrient loading of the Lake Manitoba south basin

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2013-08-23
Authors
Fred, Diana
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Nutrients in the sediments of Lake Manitoba’s south basin are resuspended regularly due to its shallow, polymictic nature. In 2009 short sediment core samples were used to determine an internal available nutrient load from sediment of 17,533 tonnes total nitrogen (TN) and 167 tonnes total phosphorous (TP). Water samples were collected at the Whitemud River and Assiniboine River Diversion (ARD) to determine the N and P input to the lake, resulting in an estimate of a total point source input of 3,547 tonnes of TN and 1,130 tonnes of TP. Open water samples were collected to determine a suspended content of 9.2 tonnes of TN /km2 or and 1.7 tonnes of TP/km2. The ARD is the largest contributor of TP to the south basin. The internal sediment pool is a significant source of TN, and when the ARD does not operate, the largest input of TP to the south basin.
Description
Keywords
Lake Manitoba, limnology, sediment, resuspension, nitrogen, phosphorous
Citation