Coprecipitation of dissolved phosphate with calcite (CaCO3) has been o
bserved in many lakes. In 1979/1980 white flocks occurred in Lake Velu
we after the inlet of water with a high calcium content. A high oversa
turation with respect to calcite occurred at that time, presently (198
5-1987) the oversaturation is much smaller. The intense photosynthesis
decreased and maximum summer pH values came down from 10.0 to about 8
.5. In laboratory experiments the coprecipitation of phosphate with ca
lcite occurred only when the crystalization was initiated by adding se
eds of calcite. Literature and this research show that the incorporati
on efficiency of phosphate decreases at lower phosphate concentrations
. Literature data for the incorporation of P in CaCO3 in mg P [g Ca](-
1) are fitted as 10.9 x [P](0.5) with r(2)=0.50. The coprecipitation a
t the actual low phosphate concentration in Lake Veluwe (1993) is not
as efficient as in the period 1985-1987.