Mt. Auer et al., MEASUREMENT AND VERIFICATION OF RATES OF SEDIMENT PHOSPHORUS RELEASE FOR A HYPEREUTROPHIC URBAN LAKE, Hydrobiologia, 253(1-3), 1993, pp. 301-309
The contribution of sediment release to the phosphorus budget of hyper
eutrophic Onondaga Lake was determined through laboratory measurements
made on intact cores. Rates ranged from 9-21 mg P m-2 d-1 with a mean
of 13 mg P m-2 d-1, values similar to those observed in other lakes o
f comparable trophic state. There was no statistically significant tre
nd in rates in time (July versus September) or in space (location alon
g the major N/S axis of the lake). Rates of sediment phosphorus releas
e measured in the laboratory compared favorably with the observed rate
of soluble reactive phosphorus accumulation in the lake's hypolimnion
. The sediments are the second largest source of phosphorus for Ononda
ga Lake, contributing 24% of the overall phosphorus load to the system
.