The phosphorus content in the run-off from the coastal catchment of the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary and its associations with land characteristics

A number of subcatchments of the Peel-Harvey catchment in Western Australia were monitored to assess the influence of soils and land use on the phosph orus discharge into the estuary. Phosphorus has been identified as the elem ent stimulating the proliferation of algal blooms. Therefore, an understand ing of the interactions of soil type and land use on phosphorus discharge a re needed to derive management strategies. Several parameters were shown to be related to phosphorus discharge. Most of these were found to be unsuita ble for prediction because of the low regression coefficients. The area clo sest to the drainage system had an influence on the concentration of phosph orus discharged and the presence of native vegetation was related to lower phosphorus discharge. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.