The limnology in reservoirs on the Colorado River
Paulson LJ and Baker JR. 1983. The limnology in reservoirs on the Colorado River. Lake Mead Limnological Research Center, Technical Report Series. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Nevada. Las Vegas, NV
The hydroelectric dams on the Colorado River impound water in a series of main stem reservoirs (Lake Powell, Lake Mead, Lake Mohave and Lake Havasu) that comprise one of the largest and most heavily used freshwater systems in the nation. Water quality in the Colorado River was viewed largely in terms of the silt and salt concentrations of agricultural water supplies during early development in the basin. Those are still important water quality parameters,but recently concern for water quality has been enlarged to include aconsideration of the nutrient and trophic status of the reservoirs. In Lake Powell and other Colorado River reservoirs, water samples were analyzed for phytoplankton productivity, nutrients, and other factors. The most prevalent limnological characteristic of the reservoirs during 1981 and 1982 was the low phosphorus concentrations that existed in most of the system, at least in part because the incoming phosphorus was mostly bound to sediments, especially in Lake Powell. The lack of biologically-available phosphorus appears to be a major factor regulating overall productivity in the reservoirs, although hydrodynamics plays an important role in the availability of phosphorus within each reservoir. Hydroelectric facilities were also found to have impacts on water quality. Fifty-two figures, three tables, extensive bibliography, and extensive appendix with additional tables
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Paulson, Larry; Baker, John
- Date of Issue
- 1983
- Publisher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Nevada
- Units
- GLCA , LAKE , WRD
- Keywords
- Clemson, Hydropower, Lake Havasu (AZ), Lake Mead (LAME), Lake Mohave (LAME), Lake Powell (GLCA), Limnology, Phosphorus (P), Phytoplankton, Productivity, Reservoirs, Sediment, Water Quality, WRBIB