Contribution of nitrogen sources to streams in mixed-use catchments varies seasonally in a cold temperate region

Painter, Kristin J.; Brua, Robert B.; Koehler, Geoff; Spoelstra, John; Yates, Adam G.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142824

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…It is possible that the chemistry of water from upstream Lake Diefenbaker is more conducive to cyanobacterial proliferation. For example, Terry et al (2022) modeled water quality under varying water transfer scenarios (from Lake Diefenbaker to Buffalo Pound Lake) and found that total N in the lake was reduced regardless of upstream flow rate once the watershed became drier after 2015 (i.e., once watershed contributions were reduced), which is typical of regional conditions (e.g., Painter et al, 2021). Therefore, higher catchment N and/or input of other constituents associated with landscape runoff may reduce the magnitude of cyanobacterial blooms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Like many drylands, the prairies are typified by extreme climatic and hydrological variability, which is associated with the occurrence of cyclic periods of extreme wet, and extreme dry. Thus, hydrological variability is a key driver of water quality (Painter et al, 2021; Vogt et al, 2018). Flow is strongly mediated by watershed storage and controlled by often abundant wetlands.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Blooms and flows: Effects of variable hydrology and management on reservoir water quality

2023

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Flow management has the potential to significantly affect ecosystem condition.Shallow lakes in arid regions are especially susceptible to flow management changes, which can have important implications for the formation of cyanobacterial blooms. Here, we reveal water quality shifts associated with changing source water inflow management. Using in situ monitoring data, we studied a seven-year time span during which inflows to a shallow, eutrophic drinking water reservoir transitioned from primarily natural landscape runoff (2014)(2015) to managed flows from a larger upstream reservoir (Lake Diefenbaker; 2016-2020) and identified significant changes in cyanobacteria (as phycocyanin) using generalized additive models to classify cyanobacterial bloom formation. We then connected changes in water source with shifts in chemistry and the occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms using principal components analysis. Phycocyanin was greater in years with managed reservoir inflow from a mesotrophic upstream reservoir (2016-2020), but dissolved organic matter (DOM) and specific conductivity, important determinants of drinking water quality, were greatest in years when landscape runoff dominated lake water source (2014)(2015). Most notably, despite changing rapidly, it took multiple years for lake water to return to a consistent and reduced level of DOM after managed inflows from the upstream reservoir were resumed, an observation that underscores how resilience may be hindered by weak resistance to change and slow recovery. Environmental flows for water quality are rarely defined, yet we show that trade-offs exist between poor water quality via elevated conductivity and DOM and higher bloom risk, depending on water source. Our work highlights the importance of source water quality, not just quantity, to water security, and our findings have important implications for water managers who must protect ecosystem services while adapting to projected hydroclimatic change.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blooms and flows: Effects of variable hydrology and management on reservoir water quality

2023

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It is possible that the chemistry of water from upstream Lake Diefenbaker is more conducive to cyanobacterial proliferation. For example, Terry et al (2022) modelled water quality under varying water transfer scenarios (from Lake Diefenbaker to Buffalo Pound Lake) and found that total N was reduced regardless of upstream flow rate once the watershed became drier after 2015 (i.e., once watershed contributions were reduced), which is typical of regional conditions (e.g., Painter et al, 2021). Therefore, catchment N and/or other constituents associated with landscape runoff that are more prevalent in wet years may reduce the magnitude of cyanobacterial blooms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blooms and flows: Effects of variable hydrology and management on reservoir water quality

Painter

Venkiteswaran

Baulch

2022

Preprint

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Nitrogen migration paths and source areas at different snowmelt periods in a seasonal freezing agricultural watershed

Zhao

Guo

Zeng

et al. 2022

Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies

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Contribution of nitrogen sources to streams in mixed-use catchments varies seasonally in a cold temperate region

Cited by 3 publications

References 54 publications

Blooms and flows: Effects of variable hydrology and management on reservoir water quality

Blooms and flows: Effects of variable hydrology and management on reservoir water quality

Blooms and flows: Effects of variable hydrology and management on reservoir water quality

Nitrogen migration paths and source areas at different snowmelt periods in a seasonal freezing agricultural watershed

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