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Characteristics and Influence of Phosphorus Accumulated in the Bed Sediments of a Stream Located in an Agricultural Watershed

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Abstract

We investigated the accumulation and influence of bioavailable P (BAP) in sediments of a stream located in an agricultural area of the Lake Mendota watershed in Wisconsin, USA. During hydrologic events, the stream carried high concentrations of suspended sediment (up to 250 mg/l) and BAP (up to 2.5 mg/l). Bed sediments were highly enriched in BAP, as inventories of BAP in the top 10 cm of sediment ranged from 143 to 14,500 μg P/cm2. Space variations in BAP inventories were related to site-specific hydrodynamics and geochemical factors, including iron (Fe; r 2 = 0.71) and aluminum (Al; r 2 = 0.54) concentrations. Most sites behaved as potential sinks for dissolved reactive phosphate during hydrologic events and potential sources during base-flow periods. Through the combination of site-specific factors and geochemical controls, Dorn Creek modifies the amount, timing, and composition of P delivered from the watershed to downstream sites and water bodies.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by EPA Nutrient Science STAR Grant R-830669. The authors would like to thank Pat Anderson and Mitch Asch for sample analysis, and Michelle Richardson for assisting with preparation of the watershed map. We also thank four anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and helpful corrections to this manuscript.

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  1. Adam R. Hoffman

    Present address: Department of Applied and Natural Sciences, University of Dubuque, 2000 University Ave., Dubuque, IA, 52001, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Chemistry and Technology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 660 North Park St, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Adam R. Hoffman & David E. Armstrong

  2. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI, 53707, USA

    Richard C. Lathrop

  3. Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Richard C. Lathrop

  4. Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, WI, 53818, USA

    Michael R. Penn

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  1. Adam R. Hoffman
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Correspondence to Adam R. Hoffman.

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Hoffman, A.R., Armstrong, D.E., Lathrop, R.C. et al. Characteristics and Influence of Phosphorus Accumulated in the Bed Sediments of a Stream Located in an Agricultural Watershed. Aquat Geochem 15, 371–389 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-008-9043-2

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