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Effects of Storm Events on Phosphorus Concentrations in a Forested New England Stream

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Abstract

Phosphorus is considered the primary limiting nutrient in the freshwater aquatic ecosystems; thus, excessive concentrations of phosphorus (P) in streams and lakes can lead to eutrophication. Understanding the transport of P from minimally impacted watersheds provides a benchmark for quantifying human enhancement of P loss from the landscape. To better understand storm event transport of P from small watersheds of northern New England, we examined hourly variations in P in its multiple forms during three rain events at Livermore Cove Brook, New Hampshire, USA. The three storm events had different hydrological characteristics that resulted in different maximum total P concentrations. Streamwater P levels rose quickly at the onset of each event, remained high for a few hours during peak flow, and subsided as flow decreased. Dissolved organic P was the dominant species of P in the streamwater during baseflow and event flow. For each event, P concentrations were higher on the rising limbs of the hydrograph, resulting in clockwise hysteresis of the concentration-discharge relationships. Different behavior of the more inorganic, soluble reactive P hysteresis curve suggests a different source than the other P species. Both particulate and dissolved organic P were highest an hour before peak discharge and storm event water, suggesting quick mobilization of sources proximal to the stream. Soluble reactive P peaked an hour after discharge and storm event water, suggesting slower mobilization or more distal sources. Overall, these results show that storms create episodic peak concentrations of P that constitute a substantial flux of P to downstream lakes and wetlands. Consequently, efforts to manage P in New England lakes likely require greater attention to P transport during episodic storm events and their contribution to annual P loading.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Todd Dickinson for the help in collecting water samples and lab analysis. Thanks to Jeff Schloss for measuring discharge in the Livermore Cove Brook. We also thank an anonymous reviewer who helped improve an earlier version of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science & Policy, Plymouth State University, Plymouth, NH, 03264, USA

    Anju Shrestha, Joseph N. Boyer & Lisa A. Doner

  2. Center for the Environment, Plymouth State University, Plymouth, NH, 03264, USA

    Anju Shrestha, Mark B. Green, Joseph N. Boyer & Lisa A. Doner

  3. Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    Mark B. Green

  4. Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA

    Mark B. Green

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  1. Anju Shrestha
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Correspondence to Anju Shrestha.

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Shrestha, A., Green, M.B., Boyer, J.N. et al. Effects of Storm Events on Phosphorus Concentrations in a Forested New England Stream. Water Air Soil Pollut 231, 376 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04738-0

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