Analysis of summer phosphorus fluxes within the pelagic zone of Eau Galle Reservoir, Wisconsin

Major phosphorus (P) fluxes to and from the pelagic zone (i.e., open water region including epilimnion, metalimnion, and hypolimnion) were estimated from data collected over a 6 year period during the summer in Eau Galle Reservoir, Wisconsin. P inputs to the pelagic zone included profundal sediments, the watershed, groundwater, and transport of P from the littoral zone. P outputs from the pelagic zone included discharge from the reservoir, deposition, and transport of P to the littoral zone. Nighttime convective circulation was assumed to be the dominant mechanism of P exchange between the littoral and pelagic zones. Littoral P inputs, often neglected from budgetary analyses, accounted for 15% of the total measured P input and 25% of the internal P input to the pelagic zone. External P inputs were greatest, accounting for 42% of the total measured P input to the pelagic zone. These results emphasize the need for control of various sources of P inputs in the development of lake and reservoir management strategies.