A Phosphorus Budget for Lake Erie

Abstract

A budget for P retention in Lake Erie [Canada, USA] during 1970 was drawn up. P associated with sand-sized particles (> 63 .mu.m) was excluded. Retention of apatite P (AP) and nonapatite phosphorus (NAP) within each of the 3 basins of the lake (western, central and eastern) was estimated in each by 2 independent methods. The 2 estimates of retention of total P within the entire lake agreed to within 9.5% of their mean. The estimates of AP retention within the western basin also agreed well. However, the input-output balance estimates of AP retention in the central basin and of NAP retention in the western and central basins greatly exceeded the corresponding sedimentation values, while in the eastern basin this pattern was reversed. The AP discrepancy was attributed to unobserved transport of AP from the central to the eastern basin via nearshore currents past Long Point, while the NAP discrepancies were largely attributed to eastward movement of NAP through the lake within about 2 m of the lake bottom. The total amount of P retained within the lake in 1970 was 41,000 metric tons, or about 92% of input AP of natural origin and inert nature accounted for approximately 44% of the total P retained. A reduction in anthropogenic P input of about 15,000 metric tons/yr, as called for in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, will reduce present annual NAP loading to close to pre-1850 values.