Phosphorus sources, forms, and abundance as a function of streamflow and field conditions in a Maumee River tributary, 2016-2019

Total phosphorus (TP), dissolved P (DP), and suspended sediment (SS) were sampled in Black Creek, Indiana, monthly during base flow and for 100 storm events during water years 2016-2019, enabling analysis of how each of these varied as a function of streamflow and field conditions at nested edge-of-field sites. Particulate P was normalized for SS (P-SS = [TP - DP]/SS). Streamflow events were differentiated by maximum TP concentrations co-occurring with maximum SS (SED) or DP (SOL). The combination of new precipitation and high antecedent soil-water storage during months when fields were exposed coincided with higher streamflow that drove SED events. These SED events carried more SS, including sediment eroded from streambanks that added sediment P but also may have provided for sorption of DP. During SOL events, DP was higher and contributed approximately half of TP; SS was lower. These SOL events had higher P-SS, more similar to that in base flow as well as composited samples of overland flow and tile-drain discharge from fields. Base-flow samples had significantly higher P-SS concentrations than most event samples, with <= 25 times enrichment relative to soil P concentrations in fine-grained source material. Combining base-flow and event samples showed that P-SS integrates SS, DP, and streamflow. Addition of new suspended sediment during events may provide for sorption of DP during and after events and storage in the system, delaying delivery of this P to Lake Erie relative to what would be expected for the dissolved form but adding to the legacy P stored in the stream system.

Automated summary

This study analyzes the variations of total phosphorus (TP), dissolved P (DP), and suspended sediment (SS) in Black Creek, Indiana. It found that different streamflow events have different effects on the P concentrations, with some events having higher SS and others having higher DP. Additionally, the P-SS concentrations in base-flow samples were significantly higher than most event samples.