Phosphorous (P) and Nitrogen (N) loading from various sources of water to the Upper Klamath Lake (UKL) are important and potentially controllable factors for the hyper eutrophication of the lake. A total maximum daily load plan (TMDL) has been in place for over a decade to reduce the level of eutrophication and Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) restoration actions are expected to reduce and control external loading of contributing nutrients. The 2002 TMDL for UKL established a target that requires a 40% reduction in external P load relative to the historical baseline. The proposed investigation will build on and improve current efforts and allow managers to understand which sources of nutrients are of greatest importance with respect to annual and seasonal loads that contribute to the eutrophication problem.
The USGS will develop a dynamic SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regression on Watershed Characteristics) model for total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) for the UKL Watershed to refine and enhance the existing SPARROW models and improve management decision capabilities. The dynamic SPARROW model will better address seasonal inputs of nutrients, which can then be used for informed management decisions on potential control strategies.
This proposal utilizes a new version of the USGS SPARROW model called Dynamic SPARROW. Relevant data such as water quality and discharge will be obtained for as many sites as possible and a relationship between concentrations and discharge will be established. Relevant spatial data will be collected spanning historical to recent on land use, climate, nutrient sources, etc. These data will be used to calibrate the dynamic model and then used to make predictions on nutrient sources and loading for the Upper Klamath Lake watershed.
The project will make significant contributions to management activities in the Upper Klamath Lake region. A current TMDL developed for the Oregon portion of the Klamath River Watershed addresses chlorophyll-a and other constituents. Chlorophyll-a levels in a lake are related to a variety of factors including the external and internal loads of nutrients. Internal loads of nutrients are largely derived from sediment and pore water re-suspension, while external loads are contributed by both ecosystem and anthropogenic processes, such as run-off from agricultural and developed lands. If the control of external sources is not successful, it could nullify efforts to control internal nutrient loads and frustrate lower river restoration goals. With accessible predictive tools and close cooperation among UKL science entities, managers will be able to plan, execute, and track the responses of entire sub-basins for restoration efforts, water and land use management.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
Phosphorous (P) and Nitrogen (N) loading from various sources of water to the Upper Klamath Lake (UKL) are important and potentially controllable factors for the hyper eutrophication of the lake. A total maximum daily load plan (TMDL) has been in place for over a decade to reduce the level of eutrophication and Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) restoration actions are expected to reduce and control external loading of contributing nutrients. The 2002 TMDL for UKL established a target that requires a 40% reduction in external P load relative to the historical baseline. The proposed investigation will build on and improve current efforts and allow managers to understand which sources of nutrients are of greatest importance with respect to annual and seasonal loads that contribute to the eutrophication problem.
The USGS will develop a dynamic SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regression on Watershed Characteristics) model for total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) for the UKL Watershed to refine and enhance the existing SPARROW models and improve management decision capabilities. The dynamic SPARROW model will better address seasonal inputs of nutrients, which can then be used for informed management decisions on potential control strategies.
This proposal utilizes a new version of the USGS SPARROW model called Dynamic SPARROW. Relevant data such as water quality and discharge will be obtained for as many sites as possible and a relationship between concentrations and discharge will be established. Relevant spatial data will be collected spanning historical to recent on land use, climate, nutrient sources, etc. These data will be used to calibrate the dynamic model and then used to make predictions on nutrient sources and loading for the Upper Klamath Lake watershed.
The project will make significant contributions to management activities in the Upper Klamath Lake region. A current TMDL developed for the Oregon portion of the Klamath River Watershed addresses chlorophyll-a and other constituents. Chlorophyll-a levels in a lake are related to a variety of factors including the external and internal loads of nutrients. Internal loads of nutrients are largely derived from sediment and pore water re-suspension, while external loads are contributed by both ecosystem and anthropogenic processes, such as run-off from agricultural and developed lands. If the control of external sources is not successful, it could nullify efforts to control internal nutrient loads and frustrate lower river restoration goals. With accessible predictive tools and close cooperation among UKL science entities, managers will be able to plan, execute, and track the responses of entire sub-basins for restoration efforts, water and land use management.
- Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.