Nutrient mass and internal cycling data for Great Salt Lake, UT, 2020

The Great Salt Lake (GSL) ecosystem relies on a balanced supply of nutrients to support habitat and industrial uses (Belovsky and others, 2011). To better understand processes controlling GSL nutrient availability, this dataset includes field measurements and laboratory analyses from the water column, sediment, porewater, sediment slurry, brine shrimp, river inflows, sediment traps, and atmospheric deposition material collected in and around GSL from June through October of 2020. An additional sample event occurred during July of 2023 where sediment trap samples were collected. Water column samples were collected at 3 to 4 depths from 10 open-water sites and analyzed for: total nitrogen and phosphorus (filtered and particulate), ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, total particulate carbon and nitrogen (TPCN), dinitrogen gas, sulfate, 34S/32S of sulfate, 34S/32S of sulfide, salinity, density, and chlorophyll-a. High-resolution water column samples collected at six depths across the upper and deep brine layer interface from two open-water sites were analyzed for: filtered nitrogen and phosphorus, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, dissolved organic carbon, TPCN, sulfate, salinity, and density. Lake bottom sediments collected from 10 open-water sites and two depths were analyzed for: carbonate carbon, total carbon, total organic carbon, ammonia, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total sulfur, sulfide, percent moisture, and major elements. Porewaters were extracted from the top 8 cm of sediment at seven open-water sites and analyzed for: filtered nitrogen and phosphorus, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, sulfate, salinity, and density. Sediment slurry (material at the sediment-water interface) was collected at nine open-water sites and divided into filtered and particulate fractions. Filtered slurry samples were analyzed for: filtered nitrogen and phosphorus, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, sulfate, salinity, and density. Slurry solids were analyzed for carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, 13C/14C, 15N/14N, and 34S/32S. River inflow and causeway breach samples were collected at six sites and analyzed for: total nitrogen and phosphorus (filtered and particulate), ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, TPCN, sulfate, 34S/32S of sulfate, and density. Material collected in sediment traps at four open-water sites and two depths was analyzed for: TPCN, ash-free dry weight, dry weight, phosphorus, sulfur, and 34S/32S. Atmospheric deposition samples were collected from 2 traps at eight sites surrounding GSL and analyzed for: total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and sulfate. Water quality sonde (EXO2) field measurements collected at open-water sites included specific conductivity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, fluorescent dissolved organic matter, chlorophyl, and turbidity.

Belovsky, G. E., D. Stephens, C. Perschon, P. Birdsey, D. Paul, D. Naftz, R. Baskin, C. Larson, C. Mellison, J. Luft, R. Mosley, H. Mahon, J. Van Leeuwen, and D. V. Allen. 2011. The Great Salt Lake Ecosystem (Utah, USA): long term data and a structural equation approach. Ecosphere 2(3):art33. doi:10.1890/ES10-00091.1