Application of Phosphorus Models to New Mexico Reservoirs

by Susan Bolton Bolin, New Mexico State Univ, Dep of Civil, Engineering, Las Cruces, NM, USA,
Timothy J. Ward, New Mexico State Univ, Dep of Civil, Engineering, Las Cruces, NM, USA,
Richard A. Cole, New Mexico State Univ, Dep of Civil, Engineering, Las Cruces, NM, USA,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Computer Applications in Water Resources

Abstract:

Many empirical, mass-balance phosphorus models have been developed and tested on northern, temperature lakes and previously published. Fourteen of those published models were tested on New Mexico reserviors to determine their usefulness in simulating reservior behavior in the Rio Grande basin. Models were applied to seasonal data. All of the models overpredicted measured phosphorus concentrations in the reserviors. Model predictions were improved by establishing a relationship between removal rates of phosphorus and certain hydrologic variables. The relationship between settling velocity of phosphorus and reservior flushing rate was the most signficant. High flushing rates bring in high loads of suspended solids which may combine with the phosphorus and remove it from the water column as the solids settle.

Subject Headings: Phosphorus | Nutrient pollution | Reservoirs | Hydrologic models | Flushing | Turbidity | Suspended loads | New Mexico | United States | Rio Grande

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