Can reductions in water residence time be used to disrupt seasonal stratification and control internal loading in a eutrophic monomictic lake?

A reduction in water residence time by around 40% in Elterwater, a shallow stratifying lake in the English Lake District, had minimal impact on internal phosphorus loading and water quality. Despite shortening summer stratification by 2 days and reducing stability by 7%, hypolimnetic anoxia persisted, indicating that the intervention was insufficient to significantly alter physical conditions or improve water quality. The study suggests that larger changes in residence time may be necessary to disrupt seasonal stratification effectively and reduce internal loading. This research combines multi-year field data with hydrodynamic modeling to assess the potential of manipulating lake residence time as a management strategy for eutrophic lakes.

Olsson, F., Mackay, E. B., Barker, P., Davies, S., Hall, R., Spears, B., Exley, G., Thackeray, S. J., & Jones, I. D. (2022). Can reductions in water residence time be used to disrupt seasonal stratification and control internal loading in a eutrophic monomictic lake? Journal of Environmental Management, 304, 114169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114169