Principal sources of summer sediment input to Lake Forsyth/ Wairewa

Abstract

Lake Forsyth/Wairewa is a shallow eutrophic lake on the southern coast of Banks Peninsula, Canterbury, New Zealand. It has suffered from sporadic algal blooms over the last century, which have affected water quality and lake ecology. The high phosphorus content of the lake sediment has been identified as a key driver for the algal blooms. The purpose of this study was to quantify the volume of sediment entering Wairewa through tributary rivers and streams, and via direct runoff during storms, over the summer of 2012-13. The results will contribute to a concurrent assessment of sediment-associated phosphorus input to the lake.