eutrophication and algal blooms in inland reservoirs a case.pdfVIP

Eutrophication and Algal Blooms in Inland Reservoirs: A Case Study from Australia AKM M Rahman Dhia Al Bakri Land and Water Management Orange Agricultural College The University of Sydney PO Box 883 Orange NSW 2800 Australia ABSTRACT Toxic Blue-green algal blooms are one of the major environmental problems in Australian inland water ways causing substantial adverse impact on domestic, livestock and recreational use of water resources. Ben Chifley Dam, which provides Bathurst city with drinking water, has a chronic algal blooms since 1993. Levels of up to 450,000 cells/mL of toxic cyanobacteria (mainly Anabaena and Microcystis) have been recorded in the dam. A conceptual model has been developed to understand and to address the causal factors and processes controlling blue green algae in the dam. An integrated research program is on going to investigate water quality, hydrology, aquatic ecology, catchment characteristics and land management and sediment-nutrient interactions in order to develop a sustainable management plan for the dam. The initial results of the research indicate that the dam is enriched with nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) and is on the verge of being eutrophic. The nutrients are derived from both external diffuse sources (upstream catchment) and internal sources where the bioavailable nutrients are released from the bottom sediments to the water column. INTRODUCTION Eutrophication is the process whereby water bodies become enriched by nutrients (Phosphorus and Nitrogen) from both external and internal sources. It is considered as one of the most pressing environmental problems in both the developed and the developing countries. 1,2 Eutrophication and excess blue-green algal (cyan