Assessment of Spatial and Vertical Variability of Water Quality: Case Study of a Polymictic Polish Lake.

UE regulations focus on methods of water quality monitoring and their use in rational management practices. This study investigated horizontal and vertical variations of electrical conductivity (EC), pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and chlorophyll a (Chl-a) in a shallow polymictic lake. Monitoring of short-term variability of physical and chemical lake water parameters is a critical component in lake management, as it influences aquatic life. Based on the field research, maps of spatial distribution of the parameters were drawn. Using two methods: (1) a classical approach to water column measurements, from the top to the bottom (TB), in which the reference point is always a surface layer (SL), and (2) a newly introduced method of lake water quality monitoring based on a nearest neighbor (NN) approach; a comparison of higher and lower layers of the water column. By subtracting partial maps of spatial variability for different depths, final raster images were obtained. The NN method is rather absent in the limnology literature worldwide. Vertical and horizontal variability of the tested parameters in the polymictic, shallow Lake Bikcze (Poland) was presented in the results. In the presented paper, the commonly used TB method emphasized the role of the surface layer in shaping the variability of physicochemical parameters of lake waters. It shows a general trend of parameters' changes from the top, to the bottom. The newly presented NN method, which has a major advantage in its simplicity and objectivity, emphasized structural differentiation within the range of variability. The nearest neighbor method was more accurate in showing the actual structure of fluctuation of parameters with higher fluctuation in the water column. Its advantage is a detailed recognition of the vertical variability of selected parameters in the water column. The method may be used regardless of the lake depth, its location in climatic zone, and/or region.

Environmental implications of potamophases duration and concentration period in the floodplain lakes of the Bug River valley.

The Bug River, in the section between Dorohusk and Wlodawa (part of the eastern UE border), is one of the last remaining natural rivers in Europe. Thus, its abundance of floodplain lakes (FPL) in that part constitutes an area which preserves biodiversity. This study presents an analysis of potamophases duration and the Potamophases Concentration Index (PCI) in 20 floodplain lakes in the multi-year period 1952-2014. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA, Tukey test), as well as a correlogram approach were used to perform statistical analyses. Among the lakes, few differed significantly from the others; more often, differences between years, in terms of both potamophase duration and PCI, were found. This proved that time is more important than space in shaping river valley hydrology. Cumulative values of the study indices, presented in a correlogram, showed that both potamophase duration and the period of potamophase concentration determine the water quality of a floodplain lake, expressed as the hydro-chemical type. In floodplain lakes with short potamophases concentrated at the beginning of a hydrologic year, water quality typical for interzonal lakes was observed; in floodplain lakes with the longest potamophases with their concentration at the end of a hydrologic year, ionic concentrations typical of extrazonal lakes occurred, whereas in lakes with a potamophase duration close to the average value and a spring concentration of floods, intermediate water quality was observed, typical of mixozonal lakes. A sound knowledge of floodplain lake functioning is crucial to maintaining the biodiversity of river valleys due to the lake's natural water and nutrient storage capacity.

Instability of Water Quality of a Shallow, Polymictic, Flow-Through Lake.

This paper describes catchment processes that favor the trophic instability of a shallow polymictic lake, in which a shift from eutrophy to hypertrophy occurs rapidly. In the lake, in 2007, the winter discharge maximum and an intensive precipitation (monthly sums exceeded 60 mm) in a vegetation season were observed. In 2007, the cyanobacterial blooms disappeared and the water trophy decreased. Total phosphorus (TP) was the main factor determining the high trophic status of the lake. The TP retention resulted from a quick flow of two inflows: QI1 (r = 0.64) and QI2 (0.56), and the base flow of tributary 1 (0.62). A significant negative correlation between TP and precipitation (r = - 0.54) was observed. Both the surface and the groundwater inflow of I4 showed a positive correlation with the retention of PO4 (r = 0.67 and r = 0.60, respectively), whereas the outlet discharge determined RNO3 (r = 0.57). The trophy of Lake Syczynskie was determined by the relationship between nutrient input and export, expressed as the ionic retention, Carlson's trophic state index (TSI), and phytoplankton abundance. The results showed that many factors influence the stability of water quality in small, polymictic lakes. However, in the studied lake, intense precipitation and winter discharge maxima (particularly base flow) prevented summer cyanobacterial blooms.

Hydrochemical versus biological conditions of the functioning of three shallow lakes in Leczna-Wlodawa.

Lake-catchment relationships were presented with reference to each part of the subsystem. Ionic loads reflected the potential of the catchment areas and displayed the following pattern: Lake Rotcze < Lake Sumin < Lake Syczynskie; with respect to every ion, except nitrogen. The highest specific load of ions in Lake Syczynskie and the strong hydrochemical influence of the lake inlets facilitated the growth of water blooms of cyanobacteria, with a dominance of toxic filamentous P agardhii. It resulted in a poor ecological status of the lake (Q index = 0.8) and its hypertrophy (TSIchl-a = 78). The specific load of ions in the Lake Rotcze catchment (0.23 kg/yr-km(2) of P-PO4) contributed to the good ecological status (Q = 3.2) and mesotrophic character (TSIchl.a = 50) of the lake. Lake Sumin has a moderate catchment influence (2.41 kg/yr-km(2) of P-PO4), which facilitated moderate ecological (Q = 2.1) and trophic (eutrophy; TSIchlSa = 63) status.