NDLI: Seasonal and spatial water quality changes in the outflow plume of the Atchafalaya River, Louisiana, USA

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Lane, Robert R. Day, John W. Marx, Brian Reves, Enrique Kemp, G. Paul
Copyright Year	2002
Abstract	The objective of this study was to examine the interaction between the Atchafalaya River and the Atchafalaya Delta estuarine complex. Measurements of suspended sediments, inorganic nutrients (NO$_{3}$ $^{−}$, NH$_{4}$ $^{+}$, PO$_{4}$ $^{3−}$), chlorophylla (chla), and-salinity were taken monthly from December 1996 to January 1998. These data were compiled by season, and the Atchafalaya River plume data were also analyzed using the Generalized Additive Model technique. There were significant decreases in NO$_{3}$ $^{−}$ concentrations during summer, fall, and winter as river water passed through the estuary, that were attributable to chemical and biological processes rather than dilution with ambient water. In some regions there were higher chla concentrations during summer and fall compared to winter and spring, when river discharge and the introduction of inorganic nutrients were highest, suggesting biological processes were active during this study. The presence of NH$_{4}$ $^{+}$, as a percentage of available dissolved inorganic nitrogen, increased with distance from the Atchafalaya River, indicative of remineralization processes and NO$_{3}$ $^{−}$ reduction. Mean PO$_{4}$ $^{3−}$ concentrations were often higher in the estuarine regions compared to the Atchafalaya River. During summer total suspended solid (TSS) concentrations increased with distance from the river mouth, suggesting a turbidity maximum. Highest chla concentrations were found in the bayous and shallow water bodies of the Terrebonne marshes, as were the lowest TSS concentrations. The low chla concentrations found in other areas of this study, despite high inorganic nutrient concentrations, suggest light limitation as the major control of phytoplankton growth. Salinity reached near seawater concentrations at the outer edge of the Atchafalaya River plume, but much lower salinities (<10 psu) were observed at all other regions. The Atchafalaya Delta estuarine complex buffers the impact of the Atchafalaya River on the Louisiana coastal shelf zone, with a 41% of 47% decrease in Atchafalaya River NO$_{3}$ $^{−}$ concentrations before reaching Gulf waters.
Starting Page	30
Ending Page	42
Page Count	13
File Format	PDF
ISSN	01608347
Journal	Estuaries
Volume Number	25
Issue Number	1
Language	English
Publisher	Springer-Verlag
Publisher Date	2002-01-01
Publisher Place	New York
Access Restriction	Subscribed
Subject Keyword	Environment Ecology Geosciences Freshwater & Marine Ecology Environmental Management Nature Conservation
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Environmental Chemistry Aquatic Science Environmental Science

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