Table Of ContentComparative Reservoir Limnology
and Water Quality Management
Developments in Hydrobiology 77
Series editor
H. J. Dumont
Comparative Reservoir Limnology
and Water Quality Management
Edited by
M. Straskraba, J. G. Tundisi & A. Duncan
SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.V.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Comparative reservoir limnology and water quality management / edited
by M. Straskraba, J.G. Tundisi, and A. Duncan.
p. cm. -- (Developments in hydrobiology ; 77)
Originated at the International Conference on Reservoir Limnology
and Water Quality Manage.ent held Aug. 1987 at Cesks BudejOVice.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-90-481-4191-3 ISBN 978-94-017-1096-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-1096-1
1. Reservo1r ecology. 2. L1mnology. 3. Water quality.
I. Straskraba, Mi Ian. II. Tundisi, J. G. III. Duncan, A. (Annie)
IV. Series.
CH541.5.R4C66 1992
628. 1 '32--dc20 92-26377
ISBN 978-90-481-4191-3
Printed on acid-free paper
All Rights Reserved
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1993
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1993
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from
the copyright owners.
Contents
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Comparative Reservoir Limnology
Chapter I. A test of hypotheses relating to the comparative limnology and assessment of eutrophi-
cation in semi-arid man-made lakes
by 1. A. Thornton & W. Rast ...................................................... .
Chapter II. Limnology and management of reservoirs in Brazil
by 1. G. Tundisi, T. Matsumura-Tundisi & M. C. Calijuri............................... 25
Chapter III. Problems in reservoir trophic-state classification and implications for reservoir
management
by O. T. Lind, T. T. Terrell & B. L. Kimmel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Chapter IV. Limnology of a subalpine pump-storage reservoir
by B. Kiefer, F. Schanz & D. Imboden ............................................... 69
Mathematical Models and New Techniques
Chapter V. A hierarchy of mathematical models: towards understanding the physical processes in
reservoirs
by B. Henderson-Sellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Chapter VI. Modelling of physical, chemical and biological processes in Polish lakes and reservoirs
by 1. Uchmanski, W. Szeligiewicz & M. Loga ......................................... 99
Chapter VII. Sedimentation and mineralization of seston in a eutrophic reservoir, with a tentative
sedimentation model
by 1. A. Galvez & F. X. Niell ....................................................... 119
Chapter VIII. Impacts of growth factors on competitive ability of blue-green algae analyzed with
whole-lake simulation
by O. Varis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 127
Chapter IX. Design of Iimnological observations for detecting processes in lakes and reservoirs
by 1. Kettunen ................................. ... . .. .. . ... . .. . .. ... . .. . . .. .. . .. .. 139
Chapter X. Remote sensing estimation of total chlorophyll pigment distribution in Barra Bonita
Reservoir, Brazil
by E. M. L. M. Novo, C. Z. F. Braga & 1. G. Tundisi. .. . .. ... .. . .. . ... ... ... . .. .. . .... 147
Reservoir Water Quality Management
Chapter XI. Succession of fish communities in reservoirs of Central and Eastern Europe
byl.Kubecka ..................................................................... 153
Chapter XII. Framework for investigation and evaluation of reservoir water quality in Czecho-
slovakia
byM. Straskraba, P. Blazka, Z. Brandl, P. Hejzlar, 1. Komarkova, 1. Kubecka, I. Nesmerak,
L. Prochazkova, V. Straskrabova & V. Vyhnalek ...................................... 169
Conclusions
Chapter XIII. State-of-the-art of reservoir limnology and water quality management
by M. Straskraba, 1. G. Tundisi & A. Duncan. .. . ... . .. . ... ... ... . . . ... . .. . ... . .. . . . .. 213
Index. ... ... . . . ... ............ . ... .. ... .... .. . .. . .. . . .. . ... .. . .. . . . . .. . . .. . ... ... . . ... 289
M. Straskraba, J. G. Tundisi & A. Duncan (eds.), Comparative Reservoir Limnology and Water Quality Management, vii-ix, 1993.
© 1993 Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Introduction
At ever increasing rates, reservoirs are providing the main source for water supply, in developed and
developing countries of the world. This is because the ever increasing demand for water can no longer be
satisfied from the usual sources of ground water, lakes and rivers. Building dam reservoirs for water storage
for various uses is complicated enough to warrant the use of innovative scientific and engineering
approaches such as mathematical modelling, systems engineering and large systems methodology.
However, but efficient management of scarce water resources for an ever expanding human population
needs insight into and understanding of the biology of the situation - how living organisms interact within
reservoir ecosystems to process freely cycling chemicals into their basic elements. Biological management is
better as it produces fewer unpleasant chemical surprises. Quite a detailed knowledge of the underlying
physical, chemical and biological processes and their interactions is necessary for such a purpose.
Reservoirs are, at present, one of the main anthropogenic impacts on the hydrological cycle and their
construction produced also several direct and indirect effects in the aquatic and terrestrial systems. The total
reservoir surface is now estimated as 590.000 km2 (or 0.3070 of all continents) and their maximum volume
by regulation of rivers attains 5.900 km3 (Lvovich et al. 1990). Figure 1 shows how these values were growing
in the past and how they are distributed over the globe.
Furthermore, the study of such dynamic systems as reservoirs is contributing and will contribute to a better
understanding of basic problems in ecology - such as the succession of communities in fast changing systems,
the colonization patterns and the pulse effects. An important scientific background for water quality
management of reservoirs, lakes and rivers is also obtained. The scientific understanding of reservoirs as
near-natural systems manipulated by man, their interactions with the watershed and upstream/downstream
regions is adding new dimensions to the systems approach in ecosystem functioning and management.
The idea of this book originated at the International Conference on Reservoir Limnology and Water
Quality Management at Ceske Budejovice in August 1987, where, unusually, limnologists and water quality
engineers met together to discuss theoretical and applied aspects of the mutual inter-dependence of their
disciplines. The Proceedings of the Conference (Straskrabova et al. 1989) could not cover all the scientific
knowledge disclosed at the Conference. Moreover, some contributions needed further elaboration and some
reservoir investigations were not presented at the Conference so that this book was prepared with the
intention of furthering our understanding of the inter-relationships between theoretical limnology and
management of water quality. Basic limnological properties or reservoirs are determined by geographical
location, size, shape, water depth, throughflow, outflow depth and so on but decided upon by man for
society's needs. Man too is responsible for deteriorating water quality of reservoir source water but it will
be by management of limnological processes that improvements can be made.
The book is divided into four parts. The first part is devoted to a comparison of reservoirs from different
geographical regions, with different trophic states and having different functions. The coverage is not
exhaustive and covers only some regions and some kinds of usages. This part shows that regional differences
are rather profound and further theoretical analysis of these differences would enable us to make more
effective use of the knowledge accumulated.
viii
NUMBER VOLUME(km3)
o o
total - 41 Prior to .900 total- f4
Australia and Oceania Australia and Oceania
North """'LX)(r-Asio Nort" \oa::ltl2:.1-- Asia
Africa Africa
totol - 539 .90.-.950 total -528
Australia and Oceania
Australia and Oceania
South
Allterlca
Norlh
America
Africa
total - f,777 1951-1985 total - 4.982
Fig. 1. The number and volume of large reservoirs during the period prior to 1900 up to 1985.
Classification of reservoirs by trophic state is still complicated by other differences due to geography,
hydrology and usage which need further study. Ecosystems are multi-factorial systems which, in reservoirs,
include management by man for his own purposes. One Swiss pump-storage reservoir provides a good
example of a highly variable system which has been described using the technique of ecosystem modelling
which encompasses its physics, chemistry and biology.
This modelling methodology is introduced extensively in the second part of the book, together with other
new techniques of advanced statistical analysis and remote sensing. Models of individual processes are
presented which include the physics of reservoirs, sedimentation of seston and competition of cyanobacteria
with algae as well as whole ecosystem models. Models are used in other ways such as for planning the time
and space design for sampling reservoirs in order to optimise costs and manpower.
Although problems of reservoir management come up in the first two parts of the book, part three
focuses specifically on how to manage improvements in water quality. Fish communities are generally
recognised as good indicators of the environmental health of a water body but can themselves directly
influence water quality by their activities. One chapter classifies the fish communities in reservoirs of
Central and East Europe and interprets differences as stages in the ecological succession of these man-made
lakes. Another chapter dealing with methods in the study of water quality which, although largely based
upon Czechoslovak experience, are generally applicable to all European and most temperate reservoirs and
may be beneficial to limnologists and water quality engineers from other geographical regions.
The final part of the book is an attempt at summarising the present state of knowledge on reservoir
ix
limnology and management of water quality. It tries to bring out shortcomings and inadequacies. It is clear
that our present level of knowledge is inadequate for proper management of water quality in such dynamic
systems as reservoir ecosystems which are subject to pressures from society, to management for a particular
function and to natural forces. It becomes evident that the application of brute-force and expensive
technology at one site is no longer feasible because it shifts environmental problems elsewhere, downstream
or to different regions, and creates other problems less amenable to solution. We need deeper insight into
how reservoirs function as a part of nature which involves thinking more globally in order to approach the
achievement of a sustainable development of mankind on earth.
This book is aimed at water quality engineers and theoreticallimnologists to an equal degree but also to
all our un-named colleagues involved with reservoirs for the benefit of mankind.
The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the activities connected with editing this book by
the following institutions: IUNU, UNEP and ICSU for financial support of trips of 1.G. Tundisi to Europe
and Czechoslovakia respectively in May and September 1990 and December 1991 and British Council for
financial support of a trip by M. Straskraba to England. In addition, we are thankful to Mrs. Dagmar
Susterovli (Ceske Budejovice) for carefully preparing the final Word-Perfect version of all manuscripts for
this book.
M. Straskraba, 1. G. Tundisi & A. Duncan
November 1991
References
Straskrabova, v., Z. Brandl, B. Henderson-Sellers, O. T. Lind, V. Sladecek & J. F. Tailing, 1989. Proceedings of the International
Conference on Reservoir Limnology and Water Quality. Arch. Hydrobiol. Beih. Ergebn. Limnol. 33, 975pp.
M. Straskraba, J. G. Tundisi & A. Duncan (eds.), Comparative Reservoir Limnology and Water Quality Management, 1-24, 1993.
© 1993 Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Chapter I
A test of hypotheses relating to the comparative limnology and assessment
of eutrophication in semi-arid man-made lakes
J. A. Thornton 1 & W. Rase
Present addresses: 1 S.E. Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, P.O. Box 1607, Waukesha,
Wisconsin 53187-1607, U.S.A.; 2 United Nations Environment Programme, Water & Lithosphere
Unit, P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya
Key words: reservoirs, limnology, eutrophication, arid regions, nutrients, plankton, water quality
management
Abstract
In this paper we present selected morphological and limnological data on 113 man-made lakes in the semi-
arid climatic zones around the world. These data are used to independently test certain hypotheses framed
by Thornton & Rast (1989); to wit, semi-arid zone man-made lakes comprise a defined lake class having
specific criteria which differ from those of temperate zone waterbodies. Specifically, we test the effect of the
large catchment area: lake surface area ratio on turbidity, nutrient status, and phytoplankton standing crop
and community composition, and assess the relevance of eutrophication threshold values previously
proposed. Our results confirm our hypotheses concerning the morphological configuration of semi-arid
zone waterbodies and the effects on the limnology and enrichment response of these lakes. We present an
outline of a decision tree defining baseline conditions in semi-arid zone reservoirs relative to temperate zone
waterbodies, which has significant implications for lake and reservoir management and the blanket
application of water quality standards across climatic zones.
1. Introduction to critically examine this semi-arid man-made lake
paradigm.
Thornton & Rast (1987) stated the southern
African semi-arid lake paradigm as the existence of
significant differences in the limnology and 2. Materials and methods
eutrophication responses of man-made lakes from
this region compared to those of the north 2.1. The semi-arid lake paradigm
temperate zone, based on the occurrence of high
turbidities, extreme hydrological variability and The semi-arid man-made lake paradigm was con-
relatively stable climatological factors affecting the ceived in southern Africa, for reasons of geo-
growing season. We subsequently attempted to graphy, relative scientific isolation and economics,
quantify these factors using data from 89 some twenty years ago. The components of the
reservoirs in southern Africa and the southwestern descriptive model, set out in tabular form by
United States (Thornton & Rast, 1989). To date, Thornton & Rast (1989) and summarised in Table
our studies suggest there was sufficient support for I, evolved slowly and the complete paradigm has
our hypotheses of significant differences, at least only recently been stated in full by Davies &
in terms of degree of response, to warrant a more Walmsley (1985). Nevertheless, the perceived
rigorous examination of the hypotheses. In this differences between northern and southern
paper, we draw on a worldwide data base, hemispheres have provided, and continue to
compiled from the scientific literature and from provide, much of the motivation for limnological
the Texas Natural Resources Information System, research in the region.
2
Table [. Distinguishing features of lakes in the semi-arid zones that of the more developed countries in the south of
of North America and southern Africa (median values shown), the continent (Thornton, 1987a). Combined with
compared to temperate-zone lakes of the northern hemisphere
this, international programmes such as the IBP
(after Thornton & Rast, 1989).
have also contributed financially and otherwise to
Feature Units Semi-arid Temperate the stimulation of a resident scientific community
in the developed countries (Thornton, 1984).
Turbidity SDT (m) 1.1 1.0-10.0
While recent studies have suggested many of the
Seasonal inflow TW (yr) 0.9 1-100
statements of difference from classically-defined
Drought Cycle CV rainfall 65-114 30
phenomena that comprise the southern African
(070)
Mixing regime mono- / dimictic paradigm are more matters of degree than of
poly-mictic, substance (and hence of little scientific interest
non stratified
from the point of view of generating new theories
Morphology z (m) 6.7 1.5 -> 20.0
of lake functioning in these regions; Davies &
AD:A 183 <20
Walmsley, 1985), the differences that have been
Drawdown % capacity up to 90% minimal
Hydroclimate Temperature 10 - 30 0-20 identified have implications for eutrophication
(0C)
assessment and management. For example, our
Oxygen % of lakes 73% few (?)
identification of eutrophication threshold values
depletion studied
for total phosphorus and chlorophyll-a of 50 p,g 1- 1
Nutrient N:P 3.5 12.0
and 14 p,g I-I, respectively, can have substantial
tolerance Limiting P N
nutrient implications in terms of lake restoration activities
Algal Diatoms or Cyano- costing millions of dollars, compared to the lower
dominance Chrysophytes phytes
concentrations considered desirable in temperate
Algal biomass CHA (I-'gl-') 8 3
zone paradigms (Thornton & Rast, 1989). With
Productivity (g Cm-3d-') <30 <0.3
this in mind, Thornton & Rast (1987; 1989)
subsequently extended the southern African
Geographically, much of southern Africa is paradigm to the semi-arid American southwest
subtropical, giving rise to highly seasonal rainfall with some success, and have hypothesised a more
and relatively stable (aseasonal) temperatures. widespread applicability of the model throughout
These factors in turn lead to a high coefficient of the semi-arid zones. For these reasons, therefore,
variation of annual fiver flow that, combined with we have compiled an independent data base from
the lack of perennial rivers and natural lakes, has which to further test our hypotheses.
led to the need for, and dependence upon, man-
made lakes to meet the water requirements of 2.2. The data base
industry, agriculture and domestic living
(Alexander, 1985; DWA , 1986). Geography, too, Unlike our previous investigation where we were
has kept the area relatively isolated from water only able to select two similar semi-arid areas
resources professionals in Europe and North (having similar areas, populations, climates and
America, due partly to the distances from these elevations; Thornton & Rast, 1989), the data base
centres to southern Africa. This isolation has of 113 man-made lakes in the present study is
stimulated the examination from first principles of
eutrophication assessment in the local context -
this assumption of major difference from the
classical, north temperate paradigm that
characterises lake studies in southern Africa has
been omitted from similar studies in North
America (Thornton & Rast, 1987). And, finally,
economics have played a large part in ensuring that
public monies could be channelled into water
research; monies that are not readily available Fig. 1. Semi-arid areas of the world showing the relative
elsewhere in Africa where the GDP is a fraction of distribution of numbers of lakes included in this study.
