Relationships of Watershed Climate and Geochemical Processes to Trophic Characteristics in Texas Reservoirs

Gibbs' classification of surface waters was used to investigate relationships between watershed geochemical climatic processes and trophic characteristics in 80 Texas reservoirs. Three classes of reservoirs were identified by using Gibbs' graph comparing total dissolved solids (TDS) with the ratio of sodium to calcium plus sodium. These classes were delineated into West, Central, and East geographic groups, corresponding with high, intermediate, and low TDS ranges, respectively. Alkalinity, pH, conductivity, calcium, sulfate, and chloride data further distinguished these classes. Significant differences were found in the amount and form of nutrients, organic carbon, chlorophyll a, suspended solids, and phytoplankton counts. East reservoirs ranked highest in nutrients, chlorophyll, diatoms, and green algae. Central reservoirs were highest in inorganic nitrogen. West reservoirs ranked lowest in inorganic nitrogen and highest in cyanobacteria. Morphometry, hydrology, and human impacts vary among individual reservoirs, but comparisons indicated that differences in these factors between regions were insufficient to explain trophic differences. Calcite precipitation, inorganic nitrogen, iron, pH, and sulfate are characteristics which influence trophic differences between watershed types.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Grantor

Southwest Texas State University

Year dc:date.issued

1992

Author dc:creator

• Ground, Ted Alan

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Groeger, Alan W.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Whiteside, Bobby
• Hannan, Herbert H.

• reservoirs
• water

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10877/19315

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/19315