Project Description

Fundamental to the management of reservoir's beneficial uses is the characterization of the hydrological dynamics, mixing, stratification, biota and the total nutrient content within the body of water retained by the impoundment. With the aim of providing this fundamental information for the South Fork Reservoir within the Humboldt River watershed, this task will make an assessment of the South Fork reservoir's functional dynamics to gain preliminary estimates of nutrient content loadings, nutrient residence times, water residence times, stratification and mixing. From this work we will then be able to construct an initial assessment of the reservoir's eurtophication status (Maximum algal biomass accumulations) and potential for enhanced eutrophication through internal loading created by hypoliminetic oxygen deficits.