Novel statistical analysis illustrates the importance of flow source for extreme variation in dissolved organic carbon in a eutrophic reservoir in the Great Plains
| dc.contributor.author | Baron, Anthony | |
| dc.contributor.author | Baulch, Helen M. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Nazemi, Ali | |
| dc.contributor.author | Whitfield, Colin | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-04-15T06:00:03Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-04-15T06:00:03Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-03 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) trends, predominantly showing long-term increases in concentration, have been observed across many regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Elevated DOC concentrations are a major concern for drinking water treatment plants, owing to the effects of disinfection byproduct formation, the risk of bacterial regrowth in water distribution systems, and treatment cost increases. Using a unique 30-year data set encompassing both extreme wet and dry conditions in a eutrophic drinking water reservoir in the Great Plains of North America, we investigate the effects of changing source-water and in-lake water chemistry on DOC. We employ novel wavelet coherence analyses to explore the coherence of changes in DOC with other environmental variables and apply a generalized additive model to understand predictor–DOC responses. We found that the DOC concentration was significantly coherent with (and lagging behind) flow from a large upstream mesotrophic reservoir at long (> 18-month) timescales. DOC was also coherent with (lagging behind) sulfate and in phase with total phosphorus, ammonium, and chlorophyll a concentrations at short (≤ 18-month) timescales across the 30-year record. These variables accounted for 56 % of the deviance in DOC from 1990 to 2019, suggesting that water-source and in-lake nutrient and solute chemistry are effective predictors of the DOC concentration. Clearly, climate and changes in water and catchment management will influence source-water quality in this already water-scarce region. Our results highlight the importance of flow management to shallow eutrophic reservoirs; wet periods can exacerbate water quality issues, and these effects can be compounded by reducing inflows from systems with lower DOC. These flow management decisions address water level and flood risk concerns but also have important impacts on drinking water treatability. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Research funding for this work was provided by the NSERC Discovery Grants program (to Helen M. Baulch and Colin J. Whitfield) and an NSERC Graduate Scholarship – master's program (to Anthony A. P. Baron). Funding was also provided through an academic–industry partnership with the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant supported by the Mitacs Accelerate program, along with ongoing funding of the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant for operations. Additional funding was provided through the Career Launcher Internship program, offered by Colleges and Institutes Canada as part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment and Skills Strategy. | |
| dc.description.version | Peer Reviewed | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Baron, A. A. P., Baulch, H. M., Nazemi, A., & Whitfield, C. J. (2025). Novel statistical analysis illustrates the importance of flow source for extreme variation in dissolved organic carbon in a eutrophic reservoir in the Great Plains. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 29(5), 1449–1468. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1449-2025 | |
| dc.identifier.doi | https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1449-2025 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10388/16809 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | European Geosciences Union | |
| dc.rights | Attribution 2.5 Canada | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ca/ | |
| dc.subject | water quality | |
| dc.subject | Dissolved organic carbon | |
| dc.subject | flow management | |
| dc.title | Novel statistical analysis illustrates the importance of flow source for extreme variation in dissolved organic carbon in a eutrophic reservoir in the Great Plains | |
| dc.type | Article |