Spatio-temporal variability of porewater phosphorus concentrations in streambed sediments of an agricultural stream

Abstract

Streambed sediment and groundwater represent important stores of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in freshwater catchments yet their contributions to watershed SRP loads remain unclear. This study evaluates the spatio-temporal variability and geochemical and hydrologic controls on porewater SRP in the streambed along an agricultural reach, including the influence of groundwater-surface water interactions. High porewater SRP (>1000 µg/L) and high available sediment-bound SRP were observed in low groundwater discharge zones, specifically in the shallow (≤0.1 m) streambed sediments. Porewater SRP concentrations were linked to iron and possibly manganese redox cycling with more-reducing conditions consistently coinciding with high SRP. Porewater SRP varied temporally but distinct seasonal changes across the stream reach were not observed. A shallow oxic cap that may limit SRP release to the stream was observed in the very shallow streambed but its presence was spatially and temporally discontinuous. Finally, data indicate P-rich shallow streambed sediments are the likely source of the observed high SRP porewater concentrations in the streambed rather than incoming groundwater from the adjacent fields. Overall, the findings highlight the complexity of SRP dynamics in agricultural streambeds and provide insight into processes governing the timing and location of SRP loading streams.