River Bank Materials as a Source and as Carriers of Phosphorus to Lake Pepin

Lake Pepin, a natural impoundment on the Upper Mississippi River, has water quality problems of high sedimentation rates and elevated phosphorus (P) levels. The majority of sediments in Lake Pepin come from river banks consisting of fine tills in the Minnesota River Basin. Since 1850, inorganic P concentrations in lake sediments have continuously increased. This study explored whether the increase in inorganic P concentrations can be explained through selective transport of fine particles combined with in-stream P adsorption. The measurements included total P (TP) content, P adsorption/desorption isotherms, and the solution equilibrium P concentration at zero adsorption (EPC) for various bank materials. Results showed that till bank materials are inherently high in TP (>400 mg kg), have strong P binding ability, and have low EPC (