Influence of glacial landform hydrology on phosphorus budgets of shallow lakes on the Boreal Plain, Canada

- Hydrogeological influence on lake phosphorus concentrations on Boreal Plain.
- High phosphorus concentrations in lakes located on fine-textured landforms.
- Low phosphorus concentrations in lakes located on coarse-textured landform.
- Wetland groundwater phosphorus concentrations greater than mineral groundwater.
- Lake phosphorus budgets reflect lake connectivity to surrounding source waters.

SummaryA comparative study of three shallow lake catchments in contrasting glacial landscapes (coarse-textured outwash, fine-textured-till hummocky moraines and glacio-lacustrine clay-till plains) demonstrated a distinct landform control on the proportion and type of surface and groundwater sources influencing total phosphorus ([P]) and total dissolved phosphorus ([DP]) concentrations, and P budgets of lakes on the Boreal Plain of the Western Boreal Forest, Alberta, Canada. Lakes located on fine-textured landforms had high [P] and [DP] (median 148 and 148 μg L−1 glacio-lacustrine plains; 99 and 63 μg L−1 moraine, respectively) linked to shallow groundwater loadings from near-surface peat with high [P] from adjacent wetlands. In contrast, the lowest lake [P] and [DP] (median 50 and 11 μg L−1, respectively) occurred on the coarse-textured landform, reflecting greater inputs of deep mineral-groundwater with low [P] from quartz-rich substrates. Annual lake P budgets reflected lake connectivity to the surrounding landform and relative contributions of P by surface versus groundwater. They also reflected distinct scales of groundwater (larger-scale versus short, shallow-flow paths) with differing [P] between landform types and occurrence of internal biogeochemical P cycling within landforms. A regional lake survey reflected trends from the catchment-scale, linking landform type to potential P sources as well as topographic position to potential trophic status across the Boreal Plain. Together, the results provide a conceptual framework for the scale of interactions between lakes and surrounding source waters influencing P loadings in differing hydrogeological landscapes, important to management strategies and predicting impacts of land-use disturbances on productivity of Boreal Plain lakes.