Sediment oxygen demand in a constructed lake in south-eastern Australia

The occurrence of hypoxia and anoxia in aquatic environments is increasing, driven by changes in land use and alteration of flow regimes. Periods of low oxygen impact biodiversity and water quality for both recreational and consumptive users. We use the Torrens Lake as a case study to assess pelagic, benthic and resuspended sediment oxygen demand, and the release of sediment bound phosphorus to determine the relative role of internal and external loading on water quality in a lake within a heavily urbanised landscape. Our results indicate temporal shifts in the dominant oxygen demanding process in the lake. During periods of no-inflow, sediment oxygen demand is the dominant process; during periods of inflow resulting from wet weather conditions, pelagic rather than sediment derived oxygen demand becomes the governing process. The inlet end of the lake is a depositional zone for stormwater borne sediments. Resuspended sediments at the inlet end of the lake exert a higher oxygen demand than those from the outlet, and represent a larger pool of potentially mobile phosphorus compared to sediments at the outlet end of the lake. However, external rather than internal loading appears to be the dominant driver of water quality in this lake. •The results indicate temporal shifts in the dominant oxygen demanding process in the lake.•Sediment oxygen demand is the dominant process during periods of no-inflow.•Pelagic oxygen demand is the governing process during periods of inflow.•Resuspended sediments at the inlet end of the lake exert a higher oxygen demand than those from the outlet.•External rather than internal loading appears to be the dominant driver of water quality in this lake.