Changes of phosphorus delivery from Yangtze River to Dongting Lake under new water and sediment conditions

Abstract Impounding the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) has altered the water-sediment transportation regime in the Yangtze River (YR) downstream, with inevitable effects on phosphorus (P) transport behavior in river-connected lakes. In this study, we investigate the characteristics of water, suspended sediment (SS), and P transportation, adsorption, and bioavailability at the three inlets along YR diverted to Dongting Lake through field surveys, adsorption experiments, and historical data analysis. The results showed that P transportation was significantly correlated with sediment (p