Effect of flow velocity on phytoplankton biomass and composition in a freshwater lake Original Research Article

Water flow has been widely accepted as a target to suppress algae blooms. However, the effectiveness of the flow regulation is unclear due to lack of hard evidences to illuminate the direct cause–effect relationship between hydrodynamic forces and algae growth. In this study, a field observation at a freshwater lake was conducted weekly or biweekly from July 2007 to December 2009. Phytoplankton biomass and composition were investigated at flow velocities of 0.03 m/s, 0.06 m/s, 0.10 m/s, 0.15 m/s and 0.30 m/s in field enclosure experiments. The results from the field observation indicated that phytoplankton biomass and spatial distribution largely depend on the flow condition. A strong negative correlation (R2 = − 0.618, n = 222, P < 0.001) was found between Chl-a concentration and flow velocity. The results of enclosure experiments showed that turbulent flow has the inhibition effect on phytoplankton biomass, but less impact on composition. The average Chl-a concentrations in the flowing enclosures were 20.3%–37.5% lower than that in their corresponding still water enclosures during the entire experiment period. Shear stress within pumps might have caused up to 10% of cell damage. The present study highlights that a universal critical velocity for suppressing algae growth probably does not exist in freshwater bodies, for each has its unique physical, chemical and ecological characteristics. It is therefore suggested that sufficient experiments should be conducted for each water body before a critical flow condition is applied to reduce the algae bloom occurrence.