 |
| Phosphorus (P) differs from the above redox-sensitive elements in that
a significant proportion of its transport to the Salton Sea is associated
with attachment to suspended sediment. Agricultural tail water and resuspension
from the riverbed are sources of suspended sediment in the
rivers. Positive correlation
between P and suspended sediment is illustrated by data for the Alamo River
at Drop 3. Discharge of wastewater from Mexicali, immediately upstream from Calexico, results in a negative correlation (decrease
in P with increase in suspended sediment) indicative of dilution from the
point source. However, as the New River traverses the Imperial Valley to
its outlet at the Salton Sea, it increasingly acquires characteristics similar
to those of the Alamo River. |
Poster 12 of 16