Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Comparing A Georgia Reservoir With Solar-Powered Mixers To Another Without Mixers: Assessing Thermal And Oxygen Saturation And Nutrient Dispersion, Melissa Hage, Jordan Hasty, Hannah Miller

Georgia Journal of Science

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been increasing over the last 50 years due to anthropogenic nutrient enrichment and increasing temperatures. One HAB control method is the use of solar-powered mixers. In this study we investigated the timing of thermal stratification, depth of the thermocline and oxycline, and dispersion of nutrients within the water column by comparing two reservoirs in Georgia, U.S.A. over a three-year period – Lake Varner (LV), which utilizes mixers, and Hard Labor Creek Reservoir (HLCR), which does not. Our data show that the onset of thermal stratification is within ± 2 days and appears at the same …