| Summary: | The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of soil erosion as a factor in lake pollution and in particular the transport of phosphorus from field soils to streams and lakes in association with mobile sediment. Four land uses were selected as representative of the Slapton Ley catchment area to investigate the levels of phosphorus in the soil. The surface soil samples from the selected land use areas were analysed to determine the water-soluble phosphorus level in solution and exchangeable phosphorus level in sediment. Twelve experimental plots were studied in order to assess the erosional effects of overland flow and thus to determine the level of phosphorus from different land uses which may be influencing the eutrophication of the lake. It was concluded that slope angle, vegetation cover, surficial soil properties, animal influence and agricultural practice are the main factors influencing sediment transportation by overland flow. Estimated results for the agricultural fields indicated that the actual phosphorus loss to the Ley is always greater in sediment than solution and actual phosphorus loss in sediment is greater in arable (root) and cereal than in grass. The point water samples (136) from 13 different sources were grouped. Mean value of phosphorus concentration from the point sources indicated that the agricultural land uses such as arable and cereal provide 2 times more exchangeable phosphorus attached to sediment than the other land uses whereas farm and sewage provided 5 times more soluble phosphorus in water than other sources. Phosphorus concentration during peak discharge was examined for the Cara catchment. The results indicated that the ratio of phosphorus concentration in suspended sediment to phosphorus concentration in water is 240: 0.3 and that there is a linear relationship between phosphorus in water and phosphorus in sediment during the peak discharge. Sediment phosphorus levels in the marsh area were also examined. The results indicated that the top layers of the marsh sediment particularly at the surface, have higher phosphorus concentration than the lower layers and that there are higher levels in sediment than in water. From these results the conclusion was drawn that the soluble phosphorus in water is at highest concentration in sewage works effluent. However this effluent contributes a small proportion of phosphorus load to the Ley compared with the arable (root), cereal and grass lands in the catchment. Agricultural sources, particularly arable sources such as root and cereal play an important role on soil erosion as a factor in lake pollution and in particular in the transport of phosphorus from field soils to streams and lakes in association with mobile sediment in the Slapton Ley catchment.
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