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The Determination of Minimum Flows for Sulphur Springs, Tampa

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DRAFT<br />

<strong>The</strong>se plots indicate that historically color, pH, nutrients and suspended solids were<br />

higher and dissolved oxygen concentrations were lower than at present. For several <strong>of</strong><br />

the parameters, an apparent change in water quality occurred during 1995-1997. For<br />

example, Figure 2-28 illustrates the temporal change in nitrate nitrogen and that is<br />

typical <strong>of</strong> several parameters. Nitrate (NO 3 -N), nitrite (NO 2 -N), total Kjeldahl nitrogen<br />

(TKN), total nitrogen (TN), and total suspended solids (TSS) exhibit apparent<br />

concentration maxima during this period. By contrast, concentration minima appear in<br />

the BOD and turbidity time series. A non-parametric (Kruskal-Wallis) comparison <strong>of</strong><br />

1996 or earlier concentrations with 1997 or newer concentrations was completed to<br />

determine if the apparent differences be<strong>for</strong>e and after was statistically significant at the<br />

p < 0.05 level. Table 2-4 provides these results and indicates that <strong>for</strong> most parameters<br />

the apparent visual difference is also statistically significant.<br />

NO3-N (mg/l)<br />

1.00<br />

0.10<br />

1990<br />

1991<br />

1992<br />

1993<br />

1994<br />

1995<br />

1996<br />

1997<br />

Year<br />

1998<br />

1999<br />

2000<br />

2001<br />

2002<br />

2003<br />

Figure 2-28. Temporal trend in nitrate nitrogen in the <strong>Sulphur</strong> <strong>Springs</strong><br />

Pool <strong>for</strong> 1991-2003 (three values not shown).<br />

A second inflection period appears to have occurred in 1999-2000. This period<br />

represents concentration minima <strong>for</strong> total organic carbon (TOC), color, dissolved<br />

oxygen, nitrite and potentially ortho-phosphate phosphorus, although the latter may be<br />

an artifact <strong>of</strong> a lower analytical detection limit. During the same period, turbidity and<br />

possibly BOD reached period <strong>of</strong> record maxima, although the BOD results may also be<br />

a detection limit artifact.<br />

2 -35

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