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Impacts of Inflow Quantity and Quality from Baidu Port on Algal Dynamics and Water Quality in Zhushan Lake

Authors

  • Jun Lu Email ORCID Jiangsu Provincial Hydrological and Water Resources Survey Bureau,Nanjing 210029,China
  • Fanfan Kong ORCID Jiangsu Provincial Hydrological and Water Resources Survey Bureau,Nanjing 210029,China
  • Hui Gong Changzhou Branch,Jiangsu Provincial Hydrological and Water Resources Survey Bureau,Changzhou 213001,China
  • Cancan Li Jiangsu Taihu Lake Water Conservancy Planning and Design Institute Co.,Ltd.,Suzhou 215103,China
  • Hao Yang College of Hydrology and Water Resources,Hohai University,Nanjing 210024,China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i9.117363

Received:29 July 2026 |Revised:25 August 2026 |Accepted:28 August 2026 |Published Online:30 September 2026

Abstract

Inflow to shallow, semi-enclosed lake bays may alter hydrodynamic conditions and simultaneously transport nutrients that may mitigate or exacerbate eutrophication. This paper studies the relationship between the inflow of water from Baidu Port to Zhushan Lake and the density of algae and water quality of Zhushan Lake during 2019–2024. Hydrological records and monitoring data on total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and algal density were assessed using time trend analysis, range analysis and partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM) with separate models for wet and dry season conditions. Annual inflow increased after 2022: the 2022–2024 mean was approximately 1,109 × 106 m3 higher than the pre-2022 mean, and the inflow reached 2,546 × 106 m3 in 2024. Lake TN and TP declined during the study period. TP was 0.083 mg L−1 in 2024, 45.8% lower than in 2019, and TN was 2.19 mg L−1 in 2024, 18.3% lower than in 2019. The density of algae also declined in 2022–2023, but subsequently rose again in 2024, showing that the response was not consistently monotonic. The annual ranges of TP and TN became narrower after 2022, indicating lower temporal variability. The PLS-PM revealed significant negative relationships between hydrological conditions related to inflow and nutrient concentrations, with stronger nutrient-reduction pathways in the dry season. Nutrient levels at Baidu Port were positively related to algal density, especially under dry conditions. These results suggest that water-diversion management should consider the quantity and quality of nutrients in the inflow, but also that the observational modelling supports links between pathways rather than definitive causal attributions.

Keywords:

Baidu Port,Zhushan Lake,Inflow Volume,Water Quality,Algae Density,PLS-PM

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Issue

2026 Vol.8 No.9

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Article

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Copyright © 2026 Jun Lu, Fanfan Kong, Hui Gong, Cancan Li, Hao Yang

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