Spatiotemporal variation of phosphorus in the Three Gorges Reservoir: impact of upstream cascade reservoirs

The impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) and upstream cascade reservoirs (UCRs) has altered the hydrologic regime, with inevitable effects on phosphorus transport processes in the TGR. In order to investigate the effects of impoundment, long-term monitoring data of flow rate, suspended sediment (SS), and phosphorus fractions of six stations in the TGR basin were collected and divided into three periods, period 1 (P1) (1985–2002), period 2 (P2) (2003–2012), and period 3 (P3) (2013–2017), based on the periodic impoundment time. The results indicated that the impoundment of the TGR and UCRs considerably decreased the SS concentration. Efficient sediment interception by the UCRs led to a dramatic decline in the concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and particulate phosphorus (PP) in the mainstream, while the total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) showed a general increasing trend from 2004 to 2017. Different phosphorus fractions in the mainstream exhibited seasonal variations; among them, the concentrations of TP and PP were highest in the wet season, while the highest TDP concentration occurred in the dry season. Further analysis indicated that the seasonal distribution of TP was significantly homogenized in P3. Additionally, the SS concentration was positively correlated with the concentrations of TP and PP in the mainstream, while the correlations in P3 were significantly lower than that in P2. The findings can provide a scientific reference for future investigations dedicated to the long-term effects of the UCRs on the eco-environment in the TGR as well as the downstream.