APPLICATION OF LAVSOE, AN EUTROPHICATION MODEL, TO BLOEMHOF DAM

Abstract

In 1985 the Department of Water Affairs introduced an effluent phosphate standard of 1 mg l⁻¹ (as P) in seven potentially sensitive catchments. Although this is an uniform standard, permits can be granted for effluents to exceed the standard in cases where it can be shown that the impact of the effluent on the water environment will be negligible. This policy requires the ability to predict the trophic response of waterbodies to different P loads. Two types of models were evaluated for this purpose; i.e., simple mass balance models and complex ecological models. This paper reports the results of a study undertaken to evaluate one of the complex ecological models.