Sediment Transfer through the Fluvial System (Proceedings of a symposium held in Moscow, August 2004). IAHS Publ. 288, 2004, 466–473

Abstract Total phosphorus (TP) concentrations, suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) and wash load have been measured at three river monitoring stations in the River Varde Å system since 1998. This provides the possibility of studying the link between SSC and wash load and concentrations of TP. Transport rates of TP, suspended sediment and wash load at the three stations, calculated using rating curves, indicate the dependence of TP transport on the transport of suspended sediment and wash load. Two stations are located on tributaries flowing upstream of the third station located at a weir at the end of a small impoundment. Transport rates at the upstream stations were 57% higher for suspended sediment and 27% higher for wash load than at the downstream station, while transport of TP was the same. This indicates that phosphorus is transported adhered to the finest grain size fractions that do not deposit in the impoundment.

Key words Denmark; phosphorus transport; rating curve; river system; River Varde Å; sediment transport; suspended sediment; wash load