Utah Lake Nutrient Cycling Studies: Limnocorral Usage and Experiments

Abstract

Limnocorrals are a tool that can be used to create simplified water columns, or mesocosms, in which to conduct experiments and to help further understand aspects of the water column such as nutrient cycling. Six limnocorrals were installed in Utah Lake in 2021 and monitored closely from May through November. While the limnocorrals performed well as mesocosms, there were structural issues, and the corrals were significantly damaged. Methods were developed to strengthen the limnocorrals, mitigate damage, and reinstall the corrals. All experiences with the limnocorrals, what types of damage they experienced, how this was addressed, and information on the performance of the limnocorrals was reported. Performance was evaluated by comparing the geochemical environment of the corrals with the lake, and by performing studies to quantify water residence time in the corrals.