Macrophyte Growth in Shallow Streams: Biomass Model

An assessment was made of the water quality and the magnitude of growth of rooted aquatic macrophytes in a nutrient‐enriched, shallow stream system in order to provide a basis for evaluating the recovery of the ecosystem following the implementation of a program of phosphorus removal. Field investigations defined the temporal and spatial changes of plant biomass in selected study sections. A model to predict changes in macrophyte biomass as a function of varying environmental factors including nutrient flux was developed, calibrated and validated. The potential of the biomass model as a management tool to assess the impact of nutrient reductions on stream oxygen budgets was demonstrated.