Limnological Characterization of the Tristate Oxbow Wetland (Ohio, Indiana)

Author Institution: Department of Botany, Miami UniversityWe conducted a limnological study in bodies of water (Oxbow Lake, North Pond, Great Miami River, Ohio River) comprising the Tristate Oxbow Wetland region of southwestern Ohio and southeastern Indiana. This wetland, an extensive and important wildlife habitat located at the confluence of the Great Miami River and the Ohio River, is a region that has been and may in the future be impacted by industrial and commercial development. The present data suggest that Oxbow Lake and North Pond are strongly influenced by seasonal flooding patterns and resultant nutrient loading from the Great Miami River and the Ohio River. On the basis of physico-chemical and biological parameters, Oxbow Lake can be classified as a eutrophic to hypereutrophic system, while North Pond is mesotrophic to eutrophic