Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID LA_2025_Deng

Modelling Interaction and Impact of Watershed-Scale Nutrient Loading on Lake Pontchartrain Water Quality

Institute: Louisiana
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $18,919 Total Non-Federal Funds: $19,296

Principal Investigators: Zhiqiang Deng

Project Summary: Excessive nutrient loading is the leading cause of toxic cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs). The proposed project aims to develop a watershed process-based CyanoHAB management tool for the Pontchartrain Conservancy and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality through the identification of important time lags of nitrogen and phosphorus loadings that are highly correlated with the formation and abundance of CyanoHAB, identification of critical nutrient source areas, and the development of a process-based CyanoHAB forecasting model. The modeling results can be employed by water quality monitoring programs to implement BMPs in critical sources areas for the mitigation of nutrient loadings and thereby CyanoHABs in Lake Pontchartrain, reducing CyanoHAB-related human health problems and thus protecting public health. In addition, the project provides research and educational training opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students.