The physical and biological structure of the water column in Lake Vanda and the influences to it from the inflow of the Onyx River

The rise was largely attributed to increased flows in its only significant inflow, the Onyx River. Prior to the first flows of the season of the Onyx River into Lake Vanda, the physical structure of the lake water column, the penetration of radiation into the lake, the composition, biomass and activity of the microbial communities, and the distribution of biologically important chemicals (nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen and inorganic carbon) was determined.

How these factors changed over short time periods was monitored and how they changed when the river began to flow into the lake was determined. The path taken by water as it entered the lake and the concentrations of suspended sediments and dissolved nutrients in this inflowing water was determined. A network of sampling stations on Lake Vanda and a grid of stations spreading out from the eastern (inflow) end was established.