Phytoplankton pigments as ecological state indices of the Cheboksary Reservoir

Data on the composition and content of plant pigments in water of the Cheboksary Reservoir collected in 1985–2005 are used to analyze the seasonal dynamics and spatial distribution of phytoplankton at different stages of reservoir life. A trophic burst could be distinctly seen in the reservoir in 1985, manifesting itself in exceedingly high (198 ± 41 μg/l) concentrations of photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll. In the process of ecosystem stabilization, chlorophyll concentration significantly dropped to vary from 8.2 ± 1.5 to 45.1 ± 21.0 μg/l in 1989–2005. The reservoir, located in a region subject to high anthropogenic load, has acquired the features of an eutrophic water body immediately after its creation and its trophic status remains unchanged all over its existence.