Changes in water quality and ecosystem processes at extreme summer low flow of 2018 with high-frequency sensors

Abstract. The frequency and severity of summer droughts in Central Europe are expected to increase due to climate change, resulting in more frequent extreme summer low-flow events that significantly impact water quality and ecosystem processes. Despite the urgency of this issue, studies utilizing high-frequency measurements to analyze these effects remain scarce. This study focuses on the Lower Bode, a 27.4 km 6th-order agricultural stream in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, equipped with 15 min interval water quality measurement stations at both ends. The stream experienced extreme low-flow conditions during the summer of 2018. We compared water quality and ecosystem variables from 2018 to those of the 2014–2017 summers using the Kruskal–Wallis test. Results showed that water temperature and chlorophyll-a concentrations were significantly higher during the extreme low-flow event, while dissolved oxygen and nitrate concentrations were significantly lower. Diurnal dissolved oxygen fluctuations were more pronounced, with gross primary productivity (GPP) significantly elevated. Benthic algae were the dominant contributors to the increase in GPP (95 %), with phytoplankton accounting for the remaining 5 %. Ecosystem respiration also increased significantly, resulting in near-zero net productivity and a shift towards a less heterotrophic state. While net nitrate uptake rates remained consistent with previous years, the percentage of nitrate removed increased significantly, suggesting enhanced nitrate removal efficiency. This was driven by an increase in gross nitrate uptake, predominantly through benthic algae assimilation, highlighting a strengthened internal nutrient cycle during extreme low flow. Our findings provide new insights into water quality and instream ecosystem processes under extreme low-flow conditions, enhancing our understanding of potential future impacts under climate change.