Estimation of Sediment Rates and Life of Sagar Lake Using Radiometric Dating Techniques

Sagar Lake is situated in the middle of the Sagar City in the Vindhyan terrain of Bundelkhand region of India at an elevation of 517 m above mean sea level. The lake surface area and volume are 145 × 10<Superscript>4</Superscript> m<Superscript>2</Superscript> and 389 × 10<Superscript>4</Superscript> m<Superscript>3</Superscript> at full tank level. Sedimentation rates and pattern in the lake have been estimated using <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs and <Superscript>210</Superscript>Pb radiometric dating techniques. The lake has been subdivided into eight zones on the basis of sedimentation rate and under water topography. The sedimentation rate in the lake has been found to vary between 0.30 and 1.08 cm/a depending upon the location. The estimated mean sedimentation rate is 0.58 ± 0.028 cm/a. The observed sedimentation pattern reveals that the sedimentation rate decreases from near shore to far shore and minimum at the deepest part of the lake. The estimated useful life of the lake based on Post-1964 average sedimentation rate is around 467 ± 23 years. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2008