Studies on water movements and sediments in Southern Lake Michigan : part 1[-3] ... / by John C. Ayers.

Vt o = 0.01 = e-00026
In 0.01 = -.00026x
x = 17,712 days or 48.5 years
to flush out 99% of the southern basin volume.
Taking these two values as indicative of minimum and maximum
flushing times, we may indicate a mean first approximation flushing time for the southern basin of Lake Michigan as being of the
order of 26 years.
Comparison to Solute Accumulations
With regard to flushing characteristics three major types of
water bodies may be recognized. One, typified by Great Salt Lake
which has no outlet, may be called "basins of almost total accumulation." A second, typified by the usual river or stream, may
be called "basins of almost no accumulations." The third, typified by the usual lake with an outlet and inlet(s), may be called
"basins of partial accumulation."
Each basin is considered to lose some of the solutes contributed to it by 1) incorporation of solutes in its sediments
and by 2) incorporation of solutes into biological products completely removed by man or predators.
In basins of almost total accumulation the sum of solutes
present, plus those lost by the two means indicated, is about the
total that has been contributed, and flushing time approaches
infinity.
In basins of almost no accumulation (streams) the watervolume and solute contents of the basin (bed) are essentially
equaled by those of the influent coming in in the next unit of

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