What is Lake retention time?
'''Lake retention time''' (also called the '''residence time''' of lake water, or the '''water age''' or '''flushing time''') is the calculated [[mean|average]] time that water (or a [[Solvation|dissolved]] substance) spends in a [[lake]]. At its simplest this figure is the result of [[Division (mathematics)|dividing]] the lake [[volume]] by the [[Inflow|flow in]] or [[Discharge (hydrology)|out]] of the lake. It describes the amount of time that is needed for a substance to flow in and out of a lake. {{science-stub}} [[Category:Lakes]]