Transport and fate of nitrate at the ground-water/surface-water interface

Puckett, L. J.; Zamora, C.; Essaid, H.; Wilson, J. T.; Johnson, H. M.; Brayton, M. J.; Vogel, J. R.

Abstract:

Although numerous studies of hyporheic exchange and denitrification have been conducted in pristine, high-gradient streams, few studies of this type have been conducted in nutrient-rich, low-gradient streams. This is a particularly important subject given the interest in nitrogen (N) inputs to the Gulf of Mexico and other eutrophic aquatic systems. A combination of hydrologic, mineralogical, chemical, dissolved gas, and isotopic data, were used to determine the processes controlling transport and fate of NO3- in streambeds at five sites across the USA. Water samples were collected from streambeds at depths ranging from 0.3 to 3 m at three to five points across the stream and in two to five separate transects. Residence times of water ranging from 0.28 to 34.7 d m-1 in the streambeds of N-rich watersheds played an important role in allowing denitrification to decrease NO3- concentrations. Where potential electron donors were limited and residence times were short, denitrification was limited. Consequently, in spite of reducing conditions at some sites, NO3- was transported into the stream. At two of the five study sites, NO3- in surface water infiltrated the streambeds and concentrations decreased, supporting current models that NO3- would be retained in N-rich streams. At the other three study sites, hydrogeologic controls limited or prevented infiltration of surface water into the streambed, and ground-water discharge contributed to NO 3- loads. Our results also show that in these low hydrologic-gradient systems, storm and other high-flow events can be important factors for increasing surface-water movement into streambeds. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

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Article

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70033493

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Puckett, L. J.; Zamora, C.; Essaid, H.; Wilson, J. T.; Johnson, H. M.; Brayton, M. J.; Vogel, J. R.

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1050

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English

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Journal of Environmental Quality

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Transport and fate of nitrate at the ground-water/surface-water interface; 2008; Article; Journal; Journal of Environmental Quality; Puckett, L. J.; Zamora, C.; Essaid, H.; Wilson, J. T.; Johnson, H. M.; Brayton, M. J.; Vogel, J. R.