Journal article
Nitrate loss in Saylorville Lake reservoir in Iowa
Journal of hydrology (Amsterdam), Vol.513, pp.1-6
05/26/2014
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.03.037
Abstract
•We conduct mass balance analyses for riverine nitrate passing through a reservoir.•Our results are consistent with others spanning a wide range of retention times.•Percent nitrate removal is a predictable function of hydraulic loading rate.•Mass nitrate removal is a function of percent removal and mass loading.•These results apply to reservoirs having moderate to high input concentrations.
Few studies have quantified nitrate-nitrogen reductions in rivers flowing through large flood control reservoirs despite their potential role in helping to meet nitrate-N load reduction targets. In this study, we evaluated a 26-year record of nitrate-N monitoring in Saylorville Lake reservoir that impounds the Des Moines River in central Iowa to estimate the annual mass of nitrate-N removed and evaluate controls on inter-annual patterns of nitrate-N removal rates. Results from mass balance calculations indicate a nitrate mass loss of 4.9% over the 26year period from 1986 through 2011. The annual percent nitrate mass removed is related to hydraulic loading rate with low flow years having longer retention times removing a significantly greater percentage of nitrate than is removed during high flow years with low retention times. Average annual residence times varied from 3.5 to 74days with a 26year average of 9.7days. Nitrate removal results for Saylorville Lake agree well with published work for several other reservoirs which together encompass a broad range of nitrate removal rates. Combining data from Saylorville Lake with other published studies, a relationship between nitrate-N removal rate and hydraulic loading rate was developed resulting in a predictive equation with a model R2=0.92.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Nitrate loss in Saylorville Lake reservoir in Iowa
- Creators
- Greg A. Stenback - Iowa State UniversityWilliam G. Crumpton - Iowa State UniversityKeith E. Schilling - United States Geological Survey
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of hydrology (Amsterdam), Vol.513, pp.1-6
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.03.037
- ISSN
- 0022-1694
- eISSN
- 1879-2707
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/26/2014
- Academic Unit
- Earth and Environmental Sciences; IIHR--Hydroscience and Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984383900002771
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