HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (22) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Casey, R. E. Articles by Klaine, S. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Casey, R. E. Articles by Klaine, S. J. GeoRef GeoRef Citation Agricola Articles by Casey, R. E. Articles by Klaine, S. J. Related Collections Water Quality Wetlands and Aquatic Processes Nutrient Management Water Pollution

TECHNICAL REPORT
Wetlands and Aquatic Processes

Nutrient Attenuation by a Riparian Wetland during Natural and Artificial Runoff Events

^a Dep. of Chemistry, Environmental Science and Studies Program, Towson Univ., 8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21252
^b Dep. of Environmental Toxicology, Clemson Univ., Clemson, SC 29670

* Corresponding author (racasey{at}towson.edu)

Received for publication September 22, 2000. Due to chronic nutrient enrichment of surface water, wetlands adjacent to land managed with fertilizer have been studied to determine their role in nutrient dynamics. We sampled golf course runoff and determined the loads of NO^-₃ and PO^3-₄ transported during storms and the attenuation of those loads when runoff passed through a riparian wetland. All sampled storm events contained NO^-₃ (2 to 1470 g NO₃–N per event) and PO^3-₄ (1 to 4156 g PO₄–P per event). Extensive nutrient attenuation occurred when water passed through the riparian wetland. In 11 events, NO^-₃ and PO^3-₄ attenuation averaged 80 and 74%, respectively. In subsequent experiments, we created a stream of water flowing into the wetland and amended it with NO^-₃, PO^3-₄ and Br^-, creating an artificial runoff event. The experiments were conducted using conditions similar to those of natural runoff events. We observed rapid and complete attenuation of PO^3-₄ immediately after runoff water infiltrated into the wetland subsurface. No PO^3-₄ was observed in discharge from the wetland. Nitrate attenuation occurred following a lag phase of several hours that was probably due to reactivation of denitrifying enzymes. Nitrate attenuation was initially less than 60% but increased to 100% in all experiments. We observed extensive dilution of runoff water in the wetland subsurface indicating mixing with pre-event ground water in the wetland. The results indicated that intermittent inputs of NO^-₃ and PO^3-₄ could be successfully attenuated in the wetland on the time scale of natural storm events.

Abbreviations: ARE, artificial runoff event • LOQ, limit of quantitation

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Vellidis, R. Lowrance, P. Gay, and R. K. Hubbard Nutrient Transport in a Restored Riparian Wetland J. Environ. Qual., March 1, 2003; 32(2): 711 - 726. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. E. Casey, M. D. Taylor, and S. J. Klaine Mechanisms of Nutrient Attenuation in a Subsurface Flow Riparian Wetland J. Environ. Qual., September 1, 2001; 30(5): 1732 - 1737. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]