Abstract
A recently restored riparian wetland is being evaluated as a bioremediation site for nutrients moving downslope from an animal waste application site. In question is the short-term effectiveness of the restored wetland in enhancing the quality of the water leaving the site. Networks of shallow ground-water wells and surface runoff collectors are being used to monitor nutrients concentrations and nutrient assimilation as surface and grounds water moves through the wetland. A 450-mm H-flume at the wetland outlet measures the quantity and quality of surface-water discharged from the wetland. Runoff is sampled at two locations entering the wetland and at two locations near the stream flow. At each location, the runoff is collected in a gutter, passed through a flume, and redistributed through a slotted gutter. Composite samples from each runoff event are collected with a low-cost automated sampler and analyzed for NO3-N, NH4-N, TKN, PO4-P, Total P, and Cl. Recorded hydrographs are used to determine total runoff volume and peak runoff rates of each runoff event. The runoff collectors have operated reliably and seem to be quantifying both hydrologic characteristics of runoff events and nutrient concentration changes in surface runoff as it migrate through the wetland. The simple design, low cost, and dependability of the runoff collection and automated sampling system make it suitable for a variety of research and industrial applications.
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Vellidis, G., Lowrance, R. & Smith, M.C. A quantitative approach for measuring N and P concentration changes in surface runoff from a restored riparian forest wetland. Wetlands 14, 73–81 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160623
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160623