Environmental setting of Maple Creek watershed, Nebraska

Fredrick, Brian S.; Linard, Joshua; Carpenter, Jennifer L.

doi:10.3133/sir20065037

Cited by 17 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Land use in the study area is predominantly agricultural, comprising corn, soybeans [ Glycine max (L.) Merr. ], and alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.); N use in the watershed in 2003 was estimated to be 4666 Mg (Fredrick et al, 2006) or about 51 kg ha −1 Glacial till and Quaternary‐age loess mantles the hills and forms terraces over sand and gravel deposits that make up the primary aquifer materials. Soils are fine‐textured aeolian sand, silt, and loess.…”

Section: Site Descriptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transport and Fate of Nitrate at the Ground‐Water/Surface‐Water Interface

Puckett¹,

Zamora²,

Essaid

et al. 2008

J of Env Quality

111

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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 NO3− 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.

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Section: Site Descriptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transport and Fate of Nitrate at the Ground‐Water/Surface‐Water Interface

Puckett¹,

Zamora²,

Essaid

et al. 2008

J of Env Quality

111

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“…Estimates of streambed flux were made near the mouth of Maple Creek, a 956‐km 2 watershed in eastern Nebraska. This is a glaciated watershed with loess, till, and alluvium at the surface (Fredrick et al, 2006). Till is the predominant material in the upland areas of the watershed but is absent or present only as thin lenses in the lower Maple Creek valley.…”

Section: Leary Weber Ditch Indianamentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Heat to Characterize Streambed Water Flux Variability in Four Stream Reaches

Essaid

Zamora²,

McCarthy

et al. 2008

J of Env Quality

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Estimates of streambed water flux are needed for the interpretation of streambed chemistry and reactions. Continuous temperature and head monitoring in stream reaches within four agricultural watersheds (Leary Weber Ditch, IN; Maple Creek, NE; DR2 Drain, WA; and Merced River, CA) allowed heat to be used as a tracer to study the temporal and spatial variability of fluxes through the streambed. Synoptic methods (seepage meter and differential discharge measurements) were compared with estimates obtained by using heat as a tracer. Water flux was estimated by modeling one‐dimensional vertical flow of water and heat using the model VS2DH. Flux was influenced by physical heterogeneity of the stream channel and temporal variability in stream and ground‐water levels. During most of the study period (April–December 2004), flux was upward through the streambeds. At the IN, NE, and CA sites, high‐stage events resulted in rapid reversal of flow direction inducing short‐term surface‐water flow into the streambed. During late summer at the IN site, regional ground‐water levels dropped, leading to surface‐water loss to ground water that resulted in drying of the ditch. Synoptic measurements of flux generally supported the model flux estimates. Water flow through the streambed was roughly an order of magnitude larger in the humid basins (IN and NE) than in the arid basins (WA and CA). Downward flux, in response to sudden high streamflows, and seasonal variability in flux was most pronounced in the humid basins and in high conductivity zones in the streambed.

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“…The Maple Creek watershed has an area of 955 km 2 , and its land use is dominated by agriculture (95%; Capel et al 2008). Maple Creek was identified and investigated by the USGS under the National Water-Quality Assessment Program in recent years as a representative agricultural headwater stream affected by farm-based chemicals (Fredrick et al 2006). The stream is characterized by shallow annual mean flows (2.27 m 3 s 21 ), sediment composed of fine sand and silt, and high nutrient loads (Fredrick et al 2006;Puckett et al 2008).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Maple Creek was identified and investigated by the USGS under the National Water-Quality Assessment Program in recent years as a representative agricultural headwater stream affected by farm-based chemicals (Fredrick et al 2006). The stream is characterized by shallow annual mean flows (2.27 m 3 s 21 ), sediment composed of fine sand and silt, and high nutrient loads (Fredrick et al 2006;Puckett et al 2008). The site was chosen for the present study due to flow and sediment conditions conducive to performing mesocosm experiments, availability of water quality and real-time gauging station data, and nutrient and temperature conditions favorable to biotic activity (Puckett et al 2008 The mesocosms were hollow cylinders made of SolacrylH SUVT (Spartech Company), standing 61 cm tall, with inner diameters of 46 cm.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrogen peroxide dynamics in an agricultural headwater stream: Evidence for significant nonphotochemical production

Dixon

Vermilyea

Scott

et al. 2013

Limnology & Oceanography

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Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) plays key roles in aquatic systems, including metal redox cycling and degradation of organic matter into bioavailable forms. Abiotic photoproduction, via photo-oxidation of chromophoric dissolved organic matter, has generally been assumed to be the most important source of H 2 O 2 to freshwater systems in the daytime. However, the significance of other H 2 O 2 sources has not been previously examined in situ. In this study, isotopically labeled H 2 O 2 (H 2 18 O 2 ) was added to in-stream mesocosms exposed to light and dark periods. By measuring total H 2 O 2 and H 2 18 O 2 in tandem, we inferred absolute rates of H 2 O 2 production and decay, which occurred simultaneously. Abiotic photoproduction rates were measured independently by exposing filtered samples to sunlight. Even in these shallow systems, total production rates greatly exceeded rates of abiotic photoproduction, and other sources of H 2 O 2 , most likely biological production, were the dominant control on the H 2 O 2 budget. Thus, H 2 O 2 and its precursor superoxide (O { 2 ) may play a greater role in biogeochemical processes, especially in the absence of light, than previously thought.

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Environmental setting of Maple Creek watershed, Nebraska

Cited by 17 publications

References 4 publications

Transport and Fate of Nitrate at the Ground‐Water/Surface‐Water Interface

Transport and Fate of Nitrate at the Ground‐Water/Surface‐Water Interface

Using Heat to Characterize Streambed Water Flux Variability in Four Stream Reaches

Hydrogen peroxide dynamics in an agricultural headwater stream: Evidence for significant nonphotochemical production

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