Evaluating diffuse and point phosphorus contributions to river transfers at different scales in the Taw catchment, Devon, UK

Wood, F. L.; Heathwaite, A. Louise; Haygarth, P. M.

doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2004.07.026

Cited by 68 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…A river dominated by constant nutrient inputs (largely equivalent to STW effluent inputs in the UK) will form a dilution curve with negative gradient as flow increases. Conversely, a river dominated by rain-related inputs (equating to agricultural and septic tank inputs and within-channel mobilisation) will have an increasing nutrient load and/or concentration with increasing flow (Jordan et al, 2007;Wood et al, 2005). Therefore, these fundamental differences in the concentration-flow relationship can be used to infer nutrient source inputs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterising phosphorus and nitrate inputs to a rural river using high-frequency concentration–flow relationships

Bowes

Jarvie

Halliday

et al. 2015

Science of The Total Environment

202

143

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Characterising phosphorus and nitrate inputs to a rural river using highfrequency concentration-flow relationships.Contact CEH NORA team at noraceh@ceh.ac.ukThe NERC and CEH trademarks and logos ('the Trademarks') are registered trademarks of NERC in the UK and other countries, and may not be used without the prior written consent of the Trademark owner. AbstractThe total reactive phosphorus (TRP) and nitrate concentrations of the River Enborne, southern England, were monitored at hourly interval between January 2010 and December 2011. The relationships between these high-frequency nutrient concentration signals and flow were used to infer changes in nutrient source and dynamics through the annual cycle and each individual storm event, by studying hysteresis patterns. TRP concentrations exhibited strong dilution patterns with increasing flow, and predominantly clockwise hysteresis through storm events. Despite the Enborne catchment being relatively rural for southern England, TRP inputs were dominated by constant, non-rain-related inputs from sewage treatment works (STW) for the majority of the year, producing the highest phosphorus concentrations through the spring-summer growing season. At higher river flows, the majority of the TRP load was derived from within-channel remobilisation of phosphorus from the bed sediment, much of which was also derived from STW inputs. Therefore, future phosphorus 2 mitigation measures should focus on STW improvements. Agricultural diffuse TRP inputs were only evident during storms in the May of each year, probably relating to manure application to land. The nitrate concentration-flow relationship produced a series of dilution curves, indicating major inputs from groundwater and to a lesser extent STW. Significant diffuse agricultural inputs with anticlockwise hysteresis trajectories were observed during the first major storms of the winter period.The simultaneous investigation of high-frequency time series data, concentration-flow relationships and hysteresis behaviour through multiple storms for both phosphorus and nitrate offers a simple and innovative approach for providing new insights into nutrient sources and dynamics.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterising phosphorus and nitrate inputs to a rural river using high-frequency concentration–flow relationships

Bowes

Jarvie

Halliday

et al. 2015

Science of The Total Environment

202

143

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…For phosphate, there is often a more balanced mix of fluxes from agricultural and various effluent sources across many parts of the British lowlands (Mainstone and Parr, 2002;Smith et al, 2005a;Wood et al, 2005). Point effluent sources are of particular importance in terms of eutrophication risk, as dilution potential is low during summer low-flows, while biological activity is high Jarvie et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water quality, nutrients and the European union's Water Framework Directive in a lowland agricultural region: Suffolk, south-east England

Howden

Bowes

Clark

et al. 2009

Science of The Total Environment

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The water quality of 13 rivers in the lowland, agricultural county of Suffolk is investigated using routine monitoring data for the period 1981 to 2006 collected by the Environment Agency of England and Wales (EA), and its predecessors, with particular emphasis on phosphorus (as total reactive phosphorus, TRP) and total (dissolved and particulate) oxidised nitrogen (TOxN -predominantly nitrate NO 3 ). Major ion and flow data are used to outline fundamental hydrochemical characteristics related to the groundwater provenance of base-flow waters. Relative load contributions from point and diffuse sources are approximated using Load Apportionment Modelling for both TRP and TOxN where concurrent flow and concentration data are available. Analyses indicate a mixture of point and diffuse sources of TRP, with the former being dominant during low flow periods, while for TOxN diffuse sources dominate.Out of 59 sites considered, 53 (90%) were found to have annual average TRP concentrations greater than 0.05 mg P l -1 , and 36 (61%) had average concentrations over 0.120 mg P l -1 , the upper thresholds for 'High' and 'Good' ecological status, respectively. Correspondingly, for TOxN, most of the rivers are already within 70% of the 11.3 mg N l -1 threshold, with two rivers (Wang and Ore) being consistently greater than this.It is suggested that the major challenge is to characterise and control point-source TRP inputs which, being predominant during the late spring and summer low-flow period, coincide with the peak of primary biological production, thus presenting the major challenge to achieving 'good' ecological status under the Water Framework Directive. Results show that considerable effort is still required to ensure appropriate management and develop tools for decision-support.

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“…Small scale catchment management can make an impact, but when scaled-up to the catchment the bottom-line evaluation is whether or not we can detect evidence from land management changes made at the local level (e.g. Wood et al, 2005;.…”

Section: Understanding Local Water In Tackling Pollution: the Importamentioning

confidence: 99%

Catchments, sub-catchments and private spaces: Scale and process in managing microbial pollution from source to sea

Winter

Oliver

Fish

et al. 2011

Environmental Science & Policy

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Exeter. He is a rural policy specialist and a rural sociologist with particular interests in applying interdisciplinary approaches to policy-relevant research and in direct engagement in the policy process.David Oliver is senior research fellow in the Centre for Sustainable Water Management in the Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University. His research background is in soil hydrology and water flow pathways, and microbial transfer and survival within agricultural

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Evaluating diffuse and point phosphorus contributions to river transfers at different scales in the Taw catchment, Devon, UK

Cited by 68 publications

References 47 publications

Characterising phosphorus and nitrate inputs to a rural river using high-frequency concentration–flow relationships

Characterising phosphorus and nitrate inputs to a rural river using high-frequency concentration–flow relationships

Water quality, nutrients and the European union's Water Framework Directive in a lowland agricultural region: Suffolk, south-east England

Catchments, sub-catchments and private spaces: Scale and process in managing microbial pollution from source to sea

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