Hydrologic connectivity between geographically isolated wetlands and surface water systems: A review of select modeling methods

Golden, Heather E.; Lane, Charles R.; Amatya, Devendra M.; Bandilla, Karl W.; Kiperwas, Hadas Raanan; Knightes, Christopher D.; Ssegane, Herbert

doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2013.12.004

Cited by 166 publications

(135 citation statements)

References 118 publications

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“…Models using available long-term dataor supplementing current understanding in the absence of such abundant data -are important tools in quantifying aggregate GIW hydrologic effects. Watershed-scale simulation models show clear potential to quantify these effects due to their explicit representation of hydrologic and hydraulic dynamics (Golden et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geographically isolated wetlands and watershed hydrology: A modified model analysis

Evenson

Golden

Lane

et al. 2015

Journal of Hydrology

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Geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs) are defined as wetlands that are completely surrounded by uplands. While GIWs are therefore spatially isolated, field-based studies have observed a continuum of hydrologic connections between these systems and other surface waters. Yet few studies have quantified the watershed-scale aggregate effects of GIWs on downstream hydrology. Further, existing modeling approaches to evaluate GIW effects at a watershed scale have utilized conceptual or spatially disaggregated wetland representations. Working towards wetland model representations that use spatially explicit approaches may improve current scientific understanding concerning GIW effects on the downstream hydrograph. The objective of this study was to quantify the watershed-scale aggregate effects of GIWs on downstream hydrology while emphasizing a spatially explicit representation of GIWs and GIW connectivity relationships. We constructed a hydrologic model for a ~202 km 2 watershed in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, USA, a watershed with a substantial population of GIWs, using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). We applied a novel representation of GIWs within the model, facilitated by an alternative hydrologic response unit (HRU) definition and modifications to the SWAT source code that extend the model's "pothole" representation. We then executed a series of scenarios to assess the downstream hydrologic effect of various distributions of GIWs within the watershed. Results suggest that: (1) GIWs have seasonally dependent effects on baseflow; (2) GIWs mitigate peak flows; and (3) The presence of GIWs on the landscape impacts the watershed water balance. This work demonstrates a means of GIW simulation with improved spatial detail while showing that GIWs, in-aggregate, have a substantial effect on downstream hydrology in the studied watershed.3

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geographically isolated wetlands and watershed hydrology: A modified model analysis

Evenson

Golden

Lane

et al. 2015

Journal of Hydrology

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“…The transient nature of hydrological connectivity of wetlands and its surrounding upland influences the biogeochemistry of the system [Groffman et al, 2009;Golden et al, 2014]. In particular, geographically isolated wetlands may work in networks and exhibit hydrologic threshold behaviors that need to be quantified so that these systems, which are often co-located in agro-ecosystems and subject to excess nutrient loading, can be better understood.…”

Section: Future Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeochemical hotspots: Role of small water bodies in landscape nutrient processing

Cheng

Basu

2017

Water Resources Research

193

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Increased loading of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from agricultural and urban intensification has led to severe degradation of inland and coastal waters. Lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands (lentic systems) retain these nutrients, thus regulating their delivery to downstream waters. While the processes controlling N and P retention are relatively well-known, there is a lack of quantitative understanding of how these processes manifest across spatial scales. We synthesized data from 600 lentic systems around the world to gain insight into the relationship between hydrologic and biogeochemical controls on nutrient retention. Our results indicate that the first-order reaction rate constant, k [T 21 ], is inversely proportional to the hydraulic residence time, s [T], across 6 orders of magnitude in residence time for total N, total P, nitrate, and phosphate. We hypothesized that the consistency of the relationship points to a strong hydrologic control on biogeochemical processing, and validated our hypothesis using a sediment-water model that links major nutrient removal processes with system size. Finally, the k-s relationships were upscaled to the landscape scale using a wetland size-frequency distribution. Results suggest that small wetlands play a disproportionately large role in landscape-scale nutrient processing-50% of nitrogen removal occurs in wetlands smaller than 10 2.5 m 2 in our example. Thus, given the same loss in wetland area, the nutrient retention potential lost is greater when smaller wetlands are preferentially lost from the landscape. Our study highlights the need for a stronger focus on small lentic systems as major nutrient sinks in the landscape. Plain Language Summary Excess nutrient pollution from intensive fertilizer use and farming operations poses an increasing threat to water quality worldwide. Lakes, streams, and wetlands restrict the movement of nutrients, and thus protect downstream waters. We have a limited understanding, however, of how removal processes are affected by the size and type of the water body. Based on a synthesis of data from lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands worldwide, we found that smaller water bodies tend to have higher nutrient removal rates. We applied our findings to the landscape scale and found that for the same wetland area lost, the loss of small wetlands corresponds to a greater loss in wetland nutrient removal potential. Such findings are significant to wetland protection and restoration efforts, which have historically focused on maximizing total wetland area rather than on preserving a distribution of different wetlands sizes within a landscape.

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“…They can be used to simulate watershed hydrochemical processes and estimate pollution loads and source apportionment, providing critical information for decision making support (Pokhrel et al, 2012;Singh et al, 2011). To adequately describe the environmental behavior of pollution in a watershed, models should have a proper hydrologic framework to accurately characterize the transport of components (Fu et al, 2014;Xu et al, 2007). Many well-established hydrologic functions (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of watershed hydrologic processes in arid conditions with a modified watershed model

Sha

Swaney

Hong

et al. 2014

Journal of Hydrology

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Hydrologic connectivity between geographically isolated wetlands and surface water systems: A review of select modeling methods

Cited by 166 publications

References 118 publications

Geographically isolated wetlands and watershed hydrology: A modified model analysis

Geographically isolated wetlands and watershed hydrology: A modified model analysis

Biogeochemical hotspots: Role of small water bodies in landscape nutrient processing

Estimation of watershed hydrologic processes in arid conditions with a modified watershed model

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