2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference

March 13 - 15, 2022

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5/26/2021 | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM | EXCESSIVE NITRATE LOADING MAY APPROACH SATURATION IN A LARGE OLIGOTROPHIC RIVER | Virtual Platform

EXCESSIVE NITRATE LOADING MAY APPROACH SATURATION IN A LARGE OLIGOTROPHIC RIVER

Water quality can decline with small land cover alterations in large watersheds. Previously, the Kootenai River was considered ultraoligotrophic and nitrate loading has increased 10-fold or more in some locations while P is relatively constant or declining. Excessive nitrate has skewed the N:P ratio to greater than 200:1 at times in some locations. We assessed the nutrient distribution in the Kootenai River associated with land cover. Downstream of surface mining operations, nitrate concentrations were elevated and decreased with distance but remained elevated above upstream concentrations. Nitrate removal is a function that is provided by the biota in an ecosystem. We estimated nitrate uptake through time in multiple reaches of the Kootenai River including locations below Libby Dam, the canyon section with the long-term nutrient addition zone, and the slow-moving meander section. Although we documented a decline in nitrate that indicates that nitrate is still being used by the biota, the magnitude of nitrate uptake varies. Saturation of these important processes would be detrimental and pass the nitrate load entirely to downstream ecosystems.

Ecosystem functioning
Nutrient cycling
Biogeochemistry

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Presenters/Authors

Lisa Kunza (), South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, lisa.kunza@sdsmt.edu;