2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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5/22/2018 | 12:15 PM - 12:30 PM | SEASON OR LAND-USE? EXPLORING THE DRIVERS OF WATER QUALITY IN AN AGRO-URBAN WATERSHED OF CENTRAL IOWA | 330 B

SEASON OR LAND-USE? EXPLORING THE DRIVERS OF WATER QUALITY IN AN AGRO-URBAN WATERSHED OF CENTRAL IOWA

The Raccoon River is the source of drinking water for over 500,000 Iowans and provides a host of additional ecosystem services. However, like many Midwestern US rivers, the Raccoon suffers from high nitrate and suspended sediment concentrations. To investigate the spatial and temporal factors that most strongly influence water quality, we conducted an 18-month study of nine locations throughout the lower Raccoon River watershed, including three branches of the river as well as the mainstem in Des Moines. We measured suspended sediment and nitrate concentrations every two weeks and rates of sediment denitrification monthly. Seasonal factors strongly influenced nitrate; the highest concentrations occurred in the spring and were lowest in the fall (10.4 and 1.9 mgN/L, respectively). Similarly, denitrification rates were generally consistent across sites, but varied through time with winter rates up to 50% lower than summer rates. Further analyses will explore the contribution of the variation in land-use on water quality among the three branches of the Raccoon. Understanding the spatial and temporal drivers of nitrate and suspended sediment in agro-urban watersheds can contribute to effective management of rivers in human-dominated landscapes.

Denitrification
Landuse
Nitrogen

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Presenters/Authors

Peter S. Levi (), Drake University, peter.levi@drake.edu;