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Wetlands as Potential Watershed-Scale Nutrient Mediators across the Upper Mississippi River Basin
Citation:
Golden, H., G. Evenson, J. Christensen, AND C. Lane. Wetlands as Potential Watershed-Scale Nutrient Mediators across the Upper Mississippi River Basin. EPA Ag Issues Forum, N/A, Virtual, February 24, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
Wetlands are often implemented as primary approaches for nutrient (i.e., nitrogen, phosphorus, and associated constituents) pollution control. Water from agricultural fields, urban runoff, and other sources may be routed into a wetland, restored or constructed to retain or remove nutrients via processes such as denitrification, vegetative uptake, and particulate settling. The water flowing out of the wetland – by design – typically retains lower nutrient levels. However, scarce scientific evidence is available regarding how multiple wetlands across landscapes mediate nutrient levels at watershed scales, i.e., in streams and rivers downgradient from a mosaic of wetlands. This information is important for advancing science on how to best manage water quality across watersheds, i.e., not just in the water draining from a single wetland. In this presentation, we will explore recent research that begins to demonstrate the extent to which – and how – multiple wetlands across landscapes improve downgradient water quality and how these effects vary over space and time. We will conclude by discussing critical next steps in the research needed to better understand nuances that influence wetlands as mediators of downgradient water quality.
Description:
Scarce scientific evidence is available regarding how multiple wetlands across landscapes mediate nutrient levels at watershed scales, i.e., in streams and rivers downgradient from a mosaic of wetlands. This information is important for advancing science on how to best manage water quality across watersheds, i.e., not just in the water draining from a single wetland. In this presentation, I will explore recent research that begins to demonstrate the extent to which – and how – multiple wetlands across landscapes improve downgradient water quality and how these effects vary over space and time. I will conclude by discussing critical next steps in the research needed to better understand nuances that influence wetlands as mediators of downgradient water quality.