Nonpoint Source of Nitrogen Contamination From Land Management Practices in Lost River Basin, West Virginia

Abstract

Poultry production in Hardy County, West Virginia, has increased considerably since the early 1990s. The Lost River basin contains the highest density of poultry facilities in the county. Most of the N-rich poultry litter produced is land applied, and concerns over water quality are widespread. The objective was to apply the Natural Resources Conservation Service exploratory technique on two watersheds (Cullers Run and Upper Cove Run) in the Lost River basin to estimate the loss of nitrate-N from soils by runoff and leaching and to predict the impact on water quality. The predicted annual nitrate-N loss by runoff was 192 Mg, whereas that by leaching was 764 Mg, and their combined amount represented the annual loading for the Lost River. The predicted averages of nitrate-N concentration in runoff and leaching water were 2.57 and 45.1 mg/L, respectively. These data would give an estimated average nitrate-N concentration of 10.4 mg/L in the Lost River. The observed nitrate-N concentration in 12 monthly samples collected from the Lost River ranged from 2.41 to 19.9 mg/L, with an average of 7.11 mg/L (S.D., 4.68 mg/L). The relatively low nitrate-N concentrations observed in the river could be attributed to assimilation by algae, weeds, and aquatic plants, as well as denitrification in stream water under anaerobic conditions. When factors affecting N concentration in streams are considered, the technique could estimate the impact on water quality. We concluded that the exploratory technique could provide a quick estimation and identify hot spots for large areas of agricultural land. Thus, lengthy and site-specific studies could be focused on certain areas of high risk.

Soil Budget, Net Export, and Potential Sinks of Nitrogen in the Lower Oglio River Watershed (Northern Italy)

“…The role of lotic systems and their associated buffer strips as N sinks is well documented in the literature, because of their strict interactions with terrestrial systems, high metabolic activity, and sediment conditions promoting N removal via denitrification [14,[66][67][68]. N potentially removed in the drainage network of the Oglio River basin during the summer months can explain a large fraction of the missing N amount, even if the calculation should be considered with caution because of the high variability of the processes according to hydrological, geomorphological, pedological, and biological factors [67].…”

Effects of Precipitation on Nonpoint Sources of Nitrogen Contamination to Surface Waters in the U.S. Great Plains

“…In their work on watersheds in southeast Nebraska, Elrashidi et al (2004Elrashidi et al ( , 2005bElrashidi et al ( , 2009 found that a leaching index (LI) equivalent to 730 mm can remove nitrate N beneath the root zone (30-cm soil depth). In this study, the loss of nitrate N is dependent on the predicted depth of annual water leaching through the top 30-cm of soil.…”

“…Frere, Ross, and Lane (1980), however, suggested an interaction zone of 10 mm, assuming that only a fraction of the chemical present in this depth interacts with rainfall water. Elrashidi et al (2005aElrashidi et al ( , 2005bElrashidi et al ( , 2008Elrashidi et al ( , 2009) used a fixed soil thickness of 10 mm to estimate P and nitrate N loss by runoff for agricultural watersheds in Nebraska and West Virginia.…”