scholarly journals Discharge and Nitrogen Transfer Modelling in the Berze River: A HYPE Setup and Calibration

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arturs Veinbergs ◽  
Ainis Lagzdins ◽  
Viesturs Jansons ◽  
Kaspars Abramenko ◽  
Ritvars Sudars
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Calibration Procedure ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Nitrogen Transfer ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Distribution Analysis ◽  
Agricultural Field

Abstract This study is focused on water quality and quantity modelling in the Berze River basin located in the Zemgale region of Latvia. The contributing basin area of 872 km2 is furthermore divided into 15 sub-basins designated according to the characteristics of hydrological network and water sampling programme. The river basin of interest is a spatially complex system with agricultural land and forests as two predominant land use types. Complexity of the system reflects in the discharge intensity and diffuse pollution of nitrogen compounds into the water bodies of the river basin. The presence of urban area has an impact as the load from the existing wastewater treatment plants consist up to 76 % of the total nitrogen load in the Berze River basin. Representative data sets of land cover, agricultural field data base for crop distribution analysis, estimation of crop management, soil type map, digital elevation model, drainage conditions, network of water bodies and point sources were used for the modelling procedures. The semi-distributed hydro chemical model HYPE has a setup to simulate discharge and nitrogen transfer. In order to make the model more robust and appropriate for the current study the data sets previously stated were classified by unifying similar spatially located polygons. The data layers were overlaid and 53 hydrological response units (SLCs) were created. Agricultural land consists of 48 SLCs with the details of soils, drainage conditions, crop types, and land management practices. Manual calibration procedure was applied to improve the performance of discharge simulation. Simulated discharge values showed good agreement with the observed values with the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.82 and bias of −6.6 %. Manual calibration of parameters related to nitrogen leakage simulation was applied to test the most sensitive parameters.

Influence of Diffuse Pollution on the Eutrophication and Water Quality of Reservoirs in the Morava River Basin

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 79-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Žáková ◽  
D. Beránková ◽  
E. Kocková ◽  
P. Kríž
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Water Reservoir ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
Morava River ◽  
Morava River Basin

Diffuse (nonpoint) pollution from the river basin is responsible for a substantial part of Czech reservoirs' deterioration caused by eutrophication and water pollution. The research results of two model drinking water supply reservoirs (different area and depth) in the Morava river basin showed that the main nutrient sources in the period 1960-1991 were: agricultural land use (overland and subsurface transport of nutrients, effects of drainage and erosion), point sources (urban activities, agricultural farms) and atmospheric depositions of N and P compounds. The accelerated eutrophication was manifested by the increasing development of phytoplankton. The main problems entail occurrence of toxic species of Cyanophyta/Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Microcystis aeruginosa and some other species (e.g. Pseudanabaena limnetica). In the small and shallow drinking water reservoir of Ludkovice the living algae penetrated drinking water. In the deep reservoir of Vír the situation was more favourable. The increase of nutrient input (N,P) during the period 1969-1992 was highly significant Various measures have been proposed to slow the reservoir eutrophication (sustainable use of land, best management practices - soil retention, buffer strips, constructed wetlands etc.).

Source apportionment of riverine nitrogen transport based on catchment modelling

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 109-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans B. Wittgren ◽  
Berit Arheimer
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
River Mouth ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Nitrogen Transport ◽  
Total N ◽  
Management Measures

Source apportionment of river substance transport, i.e. estimation of how much each source in each subbasin contributes to the river-mouth transport, is a vital step in achieving the most efficient management practices to reduce pollutant loads to the sea. In this study, the spatially lumped (at sub-catchment level), semi-empirical PULSE hydrological model, with a nitrogen routine coupled to it, was used to perform source apportionment of nitrogen transport in the Söderköpingsån river basin (882 km2) in south-eastern Sweden, for the period 1991–93. The river basin was divided into 28 subbasins and the following sources were considered: land leakage from the categories forest, arable and ley/pasture; point sources, and; atmospheric deposition on lake surfaces. The calibrated model yielded an explained variance of 60%, based on comparison of measured and modelled river nitrogen (Total N) concentrations. Eight subbasins, with net contributions to the river-mouth transport exceeding 3 kg ha−1 yr−1, were identified as the most promising candidates for cost efficient nitrogen management. The other 20 subbasins all had net contributions below 3 kg ha−1 yr−1. Arable land contributed 63% of the nitrogen transport at the river mouth and would thus be in focus for management measures. However, point sources (18% contribution to net transport) should also be considered due to their relatively high accessibility for removal measures (high concentrations). E.g., the most downstream subbasin, with the largest wastewater treatment plant in the whole river basin, had a net contribution of 16 kg ha−1 yr−1. This method for source apportionment may provide authorities with quantitative information about where in a river basin, and at which sources, they should focus their attention. However, once this is done, an analysis with higher resolution has to be performed in each of the interesting subbasins, before decisions on actual management measures can be taken.

scholarly journals Silicate weathering and CO<sub>2</sub> consumption within agricultural landscapes, the Ohio-Tennessee River Basin, USA

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 941-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Fortner ◽  
W. B. Lyons ◽  
A. E. Carey ◽  
M. J. Shipitalo ◽  
S. A. Welch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Carbonic Acid ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Total Alkalinity ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Silicate Weathering ◽  
Tennessee River ◽  
Co2 Consumption

Abstract. Myriad studies have shown the extent of human alteration to global biogeochemical cycles. Yet, there is only a limited understanding of the influence that humans have over silicate weathering fluxes; fluxes that have regulated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and global climate over geologic timescales. Natural landscapes have been reshaped into agricultural ones to meet food needs for growing world populations. These processes modify soil properties, alter hydrology, affect erosion, and consequently impact water-soil-rock interactions such as chemical weathering. Dissolved silica (DSi), Ca2+, Mg2+, NO3–, and total alkalinity were measured in water samples collected from five small (0.0065 to 0.383 km2) gauged watersheds at the North Appalachian Experimental Watershed (NAEW) near Coshocton, Ohio, USA. The sampled watersheds in this unglaciated region include: a forested site (70+ year stand), mixed agricultural use (corn, forest, pasture), an unimproved pasture, tilled corn, and a recently (<3 yr) converted no-till corn field. The first three watersheds had perennial streams, but the two corn watersheds only produced runoff during storms and snowmelt. For the perennial streams, total discharge was an important control of dissolved silicate transport. Median DSi yields (2210–3080 kg km−2 yr–1) were similar to the median of annual averages between 1979–2009 for the much larger Ohio-Tennessee River Basin (2560 kg km−2 yr–1). Corn watersheds, which only had surface runoff, had substantially lower DSi yields (<530 kg km−2 yr–1) than the perennial-flow watersheds. The lack of contributions from Si-enriched groundwater largely explained their much lower DSi yields with respect to sites having baseflow. A significant positive correlation between the molar ratio of (Ca2++Mg2+)/alkalinity to DSi in the tilled corn and the forested site suggested, however, that silicate minerals weathered as alkalinity was lost via enhanced nitrification resulting from fertilizer additions to the corn watershed and from leaf litter decomposition in the forest. This same relation was observed in the Ohio-Tennessee River Basin where dominant landuse types include both agricultural lands receiving nitrogenous fertilizers and forests. Greater gains in DSi with respect to alkalinity losses in the Ohio-Tennessee River Basin than in the NAEW sites suggested that soils derived from younger Pleistocene glacial-till may yield more DSi relative to nitrogenous fertilizer applications than the older NAEW soils. Because silicate weathering occurs via acids released from nitrification, CO2 consumption estimates based on the assumption that silicate weathers via carbonic acid alone may be especially over-estimated in fertilized agricultural watersheds with little baseflow (i.e. 67 % overestimated in the corn till watershed). CO2 consumption estimates based on silicate weathering may be as much as 20 % lower than estimates derived from carbonic acid weathering alone for the Ohio-Tennessee River Basin between 1979–2009. Globally, this may mean that younger landscapes with soils favorable for agriculture are susceptible to fertilizer-enhanced silicate weathering. Increases in silicate weathering, however, may be offset by shifts in hydrology resulting from agricultural land management practices or even from soil silica losses in response to repeated acidification.

scholarly journals Application of Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (Rusle) Model to Assess Soil Erosion in “Kalu Ganga” River Basin in Sri Lanka

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. D. Panditharathne ◽  
N. S. Abeysingha ◽  
K. G. S. Nirmanee ◽  
Ananda Mallawatantri
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Universal Soil Loss Equation ◽  
Rusle Model ◽  
Soil Loss Equation

Soil erosion is one of the main forms of land degradation. Erosion contributes to loss of agricultural land productivity and ecological and esthetic values of natural environment, and it impairs the production of safe drinking water and hydroenergy production. Thus, assessment of soil erosion and identifying the lands more prone to erosion are vital for erosion management process. Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (Rusle) model supported by a GIS system was used to assess the spatial variability of erosion occurring at Kalu Ganga river basin in Sri Lanka. Digital Elevation Model (30 × 30 m), twenty years’ rainfall data measured at 11 rain gauge stations across the basin, land use and soil maps, and published literature were used as inputs to the model. The average annual soil loss in Kalu Ganga river basin varied from 0 to 134 t ha−1 year−1 and mean annual soil loss was estimated at 0.63 t ha−1 year−1. Based on erosion estimates, the basin landscape was divided into four different erosion severity classes: very low, low, moderate, and high. About 1.68% of the areas (4714 ha) in the river basin were identified with moderate to high erosion severity (>5 t ha−1 year−1) class which urgently need measures to control soil erosion. Lands with moderate to high soil erosion classes were mostly found in Bulathsinghala, Kuruwita, and Rathnapura divisional secretarial divisions. Use of the erosion severity information coupled with basin wide individual RUSLE parameters can help to design the appropriate land use management practices and improved management based on the observations to minimize soil erosion in the basin.

scholarly journals Soil parameter variability affecting simulated fieldscale water balance, erosion and phosphorus losses

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 402-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. BÄRLUND ◽  
S. TATTARI ◽  
M. PUUSTINEN
Keyword(s):  
Water Balance ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Field Scale ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Scale Modelling ◽  
Phosphorus Losses

Field-scale modelling is widely used as a means to look into interdependencies of processes and to assess potential effects of agricultural management practices as well as of climate and socio-economic scenarios. Generalisation from field-scale results to cover all agricultural land in a catchment by using typical soilcrop- slope combinations has been restricted by a lack of information for the systematic parameterisation of soils. Data from single experimental fields are seldom representative for the whole respective catchment. In this study typical soil profiles for mineral agricultural soils in Finland are defined. Key parameters describing e.g. the texture and water holding capacity of soils, were generated from existing soil data using expert knowledge and are aimed to be used for field-scale modelling when the target is not to model a particular field but soils of certain type in general. Estimates for water balance and phosphorus losses, obtained with the ICECREAM model by applying these data sets, were realistic and compatible with experimental results measured in Finland.;

scholarly journals A simple water quality model as a tool for the evaluation of alternative river basin management plans

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
River Basin ◽  
River Basin Management ◽  
Water Quality Model ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Basin Management ◽  
River Basin District ◽  
Management Plans

<p>A key component in the implementation of Water Framework Directive is the development of a river basin management plan for each river basin district. Water quality models are important tools to test the effectiveness of alternative management plans on the water quality of the respective water bodies. The main objective of the present study was to develop and demonstrate the use of a rather simple water quality model as a tool for the evaluation of alternative water management scenarios for the river basin district of Evrotas. Furthermore an extension of the water quality model based on Monte Carlo simulation to provide for uncertainty identification is also exhibited. The model is based on the basic principles of the Streeter-Phelps model. A hierarchical approach was developed in order to delineate a complex hydrographic network into a series of water bodies being connected by convective terms. The pollution loads which were used as input data were related both to point sources and non-point sources. Based on the results a substantial removal of organic carbon load originating from the industrial activities is needed in order to achieve high dissolved oxygen concentrations throughout the entire hydrosystem even at the dry period.</p>

Non-point sources of pollution from cultivated lands in river districts and their contribution to water bodies along the North Han River Basin in Korea

2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 2301-2311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Leen Yun ◽  
Jae Hwan Ahn ◽  
Kyung-Sok Min ◽  
Kyoung Hoon Chu ◽  
Chul Yong Um ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Han River ◽  
The North ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Han River Basin

scholarly journals Modification of the MONERIS Nutrient Emission Model for a Lowland Country (Hungary) to Support River Basin Management Planning in the Danube River Basin

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsolt Jolánkai ◽  
Máté Krisztián Kardos ◽  
Adrienne Clement
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Danube River ◽  
Subsurface Water ◽  
The Danube River ◽  
Subsurface Runoff ◽  
Retention Parameters ◽  
Danube River Basin

The contamination of waters with nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus originating from various diffuse and point sources, has become a worldwide issue in recent decades. Due to the complexity of the processes involved, watershed models are gaining an increasing role in their analysis. The goal set by the EU Water Framework Directive (to reach “good status” of all water bodies) requires spatially detailed information on the fate of contaminants. In this study, the watershed nutrient model MONERIS was applied to the Hungarian part of the Danube River Basin. The spatial resolution was 1078 water bodies (mean area of 86 km2); two subsequent 4 year periods (2009–2012 and 2013–2016) were modeled. Various elements/parameters of the model were adjusted and tested against surface and subsurface water quality measurements conducted all over the country, namely (i) the water balance equations (surface and subsurface runoff), (ii) the nitrogen retention parameters of the subsurface pathways (excluding tile drainage), (iii) the shallow groundwater phosphorus concentrations, and (iv) the surface water retention parameters. The study revealed that (i) digital-filter-based separation of surface and subsurface runoff yielded different values of these components, but this change did not influence nutrient loads significantly; (ii) shallow groundwater phosphorus concentrations in the sandy soils of Hungary differ from those of the MONERIS default values; (iii) a significant change of the phosphorus in-stream retention parameters was needed to approach measured in-stream phosphorus load values. Local emissions and pathways were analyzed and compared with previous model results.

scholarly journals An Inertia Model for the Adoption of New Farming Practices

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Simon Seraphim Anastasiadis
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Nutrient Trading ◽  
Nutrient Emissions ◽  
Poor Water Quality ◽  
Inertia Model

<p>Nutrient emissions from agricultural land are now widely recognized as one of the key contributors to poor water quality in local lakes, rivers and streams. Nutrient trading for non-point sources, including farm land, has been suggested as a regulatory tool to improve and protect water quality. However, farmers’ attitudes suggest that they are resistant to making the changes required under such a scheme where this requires them to adopt unfamiliar technologies and farm management practices. This study develops a model of farmers’ resistance to change and how this affects their adoption of new mitigation technologies under nutrient trading regulation. We specify resistance as a bound on the adoption of new technologies and allow this bound to relax as farmers’ resistance to change weakens.</p>

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