Contaminants in water that nourish organisms, especially plants. Includes nitrogen and phosphorus, either of which can lead to the harmful growth of algae and other plants when present to excess in a body of water.
Nitrate from fertilizer is degraded by microbial action in the presence of solid minerals. This helps mitigate the effect of the nitrate, but begins to diminish the solid minerals needed. Will the process be sustainable in the long term?
Summary of a circular on USGS environmental research and Chesapeake Bay with links to full document. Includes discussion of the problems of the estuary, restoration efforts, water quality, and effects on ecosystem.
Overview of project assessing water quality of the Tualatin River basin near Portland, Oregon with links to reports on chemical and nutrient levels and selected data on streamflow, water temperature, weather and precipitation.
Water quality is important here because this reservoir is the primary supply for Wichita, Kansas. Due to low streamflow during the monitoring period, we expect suspended sediment and phosphorus to be more variable in the future.
Stream discharge and nitrate concentration increased downstream of the burned area during snowmelt, but these were probably within the treatment capacity of most drinking-water plants, and limited changes were observed in downstream ecosystems.