TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterising phosphorus transfers in rural catchments using a continuous bank-side analyser
AU - Jordan, Philip
AU - Arnscheidt, Joerg
AU - McGrogan, H.
AU - McCormick, S.
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - A six-month series of high-resolution synchronous stream discharge and total phosphorus (TP) concentration data is presented from a 5 km(2) agricultural catchment in the Lough Neagh basin, Northern Ireland. The data arc hourly averages of 10-minute measurements using a new bankside, automatic, continuous monitoring technology. Three TPtransfer `event-types' occur in this catchment: (1) chronic, storm independent transfers; (2) acute, storm dependent transfers; (3) acute, storm independent transfers. Event-type 2 transferred over 90% of the total 279 kg TP load in 39% of the total period; it corresponded to diffuse transfers from agricultural soils. Event-types 1 and 3, however, maintained the river in a highly eutrophic state between storm events and were characteristic of point source pollution, despite there being no major industrial or municipal point sources. Managing P transfers at the catchment scale requires a robust monitoring technology to differentiate between dynamic, multiple sources and associated event types and so enable a reliable assessment of the performance of mitigation measures, monitored at catchment outlets. The synchronous and continuous TP and discharge data series generated in this study demonstrate how this is possible.
AB - A six-month series of high-resolution synchronous stream discharge and total phosphorus (TP) concentration data is presented from a 5 km(2) agricultural catchment in the Lough Neagh basin, Northern Ireland. The data arc hourly averages of 10-minute measurements using a new bankside, automatic, continuous monitoring technology. Three TPtransfer `event-types' occur in this catchment: (1) chronic, storm independent transfers; (2) acute, storm dependent transfers; (3) acute, storm independent transfers. Event-type 2 transferred over 90% of the total 279 kg TP load in 39% of the total period; it corresponded to diffuse transfers from agricultural soils. Event-types 1 and 3, however, maintained the river in a highly eutrophic state between storm events and were characteristic of point source pollution, despite there being no major industrial or municipal point sources. Managing P transfers at the catchment scale requires a robust monitoring technology to differentiate between dynamic, multiple sources and associated event types and so enable a reliable assessment of the performance of mitigation measures, monitored at catchment outlets. The synchronous and continuous TP and discharge data series generated in this study demonstrate how this is possible.
KW - total phosphorus
KW - phosphorus
KW - phosphorus transfers
KW - continuous monitoring
KW - Lough Neagh catchment
U2 - https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-11-372-2007
DO - https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-11-372-2007
M3 - Article
VL - 11
SP - 372
EP - 381
JO - Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
JF - Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
SN - 1027-5606
IS - 1
ER -