The influence of suburban land use on habitat and biotic integrity of coastal Rhode Island streams

Watershed land use in suburban areas can affect stream biota through degradation of instream habitat, water quality, and riparian vegetation. By monitoring stream biotic communities in various geographic regions, we can better understand and conserve our watershed ecosystems. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between watershed land use and the integrity of benthic invertebrate communities in eight streams that were assessed over a 3-year period (2001-2003). Sites were selected from coastal Rhode Island watersheds along a residential land-use gradient (4-59%). Using the rapid bioassessment protocol, we collected biological, physicochemical, habitat, and nutrient data from wadeable stream reaches and compared metrics of structure and integrity. Principal component analyses showed significant negative correlation of indicators for stream physicochemical, habitat, and instream biodiversity with increasing residential land use (RLU) in the watershed. The physicochemical variables that were most responsive to percent RLU were conductivity, instream habitat, nitrate, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). The positive correlation of DIN with percent RLU indicated an anthropogenic source of pollution affecting the streams. The biotic composition of the streams shifted from sensitive to insensitive taxa as percent RLU increased; the most responsive biological variables were percent Ephemeroptera, percent Scrapers, percent Insects, and the Hilsenhoff biotic index. These data show the importance of land management and conservation at the watershed scale to sustaining the biotic integrity of coastal stream ecosystems.     

Load estimation and source apportionment of nonpoint source nitrogen and phosphorus based on integrated application of SLURP model, ECM, and RUSLE: a case study in the Jinjiang River, China

The nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is difficult to manage and control due to its complicated generation and formation. Load estimation and source apportionment are an important and necessary process for efficient NPS control. Here, an integrated application of semi-distributed land use-based runoff process (SLURP) model, export coefficients model (ECM), and revise universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) for the load estimation and source apportionment of nitrogen and phosphorus was proposed. The Jinjiang River (China) was chosen for the evaluation of the method proposed here. The chosen watershed was divided into 27 subbasins. After which, the SLURP model was used to calculate land use runoff and to estimate loads of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus, and ECM was applied to estimate dissolved loads from livestock and rural domestic sewage. Next, the RUSLE was employed for load estimation of adsorbed nitrogen and phosphorus. The results showed that the 12,029.06 t?a^?1 pollution loads of total NPS nitrogen (TN) mainly originated from dissolved nitrogen (96.24 %). The major sources of TN were land use runoff, which accounted for 45.97 % of the total, followed by livestock (32.43 %) and rural domestic sewage (17.83 %). For total NPS phosphorous (TP), its pollution loads were 570.82 t?a^?1 and made up of dissolved and adsorbed phosphorous with 66.29 and 33.71 % respectively. Soil erosion, land use runoff, rural domestic sewage, and livestock were the main sources of phosphorus with contribution ratios of 33.71, 45.73, 14.32, and 6.24 % respectively. Therefore, land use runoff, livestock, and soil erosion were identified as the main pollution sources to influence loads of NPS nitrogen and phosphorus in the Jinjiang River and should be controlled first. The method developed here provided a helpful guideline for conducting NPS pollution management in similar watershed.     

基于SWAT模型的湘江永州流域非点源氮磷污染特征分析

为精准治理流域非点源氮磷污染,基于SWAT模型,运用本地区第二次全国污染源普查数据和2000—2019年流域水文、水质数据,开展湘江永州流域非点源氮磷污染模拟。结果表明：湘江永州流域建立的SWAT模型具有较好的模拟效果,流域2005—2019年的总氮月均污染负荷为383.40～17 998.70 t/m;总磷月均污染负荷为64.62～567.86 t/m,总氮和总磷各月污染负荷均与各月降雨量呈显著相关关系;农田和林地是本流域总氮、总磷污染负荷总量最大的2种用地类型,但两者之间单位面积输出的污染负荷强度却相反,林地对流域水污染防控具有正面效应,农田种植面源污染是非点源氮磷污染治理的重点。     

Spatial and temporal analysis of land cover changes and water quality in the Lake Issaqueena watershed,South Carolina

Monitoring changes in land cover and the subsequent environmental responses are essential for water quality assessment, natural resource planning, management, and policies. Over the last 75 years, the Lake Issaqueena watershed has experienced a drastic shift in land use. This study was conducted to examine the changes in land cover and the implied changes in land use that have occurred and their environmental, water quality impacts. Aerial photography of the watershed (1951, 1956, 1968, 1977, 1989, 1999, 2005, 2006, and 2009) was analyzed and classified using the geographic information system (GIS) software. Seven land cover classes were defined: evergreen, deciduous, bare ground, pasture/grassland, cultivated, and residential/other development. Water quality data, including sampling depth, water temperature, dissolved oxygen content, fecal coliform levels, inorganic nitrogen concentrations, and turbidity, were obtained from the South Carolina (SC) Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) for two stations and analyzed for trends as they relate to land cover change. From 1951 to 2009, the watershed experienced an increase of tree cover and bare ground (+17.4 % evergreen, +62.3 % deciduous, +9.8 % bare ground) and a decrease of pasture/grassland and cultivated land (?42.6 % pasture/grassland and ?57.1 % cultivated). From 2005 to 2009, there was an increase of 21.5 % in residential/other development. Sampling depth ranged from 0.1 to 0.3 m. Water temperature fluctuated corresponding to changing air temperatures, and dissolved oxygen content fluctuated as a factor of water temperature. Inorganic nitrogen content was higher from December to April possibly due to application of fertilizers prior to the growing season. Turbidity and fecal coliform bacteria levels remained relatively the same from 1962 to 2005, but a slight decline in pH can be observed at both stations. Prior to 1938, the area consisted of single-crop cotton farms; after 1938, the farms were abandoned, leaving large bare areas with highly eroded soil. Starting in 1938, Clemson reforested almost 30 % of the watershed. Currently, three fourths of the watershed is forestland, with a limited coverage of small farms and residential developments. Monitoring water quality is essential in maintaining adequate freshwater supply. Water quality monitoring focuses mainly on the collection of field data, but current water quality conditions depend on the cumulative impacts of land cover change over time.     

Evaluation of land use and water quality in an agricultural watershed in the USA indicates multiple sources of bacterial impairment

Pathogens are the number one cause of impairments of assessed rivers and streams in the USA and pose a significant human health hazard. The Dry Run Creek Watershed in Northeast Iowa has been designated as impaired by the State of Iowa because of high levels of Escherichia coli bacteria. To investigate the nature of this impairment, land use and stream bank assessments were coupled with comprehensive water quality monitoring. Physical, chemical, and biological parameters were measured at 13 different sites in the watershed, including pH, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammonia-N, nitrate?+?nitrite-N, total phosphorus, and E. coli. In addition, benthic macroinvertebrate communities were analyzed at seven sites, and optical brightener tests were performed late in the season. Results identified segments of the watershed that were more prominent contributors of E. coli, and correlations were observed between levels of E. coli and several chemical parameters, including ammonia-N, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Interestingly, distinct sites emerged as more prominent contributors of these elements during rain vs. non-rain events, suggesting different types of sources. Both the amount of rainfall and the time elapsed between the rain event and the sampling influenced E. coli levels during wet weather conditions. Nitrate?+?nitrite-N displayed a unique response to rain events compared with the other parameters, suggesting a different delivery route. Analyses of benthic macroinvertebrate communities were consistent with pollution trends. Collectively, these data suggest distinct agriculturally related E. coli contributions, as well as specific areas and practices for water quality improvement strategies. This study can serve as a resource for evaluating agricultural watersheds that are impaired for bacteria.     

陕北石油勘探开发区地表水污染特征分析

研究了陕北主要石油勘探开发地区地表水的水质状况,分析了pH、矿化度(全盐量)、硬度、六价铬、砷、镉、铅、氨氮、挥发酚、石油类、化学需氧量(COD)、氯化物、硫酸盐、硝酸盐氮、总磷、氰化物、氟化物等17个指标,结果显示砷、镉、铅、氟化物、硝酸盐、氰化物、氟化物的P_i值均小于1;挥发酚、总磷、石油类、氨氮、COD、六价铬、硫酸盐、矿化度、氯化物、硬度均超标。研究区东部和西部地表水呈现出不同的污染特征,通过分析不同区域污染物来源,提出了污染防治对策与建议。     

基于DPeRS模型的渭河典型断面汇水区面源污染评估及污染成因分析

近年来甘肃渭河桦林断面月度水质不稳定达标的问题引起了管理部门的广泛关注,掌握桦林断面汇水范围面源污染现状,对控制流域面源污染和促进水质稳定达标具有重要意义。采用遥感分布式污染估算（DPeRS）面源污染评估模型,对2018年黄河流域甘肃桦林断面汇水区面源污染空间分布特征进行分析,开展多类型污染量产排特征解析。结果表明：农业面源污染量方面,2018年甘肃桦林断面汇水区总氮（TN）、总磷（TP）、氨氮（NH⁺₄-N）、重铬酸盐指数（COD_Cr）面源污染排放量分别为11 591,2 697,7 141和1 458 t,入河量分别为2 184,512,1347,263 t;空间分布上,氮型（TN和NH⁺₄-N）排放负荷高值区主要分布在陇西县、武山县县段和岷县县段;武山县县段TP排放负荷较为突出;COD_Cr型面源污染高负荷区主要分布在陇西县、渭源县县段和武山县县段。农业面源污染物入河排放负荷空间分布差异明显,氮磷型（TN、NH⁺₄-N和TP）入河高负荷区主要分布在武山县县段、陇西县、临洮县县段;COD_Cr型面源污染入河高负荷区呈分散分布。漳县西部地区水土流失量较高,漳县西部、陇西县和渭源县县段北部局部地区泥沙负荷量较高。枯水期污染治理仍是保障水质稳定达标的关键期,农田径流是渭河桦林断面所在汇水区氮磷型面源污染的首要污染类型,畜禽养殖是COD_Cr型面源污染的首要污染类型。     

Multi-scale landscape factors influencing stream water quality in the state of Oregon

Enterococci bacteria are used to indicate the presence of human and/or animal fecal materials in surface water. In addition to human influences on the quality of surface water, a cattle grazing is a widespread and persistent ecological stressor in the Western United States. Cattle may affect surface water quality directly by depositing nutrients and bacteria, and indirectly by damaging stream banks or removing vegetation cover, which may lead to increased sediment loads. This study used the State of Oregon surface water data to determine the likelihood of animal pathogen presence using enterococci and analyzed the spatial distribution and relationship of biotic (enterococci) and abiotic (nitrogen and phosphorous) surface water constituents to landscape metrics and others (e.g. human use, percent riparian cover, natural covers, grazing, etc.). We used a grazing potential index (GPI) based on proximity to water, land ownership and forage availability. Mean and variability of GPI, forage availability, stream density and length, and landscape metrics were related to enterococci and many forms of nitrogen and phosphorous in standard and logistic regression models. The GPI did not have a significant role in the models, but forage related variables had significant contribution. Urban land use within stream reach was the main driving factor when exceeding the threshold (> or =35 cfu/100 ml), agriculture was the driving force in elevating enterococci in sites where enterococci concentration was <35 cfu/100 ml. Landscape metrics related to amount of agriculture, wetlands and urban all contributed to increasing nutrients in surface water but at different scales. The probability of having sites with concentrations of enterococci above the threshold was much lower in areas of natural land cover and much higher in areas with higher urban land use within 60 m of stream. A 1% increase in natural land cover was associated with a 12% decrease in the predicted odds of having a site exceeding the threshold. Opposite to natural land cover, a one unit change in each of manmade barren and urban land use led to an increase of the likelihood of exceeding the threshold by 73%, and 11%, respectively. Change in urban land use had a higher influence on the likelihood of a site exceeding the threshold than that of natural land cover.     

Modeling of land use and reservoir effects on nonpoint source pollution in a highly agricultural basin

Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is tightly linked to land use activities that determine the sources and magnitudes of pollutant loadings to stream water. The pollutant loads may also be alleviated within reservoirs because of the physical interception resulting from changed hydrological regimes and other biochemical processes. It is important but challenging to assess the NPS pollution processes with human effects due to the measurement limitations. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of human activities such as land uses and reservoir operation on the hydrological and NPS pollution processes in a highly agricultural area-the Iowa River Basin-using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The evaluation of model performance at multiple sites reveals that SWAT can consistently simulate the daily streamflow, and monthly/annual sediment and nutrient loads (nitrate nitrogen and mineral phosphorus) in the basin. We also used the calibrated model to estimate the trap efficiencies of sediment (～78%) and nutrients (～30%) in the Coralville Reservoir within the basin. These non-negligible effects emphasize the significance of incorporating the sediment and nutrient removal mechanisms into watershed system studies. The spatial quantification of the critical NPS pollution loads can help identify hot-spot areas that are likely locations for the best management practices.     

Effects of land use types on surface water quality across an anthropogenic disturbance gradient in the upper reach of the Hun River, Northeast China

Surface water quality is vulnerable to pollution due to human activities. The upper reach of the Hun River is an important water source that supplies 52 % of the storage capacity of the Dahuofang Reservoir, the largest reservoir for drinking water in Northeast China, which is suffering from various human-induced changes in land use, including deforestation, reclamation/farming, urbanization and mine exploitation. To investigate the impacts of land use types on surface water quality across an anthropogenic disturbance gradient at a local scale, 11 physicochemical parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen [DO], turbidity, oxygen redox potential, conductivity, biochemical oxygen demand [BOD₅], chemical oxygen demand [COD], total nitrogen [TN], total phosphorus [TP], NO ₃ ^? -N, and NH ₄ ⁺ -N) of water from 12 sampling sites along the upper reach of the Hun River were monitored monthly during 2009–2010. The sampling sites were classified into four groups (natural, near-natural, more disturbed, and seriously disturbed). The water quality exhibited distinct spatial and temporal characteristics; conductivity, TN, and NO ₃ ^? -N were identified as key parameters indicating the water quality variance. The forest and farmland cover types played significant roles in determining the surface water quality during the low-flow, high-flow, and mean-flow periods based on the results of a stepwise linear regression. These results may provide incentive for the local government to consider sustainable land use practices for water conservation.     

Remote sensing imageries for land cover and water quality dynamics on the west coast of Korea

As human activities influence land cover changes, the environment on human life such as water quality, has been impacted. In particular, huge constructions or reclamation projects are responsible for dramatic land cover changes. The Saemangeum area in South Korea has been one of the largest reclamation projects to progress nearly in two decades. In this study, Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper and Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus images were used to classify land cover types in the Saemangeum area. A change detection method was utilized to determine the impacts of the reclamation project. While wetland, grassland, and urban areas were increased, forest, water, and agricultural areas were decreased during the reclamation progress. Water quality analysis related to the land cover changes was conducted to determine the influence of reclamation construction on the environment. Chemical oxygen demand and suspended sediment variability were significantly impacted by the sea current changes after the dyke construction. On the contrary, water temperature and dissolved oxygen were affected by the seasonal influences rather than the reclamation construction. Total nitrogen and total phosphorus were influenced by the fertilizers and pesticides as a result of agricultural activity. The trends of suspended sediment from Landsat images were similar with those from the ground observation sites and also impacted by the dyke construction.     

Biogeochemical patterns in a river network along a land use gradient

The Bode catchment (Germany) shows strong land use gradients from forested parts of the National Park (23 % of total land cover) to agricultural (70 %) and urbanised areas (7 %). It is part of the Terrestrial Environmental Observatories of the German Helmholtz association. We performed a biogeochemical analysis of the entire river network. Surface water was sampled at 21 headwaters and at ten downstream sites, before (in early spring) and during the growing season (in late summer). Many parameters showed lower concentrations in headwaters than in downstream reaches, among them nutrients (ammonium, nitrate and phosphorus), dissolved copper and seston dry mass. Nitrate and phosphorus concentrations were positively related to the proportion of agricultural area within the catchment. Punctual anthropogenic loads affected some parameters such as chloride and arsenic. Chlorophyll a concentration and total phosphorus in surface waters were positively related. The concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was higher in summer than in spring, whereas the molecular size of DOC was lower in summer. The specific UV absorption at 254 nm, indicating the content of humic substances, was higher in headwaters than in downstream reaches and was positively related to the proportion of forest within the catchment. CO₂ oversaturation of the water was higher downstream compared with headwaters and was higher in summer than in spring. It was correlated negatively with oxygen saturation and positively with DOC concentration but negatively with DOC quality (molecular size and humic content). A principle component analysis clearly separated the effects of site (44 %) and season (15 %), demonstrating the strong effect of land use on biogeochemical parameters.     

Evaluating Phosphorus Loss for Watershed Management: Integrating a Weighting Scheme of Watershed Heterogeneity into Export Coefficient Model

The identification of critical source areas (CSAs) and critical source periods (CSPs) are essential prerequisites for cost-effective practices of non-point source (NPS) pollution control. A simple empirical tool combining Export Coefficient Model (ECM) and a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based weighting scheme of watershed heterogeneity was proposed to estimate annual and monthly phosphorus loss, to identify critical source areas and periods, and to assess pollution control practices. The GIS-based weighting scheme was developed to represent the transport potential of runoff to move phosphorus from the land surfaces to waters, as a supplement to the source-based ECM. The empirical tool was applied to the Dianchi Lake watershed of China. The results showed that the total phosphorus loss from NPS in 2008 was 352.3 tons. The agricultural land was recognized as the largest and the most spatially various source type. The lakeside plain and the terraces of the watershed were identified as CSAs, which generated more than 90 % of non-point phosphorus. The early part of wet season (from May to August) was the CSPs, when about 70 % of non-point phosphorus was lost. The reduction of phosphorus fertilizers and the vegetated buffer strips (VBS) were effective in controlling phosphorus loss from NPS in the watershed. A reduction of 20 % in phosphorus fertilizer application combined with the set-up of VBS in both riparian area of the main watercourses and the lakeside areas would decrease 25 % of phosphorus loss.     

Denitrification potential of riparian soils in relation to multiscale spatial environmental factors: a case study of a typical watershed,China

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that environmental regulators of riparian zone soil denitrification potential differ according to spatial scale within a watershed; consequently, a second objective was to provide spatial strategies for conserving and restoring the purification function of runoff in riparian ecosystems. The results show that soil denitrification in riparian zones was more heterogeneous at the profile scale than at the cross-section and landscape scales. At the profile scale, biogeochemical factors (including soil total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and nitrate–nitrogen) were the major direct regulators of the spatial distribution of soil denitrification enzyme activity (DEA). At the cross-section scale, factors included distance from river bank and vegetation density, while landscape-scale factors, including topographic index, elevation, and land use types, indirectly regulated the spatial distribution of DEA. At the profile scale, soil DEA was greatest in the upper soil layers. At the cross-section scale, maximum soil DEA occurred in the mid-part of the riparian zone. At the landscape scale, soil DEA showed an increasing trend towards downstream sites, except for those in urbanized areas.     

Land use impacts on river health of Uma Oya,Sri Lanka: implications of spatial scales

Human actions on landscapes are a principal threat to the ecological integrity of river ecosystems worldwide. Tropical landscapes have been poorly investigated in terms of the impact of catchment land cover alteration on water quality and biotic indices in comparison to temperate landscapes. Effects of land cover in the catchment at two spatial scales (catchment and site) on stream physical habitat quality, water quality, macroinvertebrate indices and community composition were evaluated for Uma Oya catchment in the upper Mahaweli watershed, Sri Lanka. The relationship between spatial arrangement of land cover in the catchment and water quality, macroinvertebrate indices and community composition was examined using univariate and multivariate approaches. Results indicate that chemical water quality variables such as conductivity and total dissolved solids are mostly governed by the land cover at broader spatial scales such as catchment scale. Shannon diversity index was also affected by catchment scale forest cover. In stream habitat features, nutrients such as N-NO₃ ^?, macroinvertebrate family richness, %shredders and macroinvertebrate community assemblages were predominantly influenced by the extent of land cover at 200 m site scale suggesting that local riparian forest cover is important in structuring macroinvertebrate communities. Thus, this study emphasizes the importance of services provided by forest cover at catchment and site scale in enhancing resilience of stream ecosystems to natural forces and human actions. Findings suggest that land cover disturbance effects on stream ecosystem health could be predicted when appropriate spatial arrangement of land cover is considered and has widespread application in the management of tropical river catchments.     

The importance of small urbanized watersheds to pollutant loading in a large oligotrophic subalpine lake of the western USA

Urban land use has been implicated as a major contributor of nonpoint source pollution in aquatic systems. Through increased nonpoint delivery of pollutants, including constituents found in stormwater, Lake Tahoe is undergoing a marked decline in its transparency, primarily due to increasing production of algae from enhanced nutrient loading and delivery of fine particles to the lake from the watershed. In response to these findings, a regional restoration effort is underway to improve basin watersheds and the water quality in Lake Tahoe. In this study, stormwater autosamplers were used to collect flow-weighted composite samples that characterized event mean concentrations for event and nonevent conditions within a small, urbanized watershed in the Tahoe basin. An event-specified constant-concentration water quality model was then applied to the event mean concentration and continuous streamflow data to estimate pollutant loads for nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, orthophosphate, and suspended sediment. These data were compared with previously reported load estimates from 10 primary monitored streams in larger watersheds of the Tahoe basin. Results from a linear regression analysis demonstrate strong and significant relationships between watershed impervious area and pollutant loadings from Lake Tahoe watersheds. These small, urbanized watersheds and intervening zones, which only comprise 10 % of the total Lake Tahoe drainage area, include a significant portion of the total Lake Tahoe impervious area. The findings of this study suggest that small, urbanized watersheds and intervening zones are disproportionately important contributors of nonpoint source pollution, including nutrients and suspended particles.     

A Three-Dimensional, Integrated Seasonal Separate Advection–Diffusion Model (ISSADM) to Predict Water Quality Patterns in the Chahnimeh Reservoir

Seasonal rivers are the main sources of discharge for many lakes and reservoirs. These rivers can deliver pollutants into these water bodies, especially during large events. The fate and distribution of these pollutants within lakes is difficult to predict. Here, a three-dimensional, finite-volume model for predicting lake water quality is used to account for internal advection and diffusion, including the impacts of the inflowing rivers on the velocity field. We used parsimonious sub-models for the source/sink terms for temperature, dissolved oxygen, ammonia nitrogen, phosphorous, phytoplankton, and zooplankton concentrations and tested the model predictions against field measurements from the Chahnimeh Reservoir in Iran. The modeled water quality parameters were in good agreement with the measured values. Results were notably poorer when the three-dimensionality of the model was removed. This study suggests that properly simulating three-dimensional advection is important to properly predict the distribution of pollutants within some lakes and reservoirs and that this model may be directly applicable to systems similar to Chahnimeh Reservoir.     

骆马湖水体氮污染特征分析

通过对骆马湖2005年水质监测,并结合近几年的监测资料,对结果进行了分析。结果表明,氮是骆马湖水体的主要污染指标之一,主要是总氮、氨氮和硝酸盐氮污染,其主要污染特征是入湖河流、降水、围网养殖和点源带来的污染。针对实际提出了骆马湖整治的建议。     

太湖流域河流入河污染负荷通量与入湖水质响应关系分析——以殷村港为例

以2020年1—12月太湖主要入湖河流殷村港水质自动监测站的监测数据及2020年太湖水位资料为依据,构建了一维水量水质耦合数学模型,建立了入河污染负荷通量与入湖控制断面水质响应关系,以入太湖控制断面殷村港站达Ⅲ类水质水为目标,模拟计算了殷村港站主要污染物入湖水质变化过程。结果表明,殷村港站高锰酸盐指数、氨氮、总磷等水质指标浓度最大值均明显的降低,其中氨氮浓度降低幅度相对较大,主要集中于3—6月;高锰酸盐指数和总磷日均入河污染负荷通量变化相对较小,氨氮日均入河污染负荷通量降低幅度相对较大;殷村港站高锰酸盐指数、氨氮、总磷等水质指标年入河污染负荷削减量分别为24.17,41.43,3.87 t。提出,基于核算出的削减量需进一步结合污染负荷通量过程和污染源溯源分析,确定不同水质指标下入河污染负荷控制方向,为科学合理规划殷村港主要污染物的入河污染负荷总量控制提供科学依据。     

Chemical monitoring of river water bodies in an EU outermost region: examples from the Azores archipelago (Portugal)

Chemical monitoring of water quality on a total of 16 rivers in the Azores archipelago (Portugal), since 2003, made it possible to identify the major pressures and spatial geochemical variations along main course of the rivers. River water pollution is to a large extent associated to point sources, namely domestic wastewater discharges, especially in urban areas, and diffuse sources, associated with pasture land, and explain the high values on BOD(5) and nutrients (P and N). Heavy metals and metalloids, as well as hydrocarbons and pesticides, are generally under the detection limits of the analytical methods. Generally, river water reflects pollution loads according to a simple model, derived from land use in the watershed: in the upper part conditions are pristine, in the intermediate portion of the basin pasture land dominates and near the coast urban discharges are increasingly important. Results stress the role that an approach based on the watershed scale, coupled with land use management measures, are crucial to water management procedures and a successful WFD implementation in small river basin districts like the Azores. The paper also shows the need for full compliance regarding EU directives on urban wastewater and nitrate pollution due to agriculture.