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Pollutant export from various land uses in the upper Neuse River Basin
Daniel E Line1, Nancy M White, Deanna L Osmond
1North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7637, USA. Dan_Line@ncsu.edu
Summary
Urban land uses significantly increase pollutant export, with construction sites showing the highest nitrogen and sediment loads. Residential and golf courses also contribute substantially to nutrient and phosphorus runoff.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Hydrology
- Urban Planning
Background:
- Urban land uses are known for high pollutant export variability.
- Characterizing pollutant export requires extensive monitoring across numerous storm events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify and compare pollutant (nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment) export from various urban land uses.
- To establish baseline export rates for different land use types.
Main Methods:
- Monitoring pollutant runoff from six distinct land use types (residential, golf course, industrial, pasture, construction, wooded) over one year.
- Recording data from at least 20 storm events per site.
- Calculating average event mean concentrations and total annual loads for nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment.
Main Results:
- Construction sites exhibited the highest annual total nitrogen and sediment export, especially during the house-building and rough grading phases.
- Golf courses and residential areas showed high total phosphorus export.
- Compared to wooded (predevelopment) sites, residential, golf course, and construction land uses exported 269-302% more nitrogen and phosphorus, and 256% more sediment.
Conclusions:
- Urban development significantly elevates nutrient and sediment export compared to natural landscapes.
- Nitrogen in rainfall is a considerable source contributing to overall nitrogen export from these sites.
- Effective urban watershed management requires understanding and mitigating pollutant runoff from diverse land uses.