Low flow water chemistry in forested and pasture catchments, Mawheraiti River, Westland

Abstract

Water samples taken at 19 locations in the Mawheraiti River catchment at weekly intervals during 1979–80 were analysed for sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphate, nitrate, and ammonium ion concentrations and for electrical conductivity. Seasonal discharge effects were apparent, and lithology and land management practice also influenced solute concentrations. Solute concentrations were generally very low; nitrate and soluble phosphate were rarely greater than 0.05 mg.L^‐1 and ammonium was rarely greater than 0.01 mg.L^‐1. The 4 major cations (Na, Mg, K, and Ca) usually summed to less than 6 mg.L^‐1 much of which was supplied by precipitation. Forest management (clearfelling and slash‐burning) caused significant increases in solute concentrations, but concentrations declined rapidly during succeeding months and approached pretreatment levels after 2–3 years. The higher concentrations associated with forest management in small experimental catchments were rapidly diluted downstream; together with the low natural solute concentrations this suggests that harmful downstream effects of management practices are unlikely under low flow conditions.

Keywords:

• Mawheraiti River
• forests
• pasture
• harvesting
• burning
• stream flow
• water analysis (chemical)
• calcium
• magnesium
• sodium
• potassium
• nitrate
• phosphate
• ammonium

Notes

Present address: Water and Soil Science Centre, Ministry of Works and Development, P.O. Box 1479, Christ‐church, New Zealand