How much runoff do riparian wetlands affect?

Abstract

Nitrate runoff from pastoral fanning is of concern because it contributes to lake eutrophication. Surface flow in wetlands is a measure of the runoff likely to experience nitrate attenuation. This study assessed the potential of small headwater wetlands to reduce catchment nitrate loads by quantifying the proportion of total runoff that occurred as surface flow at the outlet of wetlands. Surface flow can be measured from wetlands in side valleys (valley wetlands) with well defined flow channels, but not in those parallel to the stream (riparian wetlands) with distributed flow. This study, from November 2004 to June 2008: (1) measured the mean specific flow yield (mm yr⁻¹) at the outlet of 6 wetlands; (2) classified wetlands into 3 types based on hydrology; (3) mapped and classified all wetlands in the catchment; and (4) calculated the area‐weighted mean specific yield of wetlands for the whole catchment. The 6.6 km² study catchment at Taupo, North Island, New Zealand, was predominantly pasture on volcanic soils where flows were baseflow dominated. Riparian and valley wetlands occupied 5% of catchment area. Type 1 wetlands flowed continuously, were dominated by baseflow (81–83%), and had a mean annual yield (± SE) of 167 ± 46 mm (34% of stream yield). Type 2 wetlands dried up during droughts and type 3 wetlands dried up each summer. Both latter types had a low baseflow component (20%) and a yield of 66±18 mm (13% of stream yield). In one tributary, gaugings over 4 days in summer during a wet year indicated that 27% of streamflow originated from wetlands. For the catchment as a whole, wetland baseflow accounted for 11± 4% of mean annual streamflow and wetland quickflow another 8 ± 2%, although these percentages are likely underestimates because seepages occurred downslope from measurement points. Although riparian and valley wetlands occupied only 5% of the catchment area, they could potentially have attenuated nitrogen in 11–19% of runoff. Other catchments may have different hydrology and wetland nitrate attenuation, and the methods outlined here could be used to quantify these differences.

Keywords:

• nitrate
• attenuation
• specific yield
• streamflow
• groundwater
• New Zealand