Quantifying Groundwater Nutrient Discharge to a Large Glacial Lake using a Watershed Loading Model

Abstract:

Groundwater discharge to a lake is an important, if often neglected, component to water and nutrient budgets. Point measurements of groundwater discharge into a lake are prone to error, so in this study of 15.57 km² West Lake Okoboji, Iowa, a watershed-based groundwater loading model was developed. Located in northwest Iowa, West Lake Okoboji is considered one of Iowa’s premier tourist destinations but is threatened by eutrophication. A network of 21 observation wells was installed in the watershed to evaluate groundwater recharge and quality under representative land cover types in a range of landscape positions. Our objective was to develop typical groundwater responses from various land cover-landscape associations for scaling up to unmonitored areas in the watershed. Results indicated substantial variation in groundwater recharge and quality in the 3847 ha watershed. Recharge was similar among land covers under vegetation but was much lower under urban pavement. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations were highest under cropped fields and lowest under perennial grassland and golf courses, whereas dissolved phosphorus was highest under residential and urban areas, including an engineered bioswale. A groundwater load allocation model indicated 91% of the nitrate load was from cropped areas and 7% from residential areas. In contrast, P loads were more equally divided among cropped fields (43%), perennial grass (36%) and residential (19%) areas. Based on the mass of nitrate and P in the lake, groundwater accounts for 71% and 18% of the nutrient inputs, respectively.