Nutrient dynamics in the Jordan River and Great Salt Lake wetlands

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Title Nutrient dynamics in the Jordan River and Great Salt Lake wetlands
Publication Type thesis
School or College College of Engineering
Department Civil & Environmental Engineering
Author Abedin, Shaikha Binte
Date 2016
Description In an era of growing urbanization, anthropological changes like hydraulic modification and industrial pollutant discharge have caused a variety of ailments to urban rivers, which include organic matter and nutrient enrichment, loss of biodiversity, and chronically low dissolved oxygen concentrations. Utah's Jordan River is no exception, with nitrogen contamination, persistently low oxygen concentration and high organic matter being among the major current issues. The purpose of this research was to look into the nitrogen and oxygen dynamics at selected sites along the Jordan River and wetlands associated with Great Salt Lake (GSL). To demonstrate these dynamics, sediment oxygen demand (SOD) and nutrient flux experiments were conducted twice through the summer, 2015. The SOD ranged from 2.4 to 2.9 g-DO m-2 day-1 in Jordan River sediments, whereas at wetland sites, the SOD was as high as 11.8 g-DO m-2 day-1. Sediments were observed as both a sink and source for ammonia, whereas for nitrate it was mostly a sink, reflecting a combined effect of bio-chemical reactions like ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification. Ammonium flux at ambient conditions at the 1300 South location was observed to be positive. Interestingly, in the presence of additional bioavailable nutrients, a negative flux was observed as a result of higher nitrification rate instigated by the nutrient pulse, which presumably dominated ammonification. The results from potential denitrification experiments using 15N supported the high denitrification activity in the sediments. Variation in nitrification and denitrification rates was also supported by molecular analysis on amoA, nirS, and nirK genes. Comparing the potential rates of denitrification and nitrification with the in-situ nitrogen flux, SOD, and bio-molecular sediment characteristics provided a useful insight of the nutrient dynamics along the Jordan River and GSL wetland, which can serve as essential additions to the continuing efforts of improving the Jordan River Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Jordan River Valley - Climate; Jordan River (Utah)
Dissertation Name Master of Science
Language eng
Rights Management ©Shaikha Binte Abedin
Format application/pdf
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 2,741,757 bytes
Identifier etd3/id/4181
ARK ark:/87278/s61v8p9s
Setname ir_etd
ID 197727
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s61v8p9s
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