News Release: Thin Skin Beneath Streams Can Power Large Improvements in Water Quality
From the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS):
“Recent U.S. Geological Survey research has found that natural biochemical processes in water moving back and forth between a stream and its underlying sediment were significant in removing nitrate from streams in the Illinois River basin, one of the world’s most intensively farmed regions. The USGS study in a nitrogen-polluted stream found that the flow of streamwater through a very thin zone of sediment enhances chemical reactions that decrease nitrate delivery to coastal areas where nitrogen fuels formation of hypoxic ‘dead zones.’
“‘One of the thorniest issues in the overall quality of our Nation’s waters is relatively high levels of nitrates and other nutrients in many of our streams and rivers,’ said Lori Caramanian, Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. ‘A better understanding of the natural processes that reduce nutrients in our streams and rivers will help us mange our waterways in a more effective manner.’”
Read more from the USGS news release