Distribution of Land Use to Purify Contaminated Groundwater by Nitrate

Groundwater contamination by nitrate results from over-fertilizing and/or inadequate disposal of livestock excreta has been large-scale problem in agricultural area. Because nitrate is primarily transported to streams via ground water flow, explaining actual condition of groundwater is needed to propose an effective measure for the conservation and restoration of sound nitrogen cycle in agricultural river catchments. The purpose of this research was to clarify a triangular relationship between the groundwater quality and flow system, river water quality and land use. The experimental field is located on a slope from Tsukuba tableland to bottomland, which is a part of Nishi- Yata River watershed in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. The site area is about 0.0675 square kilometers and the altitude varies from 24 m to 19 m. Land use of tableland, bottomland and intermediate between them are forestland, paddy field and cropland, respectively. Groundwater quality and level were monitored for the year 2004. During the study period significant differences were not observed in groundwater ionic concentrations. Relative high concentrations of dissolved nitrate were detected in cropland (3 - 43 mg/l) and forestland (74 - 179 mg/l). It revealed that there was a purification zone in the paddy field and the area around its 2-4m and denitrification eliminates nitrate-nitrogen. The pressure head converted into hydraulics head, and the groundwater flow were calculated. According to the results, it seems that groundwater flow from tableland to the riverbed through bottomland. It is presumed that groundwater cultivated in cropland with chemical fertilizer pass through the purification zone of nitrate. On the other hand, it is assumed that groundwater containing nitrate originated from inadequate disposal of livestock excreta discharge from forestland does not pass through the depth of this spot. It is suggested that considering flow system of groundwater to manage distribution of land use and conservation of bottomland are important to conserve river water quality.