Abstract
In response to water quality standard violations linked to excessive organic matter (OM) and a lack of sampling data informing the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), an organic matter budget was created to quantify and identify sources of OM in the lower Jordan River (Salt Lake City, UT). By sampling dissolved, fine, and coarse particulate OM, as well as measuring ecosystem metabolism at seven different sites, the researchers aimed to identify the origin of excess OM, and understand pathways by which different size classes of the OM pool are generated. The dissolved fraction (DOM; 94 %) was found to be the dominant form of OM transported within the river with fine particulate organic matter (FPOM; 6 %) the second most abundant, and coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM; 1 %) transport relatively insignificant in the overall OM budget. Primary production exceeded respiratory losses in the upper river, and this, along with OM inputs from two tributaries (where water reclamation facilities discharge into the river) delivered excess OM to the impaired lower reaches. Increasing stream metabolism index (SMI) with distance downstream (>1 in the lower river) further demonstrated that transport of excessive organic matter into the lower river was from upstream sources and not due to lateral inputs. This simple approach to characterizing the organic matter budget as it relates to water quality in the Jordan River was effective and could serve as a model for future studies attempting to quantify and identify sources of OM in urban ecosystems.
Highlights
Nowhere is the impact of human population growth and land alteration more apparent than in the water quality of urban rivers
An organic matter budget was created for the Jordan River (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) based on data collected during the 2012–2013 water year
The identification of organic matter (OM)-gaining reaches helped to isolate areas within the watershed that should be targeted for the reduction of OM loading in the river
Summary
Nowhere is the impact of human population growth and land alteration more apparent than in the water quality of urban rivers. In many cases this is a legacy effect of historic urban infrastructure that was designed to channel all runoff and wastewater directly into the closest river (Kaushal and Belt 2012) so that waste would be removed from the immediate area. In the case of eutrophication, such efforts often focus on controlling concentrations of nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) required for primary production of organic matter (OM). Investigating and controlling concentrations of both nutrients and OM should be considered when developing eutrophication mitigation strategies (e.g., Smith et al 1999; Dodds 2007; Stanley et al 2012)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
