Nutrient Distribution Characteristics of the Sediment-water System in the Xiangxi River During the Impoundment of TGR

Abstract

This study characterizes the nutrient distribution of the sediment-water system in the Xiangxi River (XXR) during the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). In 2016, the research group obtained samples in the Xiangxi River, analyzed the distribution of nitrogen, phosphorus, and O.M. (organic matter) in the sediment-water system, explored the characteristics of "source-sink" between the interstitial water and overlying water, and carried out a cluster analysis for the sampling sites. The results showed that ρ(TN) in the sediments was higher than in the estuary, and the ρ(TN) was close to that in the middle and downstream samples of the river. The ρ(TP) in the upstream sample was the highest of all sites, ρ(O.M.) presented low distribution characteristics in the downstream, and the maximum value of ρ(O.M.) exceeded the critical point (1.5%) within a depth of 10 cm, and there was a certain risk of release. For the distribution in the overlying water, ρ(DTN) and ρ(DTP) were the largest in the estuary, ρ(DTN) decreased from the estuary to the upstream, and ρ(DTP) did not change along the river. During the study, DTN, NH4+-N, and DTP in all sites (except CJ point) were released as nutrients to the overlaying water as the "source," but some points for NO3--N and PO43--P presented as "sources," and some of them presented as "sinks." The "source-sink" process of nitrogen was stronger than that of phosphorus. This was due to the difference between the oxidation environment at the bottom of the XXR and the stream flow backward depth of the Xiangxi bay during impoundment. Based on the results of a cluster analysis, the characteristics of CJ, 1, and 2 indicated similar sediment-water systems, while the characteristics of 3 and 4 were similar.