1. Water Quality Mitigation Through Upstream Wetland Restoration In The Potomac River Watershed Leonardo Calle Katherine He Whitney Quinn Christina De Jesus Angel Lopez Meghan McAvoy

2. Harmful Impacts of Nitrogen Containing Compounds in Stream Ecosystems Nitrate is a contaminant in soil and water over the world and increases chances of birth defects and bladder cancer in women. Therefore detection of these reactive species is a major concern as it degrades ecosystem services.

3. Pertinent Questions Q1: How is the presence of agricultural fields related with water quality? Q2: Where could wetlands be introduced to best mitigate nitrogen levels? Q3: How does the efficacy of upstream wetlands compare to that of tidal wetlands?

4. How Do Wetlands Work?

5. Effects of Tidal Wetlands on Nitrogen Level Mediation

6. Definitions and Methods Wetlands –Generally, wetlands are lands where saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface (Cowardin, December 1979). Methods –Correlating land cover data and nitrogen Loads

7. High [Nitrogen] Lower [Nitrogen] Optimal[Nitrogen] Agricultural land Urban land Nitrogen Loads and Land Cover

9. Wetlands as Transplanted Kidneys STA’s have reduced phosphorous levels flowing into the greater Everglades from 150-100 ppb to ~30 ppb

10. Efficiency of nutrient removal is dependent primarily on total wetland area and flow rate Total Area is Key

11. Treatment: Wetland Nitrogen Removal Comparison of average total nitrogen concentration in the restored wetland to the reference wetland and the agriculture drainage canal Non-riverine wet hardwood forest, down stream of North River Farms, North Carolina

12. Probable Upstream Wetland Locations for Water Quality Improvement

13. Literature Indicates Significant Environmental Role of Headwater Wetland Habitats Current assumption: –Effects of tidal wetlands would be the same if translated upstream Case studies –In Hungary, “headwater wetlands play an important role in reducing runoff, improving water quality, and as important landscape- ecological barriers for certain species”

14. Challenges in Introduction of Upstream Wetlands Literature discusses existing upstream wetlands in Hungary, Slovakia, Poland –Generally, peat-lands – partially decayed organic matter Questions –How do the varying characteristics of wetlands affect efficacy? –Is the installation of wetlands sustainable?

15. Thank You!