|
|
|
|
Ecology Publications & Forms |
|
|
|
|
|
Ecology Publications & Forms |
| Title | Sumas-Blaine Aquifer Nitrate Contamination Summary |
||||
|
|||||
| VIEW NOW |
Sumas-Blaine Aquifer Nitrate Contamination Summary (Number of pages: 57) (Publication Size: 7110KB)
|
||||
| Author(s) | Carey, B. and R. Cummings | ||||
| Description | This report summarizes groundwater nitrate data collected over 30 years from the Sumas-Blaine Aquifer, a transboundary aquifer in northwestern Washington. Data compiled from studies by the USGS and the Department of Ecology indicate that 29% of 515 wells sampled have exceeded the 10 mg/L-nitrogen maximum contaminant level for nitrate, and 14% of the total have exceeded 20 mg/L-nitrogen. The report also summarizes physical and land use characteristics that make the aquifer especially vulnerable to nitrate contamination, including shallow depth-to-water and intensive agricultural production. The report also summarizes results of studies conducted by the Department of Ecology to evaluate impacts of dairy management practices on groundwater. Recommendations are listed for actions to reduce nitrate contamination in the aquifer, and information is provided for private well owners on testing their water for nitrate. On February 12, 2013, the following substantive changes were made to this report: On page 19, the chart showed the estimated contribution of nitrogen from dairy lagoons as 0.2%. We changed the number to 1.2%. On page 20, we replaced the paragraph beneath “Dairy lagoons” with the following: The estimate of nitrogen from dairy lagoons assumes that 110 dairies with addresses over the SBA have a lagoon with the same assumptions used in Cox and Kahle (6): an average surface area of 30,000 square feet that leaks 1 mm/day and has an ammonia concentration of 840 mg/L. These assumptions result in the following estimate for lagoon leakage: (110 dairies) x (1,880 lb N leached/dairy-year) = 206,800 lb N/year Although the total estimate for lagoon leakage, 206,800 lb N/year is a small percentage of the total input of nitrogen to the land overlying the entire aquifer (1.2%), lagoons may have significant localized impacts on groundwater nitrate depending on how they are constructed and managed. On page 35, we changed the hyperlink for reference 51 to: http://nepis.epa.gov/EPA/html/DLwait.htm?url=/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=30004GXI.PDF On page 55, we made the following corrections to Appendix D: Changed the number for nitrogen loading by dairy lagoons from 36,100 lb/year to 206,800 lb/year. Changed footnote 4 to: “Assumes that all dairies over the SBA have a lagoon with leakage as estimated in (6) such that: (110 dairies) x (1,880 lb N leached/dairy-year) = 206,800 lb N/year" Changed the following in the “Mean % of total” column: Manure applied to crops - from 66 to 65 Atmospheric deposition - from 2.2 to 2.3 Dairy lagoons - from 0.2 to 1.2 |
||||
| REQUEST A COPY
|
The mission of the Department of Ecology is to protect, preserve, and enhance Washington’s environment. To help us meet that goal, please consider the environment before you print or request a copy.
ADA Accessibility The Department of Ecology is committed to providing people with disabilities access to information and services by meeting or exceeding the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Washington State Policy #188. Visit Ecology’s website for more information. |
||||
| Contact | EAP Publications Coordinator at 564-669-3028 or EAPpubs@ecy.wa.gov | ||||
| WATERSHED | Water Resource Inventory Area 01 Nooksack | ||||
| DATA | Environmental Information Management (EIM) #BCAR0003 Environmental Information Management (EIM) #DERI001 |
||||
| RELATED PUBLICATIONS | Title:
Nitrogen Dynamics at a Manured Grass Field Overlying the Sumas-Blaine Aquifer in Whatcom County Focus on Groundwater Quality in Whatcom County |
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See https://ecology.wa.gov/About-us/Accountability-transparency/Our-website/Copyright-information.
|