Water quality performance of wetlands receiving non‐point source nitrogen loads: Nitrate and total nitrogen removal efficiency and controlling factors

Nonpoint-source nitrogen (N) loads in the U.S. Corn Belt are a major concern both for local impacts on receiving waters and for contributing to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Nonpoint-source nutrient loads can be ameliorated by a combination of in-field and offsite practices, and wetland restoration is a particularly promising approach for reducing N loads from agricultural drainage. However, there is considerable variability among wetlands, and adequate performance data are available for relatively few systems receiving unregulated nonpoint-source loads. We measured N mass balances of 26 restored wetlands receiving a wide range of unregulated, naturally varying hydraulic and nutrient loads to evaluate the N removal performance of these systems and the effects of major factors controlling their performance. Nitrogen loads were primarily in the form of nitrate, and all of the wetlands were effective in reducing both nitrate and total N loads. Nitrate N and total N removal rates averaged 1,500 and 1,440 kg N ha-1  yr-1 , respectively, with the slightly lower total N removal rates reflecting a small net export of reduced N (averaging 66 kg N ha-1  yr-1 ). Average nitrate and total N removal rates were substantially higher than typically reported for Corn Belt wetlands but comparable with highly loaded systems elsewhere. Nitrate removal efficiency ranged from 9 to 92% and was strongly related to hydraulic loading rate and temperature. Results demonstrate the substantial capacity of wetlands to reduce unregulated and highly variable nonpoint-source N loads over a broad range of weather and loading conditions and provide a reasonable basis for predicting average wetland performance based on hydraulic loading rate, temperature, and nitrate concentration.