Programme Description

Building on ongoing catchment scale research into the delivery of nutrients to inland water bodies, this project aims to investigate the seasonal impacts of specific nutrient sources on a selection of rivers and lakes in Ireland. Utilising state-of-the-art high resolution monitoring facilities, the objectives of the project are to:

1. use existing datasets of river discharge and nutrient concentration from meso- to macro-scale river catchments to develop nutrient load apportionment models;

2. use the nutrient load apportionment models to establish patterns and residence times from a series of high resolution discharge and water quality river stations in Ireland; and

3. determine the water quality impacts of external and internal nutrient loading patterns in standing waters.