Proceedings of the 19th IAHR-APD Congress 2014, Hanoi, Vietnam

ISBN xxx-xxxx-xx-x

CHARACTERISTICS OF RIVER WATER AND NUTRIENT DISCHARGE IN A WETLAND

KATSUAKI KOMAI(1), KEISUKE NAKAYAMA(2), YUSUKE FUKUOKA(3), MAMORU KAWAI(4),

SHINYA NAKASHITA(3) & YOSHITERU ICHIKAWA (4)
(1) Kitami Institute of Technology, Kitami, Japan
komai@mail.kitami-it.ac.jp
(2) Kitami Institute of Technology, Kitami, Japan
nakayama@mail.kitami-it.ac.jp
(3) Kitami Institute of Technology, Kitami, Japan
f1110701225@std.kitami-it.ac.jp
(4) Kitami Institute of Technology, Kitami, Japan
f1110700444@std.kitami-it.ac.jp
(5) Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan
nakashita@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
(6) Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau, Hokkaido, Japan
nakashita@hiroshima-u.ac.jp

ABSTRACT

Impact of rainfall event on the discharge of fine suspended sediment and nutrient in stream water in Kushiro wetland and
its surrounded basin were investigated by field observation on water qualities and runoff analysis based on distributed
hydrological model. Rainfall event has large impact on nutrient transport according to the results of total nitrogen, total
phosphorous, and fine suspended sediment concentration being several to several score times larger in rainfall event than
in ordinary discharge period. The numerical results are in good agreement with observation in terms of river discharge
and suspended solid concentration. The production rate of suspended solid likely depends on land use and topography in
local small basin. According to the observed data and numerical results, modeling of the behavior of fine suspended
sediment with rich nutrient source is likely estimated to reproduce most of nutrient transport with hydrological numerical
simulation. Primary production in lake and wetland is probably related to phosphorus supplying in rainfall event.
Primary production due to eutrophication in lake and reed community likely enriches organic substances and carbon in
stream water.

Keywords: Wetland, nutrient transport; distributed hydrological model; fine suspended sediment

between hydrological condition and vegetation change by

1. INTRODUCTION
Kushiro wetland, one of the representative natural
environments in Japan, is an important habitat for natural
animals. Also it has many functions and worth for human
being such as water resource storage, water purification,
flood control, and mitigation of regional climate. However,
wetland area are prominently decreasing recent years, for
example, reed and carex communities covering wetland
rapidly changed to alder forest (Hokkaido Regional
Development Bureau, Hokkaido, Japan, 2008; 2009, etc).
Drying and sediment deposition are considered as
essential causes of vegetation change in Kushiro Wetland
according to previous studies. In a view point of river
maintenance, the change of physical environment as a
limiting factor of vegetation growth is important, but
artificial influence such as changes of land use and
nutrient input may also exist in recent decades. It has been
reported that the storage of nutrient salt may relate to the
increase of vegetation change (Tachibana et al., 2002;
Tachibana et al., 2007). Takamura et al. (2003) reported
that the concentration of nutrient in lakes surrounding
Kushiro River, such as Lakes Shirarutoro, Takkobu, and
Toro, increased significantly for recent three decades.
Nakayama (2004; 2008) investigated about the relation
using numerical model. However, the state of nutrient
transport in Kushiro wetland and its surrounding basin
has not been clarified yet. It is estimated that the fine
suspended sediment and nutrient discharge larger in
rainfall event than in ordinary discharge period because of
the increase of surface flow. Therefore, in present paper,
for quantitative evaluation of nutrient transport on the
vegetation change in Kushiro wetland, the impacts of
rainfall event on fine suspended sediment and nutrient
concentration in the rivers in Kushiro wetland were
investigated by field observations. Furthermore,
hydrological analysis on river discharge and fine
suspended sediment is conducted in terms of rainfall
event by using numerical model. Consequently, the
characteristics on the discharge of fine suspended
sediment and properties of nutrient source in Kushiro
wetland are examined.
2. DATA AND METHODS
2.1 Data acquisition
It had been reported that P2O5, EC, NO3-N, and SO4 were
important chemical factors related to the vegetation

1
 4
St.1
St.2
St.3
St.7
St.5
St.6
St.4
0 2 4 8 12
Figure 1 Elevation and observation point in Kushiro
wetland (St. 5 to 7 are the stations shown in
Figure 14)
distribution of alder forest and reed community in
previous study (Negishi, 2003). Also, nitrogen and
phosphorus have been widely recognized as indicators of
eutrophication in aquatic environment. In a view point of
nutrient budget in a river basin, nitrogen and phosphorus
are included in both of particulate and dissolved matters.
Therefore, the transport of fine suspended sediment,
nitrogen, and phosphorus are focused in present paper.
Before characterizing the transport of fine suspended
sediment and nutrient in river water during rainfall event,
water quality level in ordinary discharge period will be
determined as baselines at first. For this purpose, field
observation on river water qualities in Kushiro wetland
and its surrounding basin were conducted in April and
July in 2012 and February and September in 2013. Figure 1
shows field observation points. Data were obtained at St. 1
(Kuchoro River), St. 2 (Osobetsu River), St. 3 (Kushiro
River), and St. 4 (Shinkushiro River). Table 1 shows the
data list in present paper. In the field observations,
sampled water was poured in a polyethylene bottle, and
the water samples were promptly stored in cool boxes
before transported to the laboratory. A part of the water
samples were filtered by dried glass fiber filter (Whatman
GF/B) and suspended solid (SS) was calculated from the
weight difference of the dried filter. Raw water samples
were analyzed for the concentrations of total nitrogen (T-
N) and total phosphorus (T-P), and filtered water samples
were analyzed for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN:
NO2-N, NO3-N, NH4-N), and phosphorous (DIP: PO4-P).
These water qualities were analyzed by using Auto
Analyzer (BLTEC, QuAAtro 2-HR). Moreover, data
obtained by Kushiro City (Jul, September, and October in
2012) were added as ordinary discharge period data. As
data in rainfall event, data obtained by Hokkaido
Regional Development Bureau, Hokkaido were used. A
few hours interval data were measured on the same
water quality items and total organic carbon (TOC) from 1
to 2, October, 2012. In order to identify the characteristics
of water qualities, water sampled at St. 5 (Hororo River),
St. 6 (reed community), and St. 7 (Lake Shirarutoro) in
April and July in 2012 are also analyzed on the same water
quality items.
Table-1 Observation data (*Kitami Institute of Technology,
+Kushiro City, #Hokkaido Regional Development
Bureau)
Date Item
2012/07/17* Particulate: SS
2012/07/25+ Particulate and dissolved
2012/09/26+ substance: T-N, T-P
2012/10/24+ Dissolved substance: NO3-
2013/09/11* N, NO2-N, NH4-N, PO4-P
2012/10/01- 1 to 2 hours interval
10/02# Particulate and dissolved
substance: T-N, T-P, TOC
Particulate substance: SS
Dissolved substance: NO3-
N, NO2-N, NH4-N, PO4-P
Figure 2 Daily river discharge from July to November in
2012.
2.2 Hydrological Model
Distributed hydrological model can simulate hydrological
processes based on physical mechanism. Distributed
hydrological model can consider geological and
geographical information in the whole of the calculated
domain, and can also represent complicated river network.
In previous studies, it has been clarified that distributed
hydrological model is suitable to estimate river discharge,
transport of fine suspended sediment, and both of
dissolved and particulate substance (Ishida et al., 2010;
Maruya et al., 2011, etc.). Distributed hydrological model
which is developed by Kitami Institute of Technology
were applied to Kushiro wetland.
2.2.1 Basic equations
In the model, precipitation quickly infiltrates downward
to the aquifer, and water flows upward when the aquifer
is saturated by the water. Also water stored on the ground
flows into river channel as surface flow, and then, the
water is converted into the river flow, and flows in the
downstream direction along the river network. In the
aquifer, water moves slowly as the infiltration flow. From
the above, surface flow, river flow, and infiltration flow
can be numerically simulated in the model.
Surface flow in the model is based on the kinematic wave
equation. Input data are hourly observed precipitations at
ten observatories, and are distributed by Thiessen
polygons in calculation domain. In numerical calculation,
the precipitation infiltrates to the aquifer, and discharged
water to ground surface is converted into surface flow if
the aquifer is saturated by water. River flow is also based
on the kinematic wave equation with lateral inflow from
surface flow. Unsaturated infiltration flow in the aquifer
2

Figure 3 Comparison of discharge in sampling date
and ordinary discharge. Error bar stands for
standard deviation.
(a)T-N
(b)T-P
Figures 4 T-N and T-P in ordinary discharge period
Figure 5 river discharge and precipitation
(1-2 October 2012)
under the ground is based on Richards equation. The
thickness of the aquifer in calculated domain is uniformly
assumed. Unsaturated infiltration flow is represented by
vertically integrated equation.
In order to fine suspended sediment concentration, SS in
surface flow is produced during rainfall event, and
transported with water particles as conserved substance in
the model.
SS Pt if R 0 and h 0 [1] concentration in river water during rainfall event, the
SS 0 if R 0 or h 0 [2]
where SS is mean SS production amount in calculation
grid (mg/L), P is SS production rate (mg/L/s), t is time
(a) SS
(b) T-N
(c) T-P
Figures 6 SS, T-N, T-P, and TOC in rainfall event
(1-2 October 2012)
step, R is rainfall intensity, and h is surface water depth. P
is given by power function of surface water depth.
2.2.2 Numerical simulation
Numerical simulation was conducted in terms of the
period from June to November 2012 when snowmelt does
not need to be considered. Calculation domain is Kushiro
wetland and its surrounding basin. Grid size is 500 m by
500 m, time step is 10 s, thickness of aquifer is 5 m,
horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivities are 8.0 x
10-5 m/s and 8.0 x 10-4 m/s, respectively. Darcy friction
factor of river channel is uniformly 0.018. Hourly
observed precipitations at ten observatories (Teshikaga,
Okushunbetsu, Kumaushigenya, Okukuchoro, Tsurui,
Kamihororo, Nakaosobetsu, Shibecha, Toro, and Kushiro)
are interpolated and distributed by Thiessen polygons in
calculation domain as input data. As an initial condition,
water content distribution which was validated by base
flow discharge during no rainfall period was given.
3. RESULTS
3.1 Ordinary discharge period
In order to characterize the variation of nutrient
baselines of nutrient concentration should be identified by
the ordinary discharge data. Figure 2 shows discharges
from June to November in 2012 at St. 1 to 4. Figure 3
shows ordinary discharge, standard deviation (error bar),
3
 Discharge
fine suspended sediment
(a) St. 2
Figures 7 Observed and calculated results of the concentration of river discharge (upper panel) and fine suspended
sediment (lower panel) with hourly mean precipitation at St. 2 (left panel) and 3 (right panel). Horizontal axis:
time (day). Vertical axis: discharge (m3/s), SS (mg/L).
and discharge at the time of water sampling. From this
figure, it is conformed that the river discharges at the time
of water sampling corresponds to the ordinary river
discharges. Therefore, these data are regarded as the base
line of water quality below.
Figures 4 show the concentrations of T-N and T-P in the
ordinary discharge period. The concentrations of T-N and
T-P range from 0.2 to 1.6 mg/L and from 0.02 to 0.06
mg/L, respectively. In addition, SS ranges from 1 to 18
mg/L. DIN (NO3-N, NO2-N, and NH4-N) and DIP (PO4-P)
in ordinary discharge period, NO3-N and PO4-P range
from 0.2 to 0.4 mg/L and from 0.01 to 0.03 mg/L,
respectively. NO2-N and NH4-N are 0.005 mg/L and 0.06
mg/L in the maximum.
3.2 Rainfall event
Figure 5 shows river discharge and precipitation at each
observation point in rainfall event. Bar chart and solid line
show precipitation and discharge, respectively. Peaks of
discharge are delayed from those of precipitation about 4
to 7 hours. The discharge at St. 1 has the largest peak
among the observation points. In contrast, the peak shape
varies mildly at St. 4 located at the downstream reach.
Figures 6 show the concentration of SS, T-N, and T-P in
the rainfall event. Both of T-N and T-P reached several
score times, and SS reached several hundred times in
comparison with ordinary discharge period. Therefore, it
is estimated that rainfall event impacts significantly on
nutrient transport. The maximum concentration appeared
at St. 2. The increases of T-N and T-P at St. 4 were less
than other location as well as river discharge.
Discharge
fine suspended sediment
(b) St. 3
3.3 Numerical results
River discharge was calculated by the numerical model. In
the calculation period, a dozen of clear rainfall events in
which the river discharge reached over three times of
ordinary river discharge were appeared. CoD (Coefficient
of determination) and RMSE (Root Mean Square Error)
between calculation and field observation of river
discharge throughout the year were calculated for the
validation of calculation parameters. The averages of CoD
and RMSE at St. 1 to 4 show relatively good agreement
with field observation (0.54 and 12.5 m3/s).
Figures 7 show the observation and numerical results of
river discharge (upper panel) and fine suspended
sediment concentration (lower panel) with hourly mean
precipitation at (a) St. 2 and (b) St. 3 in the rainfall event.
At St. 2, the variation of discharge and fine suspended
sediment were well estimated in numerical results,
however, river discharge were slightly under-estimated.
This causes the difference of fine suspended sediment as
well. About St. 3, the discharge peak in the numerical
results agreed well with observation. The peak level on
the concentration of fine suspended sediment was also
well reproduced.
4. DISCUSSION
4.1 Regional features of fine sediment production
Figure 8 shows the relation between observed river
discharge and observed SS in the rainfall event period.
4
Figure 8 Relation between discharge and SS in rainfall event (a) St. 1

Figure 9 Relation between SS and T-N in rainfall event (b) St. 2

Figure 10 Relation between SS and T-P in rainfall event (c) St. 3

The data show weak hysteresis, however, SS are in

proportion to river discharge at each point. The difference
of proportion coefficients are probably caused by the
production rate of SS related to topography, soil type, etc.
due to different land use in each small basin. Especially, at
St. 1 and 2 with less river discharges, SS becomes
relatively higher against discharge. This may cause the
under-estimation of numerical simulation at St. 2 shown
in Figure 7. Production rate depending on land use and
topography should be considered in the hydrological
(d) St. 4
model in order to improve its accuracy.
Figures 11 DIN, T-N, and river discharge in rainfall
event
4.2 Transport of fine suspended sediment and nutrient
source the nitrogen source is transported as particulate substance
during rainfall event. Consequently, with hydrological
Figures 9 and 10 show the relations between T-N, T-P and
numerical simulation, modeling of the behavior of fine
SS at each point in rainfall event. There appears good
suspended sediment with rich nutrient source is likely
correlation between T-N, T-P, and SS. It indicates that
estimated to reproduce most of nutrient transport.
nutrient sources of nitrogen and phosphorus for
vegetation are mostly transported by fine suspended
sediment. However, slight difference in each point may 4.4 Chemical properties of nutrient source
indicate that the sources of nutrient depend on their
Figure 12 show N/P and C/N in ordinary period and the
feature of small basin which has various land use and soil
peak in rainfall event. N/P ratio (from 20 to 50) indicates
properties.
rich nitrogen state in ordinary period. N/P ratio
converted from mean nutrient load reported in previous
4.3 Runoff of dissolved and particulate substances studies (Yabiki et al., 2005; Maruya et al., 2011) were about
60 in forest, and from 15 to 17 in farmland/pasture. In
Figures 11 show time series of DIN and T-N, where DIN is
contrast, since N/P reaches from 10 to 20 in rainfall event,
the sum of NO3-N, NO2-N, and NH4-N. Except for St. 4,
nutrient from forest discharges relatively larger in rainfall
the peak of T-N precedes those of discharge, but the
event than others in ordinary period and phosphorus are
concentration level of the peak of DIN is unclear
abundantly supplied in rainfall event.
comparing with T-N. Based on Figures 9 and 11, most of

5

Figure 12 Maximum C/N and N/P in rainfall event and
ordinary discharge period.
Figure 13 TOC and C/N in April and July in 2012.
Figures 13 shows TOC and C/N in April and July in 2012,
where St. 6 and 7 are located at the reed community and
Lake Shirarutoro, respectively. TOCs at the reed
community and lake water are relatively higher than other
area. Especially TOC and C/N in the lake in July is quite
high (> 5 mg/L and > 2.8, respectively). Primary
production in lake and wetland is probably related to
phosphorus supplying in rainfall event. Primary
production due to eutrophication in lake and reed
community likely enriched organic substances and carbon
in stream water. These wetland vegetation and lake water
may influence properties of nutrient sources, such as C/N
and N/P especially in the downstream reaches.
5. CONCLUSIONS
In present paper, for quantitative evaluation of nutrient
transport on the vegetation change in Kushiro wetland,
the impacts of rainfall event on fine suspended sediment
and nutrient concentration in the rivers in Kushiro
wetland were investigated by field observations.
Furthermore, hydrological analysis on river discharge and
fine suspended sediment is conducted in terms of rainfall
event by using numerical model. Consequently, the
characteristics on the discharge of fine suspended
sediment and properties of nutrient source in Kushiro
wetland are examined.
1) As a result of field observation, both of T-N and T-P in
rainfall event reached several score times, and SS
reached several hundred times in comparison with
ordinary discharge period. Therefore, rainfall event
impacts significantly on nutrient transport, and should
be appropriately evaluated.
2) Numerical model can well reproduce the variation of
river discharge and fine suspended sediment.
According to observed data, the production rate of fine
suspended sediment likely depends on local
characteristics such as soil properties, topography, etc.
3) According to the observed data and numerical results,
modeling of the behavior of fine suspended sediment
with rich nutrient source is likely estimated to
reproduce most of nutrient transport with hydrological
numerical simulation.
4) Primary production in lake and wetland is probably
related to phosphorus supplying in rainfall event.
Primary production due to eutrophication in lake and
reed community likely enriches organic substances and
carbon in stream water.
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