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Evolution of contaminated groundwater in Holt County, Nebraska
Author(s) -
Exner Mary E.,
Spalding Roy F.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr015i001p00139
Subject(s) - groundwater , environmental science , contaminated groundwater , nonpoint source pollution , irrigation , contamination , soil water , hydrology (agriculture) , groundwater pollution , fertilizer , soil science , surface runoff , geology , aquifer , agronomy , environmental remediation , ecology , geotechnical engineering , biology
The theoretical absence of the in situ formation of most common mineral phases and the high vertical permeability of the relatively inert soils and unsaturated layer permit detection of man‐induced environmental changes in the dilute groundwater of Holt County. Correlation coefficients show many significant associations for the major ions in groundwater affected by point and nonpoint‐source contamination. Large areas of nonpoint contamination are attributed to fertilization and irrigation of the sandy soils. In these areas increases in the average annual groundwater concentrations of Cl − , SO 4 2− , and NO 3 − average 0.44, 0.57, and 4.9 mg/l/yr, respectively. A proposed model suggests that 50% of the applied nitrogen fertilizer infiltrates to the groundwater reservoir.