Vegetation restoration and agricultural management to mitigate nitrogen pollution in the surface waters of the Dan River, China

Non-point source pollution in rivers is an important factor affecting water quality. Quantifying the load of non-point source pollutants in the water and implementing improvement measures are critical for guaranteeing drinking water quality. In this study, the Dan River watershed, which is an important water source for Beijing, was investigated. Through a combination of water sampling and numerical simulations, the temporal and spatial distributions of nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) and ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4+-N) loads in the watershed were determined, and the effects of vegetation restoration and agricultural management on reducing nitrogen pollution in the river were predicted. The NO3--N and NH4+-N loads in the watershed were higher during the wet season (July-September), accounting for more than 50% of the annual nitrogen output. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate the nitrogen load in the watershed. Pollution from nitrogen loading was serious in the lower reaches of the river; however, vegetation restoration can reduce the nitrogen output. Through scenario simulations, we found that an increase in forestland in the watershed would reduce the NO3--N and NH4+-N loads. The nitrate and NH4+-N loads in the watershed also decreased with reduced fertilizer use and reduced irrigation application in the watershed. Thus, reasonable land planning and agricultural management measures can effectively reduce nitrogen loss, which is an effective way to control non-point source pollution in watersheds and ensure river water quality.