NITROGEN LOAD IN THREE STREAMS OF THE JAMES RIVER WATERSHED NEAR SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI

The increasing amounts of nitrates and phosphates from cities and farms that run off into river systems contribute to the formation of deadly algal blooms, or hypoxic bottom-waters in the ocean. Large streams are monitored but the export of nutrients from small streams are mostly unknown. The contribution of the James River watershed of the Ozarks was the focus of this study. The methodology employed included to find locations near U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stream flow gages, collect samples from the rivers, analysis and processing of the data. To ensure accuracy and to make sure no biotic processes skew the data, the samples were filtered and measured for pH, alkalinity, turbidity, N0₃-N, N-total and N-organic as soon as possible. The results of this research are expected to find an increase in the spring when farms and urban gardens add fertilizer. Besides, this will be background dataset for this watershed.