DHI is presently involved in two major projects in Denmark; "Catchment nutrient leaching to Ringkjøbing Fiord" and "N-leaching from Odense stream catchment and implementation of scenarios regarding future implementation of the water framework directive" both with focus on nutrient transport to coastal waters. The projects are prepared under the Danish Water Environment Plan (III) and constitute an important element during WFD implementation in the related River Basin Districts .In both of the projects DHI provide technical support through detailed mathematical modeling.
Farmers in the area apply a mixture of manure and mineral fertilizers to fertilize their crops. The application of manure is more controlled by the storage capacity than by the optimal application time for the crops leading to unsatisfactory plant uptake and unintended large loads to both the groundwater and the surface water systems.
Due to variations in the hydrological, hydrogeological and subsurface geochemical conditions large differences appear between fields in terms of contribution to the nitrate pollution of the surface water system and the coastal waters. The integrated and dynamic catchment models MIKE SHE and MIKE 11 are used to investigate
- The leaching patterns in the catchments, i.e. which parts contribute most to the load;
- Various measures to reduce both nitrate leaching to the groundwater system and load to the surface water systems including different farming practices, wetland restoration, take areas out of production and others;
For more details please contact:
DHI Water & Environment
Agern Allé 5
DK-2970 Hørsholm
Denmark
Att: Anders Refsgaard
Phone: +45 45 169 361
Fax: +45 45 169 292
E-mail: anr@dhi.dk