Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID ND_2023_Otte_3

Evaluating the Impact of Constructed Wetlands at the Watershed Scale

Institute: North Dakota
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $2,500 Total Non-Federal Funds: $2,782

Principal Investigators: Marinus L. Otte

Project Summary: Wetlands help to remove problematic nutrient and sediment pollutants from water, and they are often constructed for this purpose. Despite ample evidence that wetlands improve water quality, it is not known what quantity of wetlands would be needed to reduce aquatic pollutants within an entire watershed. We aim to answer this question by modeling various scenarios of wetland construction in a North Dakota watershed using the software ArcSWAT and PTMApp. Scenarios will be evaluated for their impact on water quality, watershed ecology, and the economy, with a focus on feasibility.