Integrated catchmenty modelling a nitrate to grounwater and surface water

Many years intensive agricultural activity in the Ringkjøbing Fjord catchment has lead to a deteriorating water quality in the Fjord. Measures towards reduction of nitrate loads have caused a slight improvement, but further measures are required. In order to develop an instrument to analyse and assess the effect of different measures to reduce the nitrate  load to the groundwater and subsequently the fjord an integrated surface water and groundwatermodel is developed. The model includes a fully coupled and dynamic description of the flow and transportprocesses in surface water and groundwater in the catchment. Degradation of nitrate in the groundwater and surface water system is accounted for.

The model is in the first place applied to determine areas that contribute mostly to the nitrate load of N and dientify successful management options like cutting drains, decreasing fertiliser applcations etc.