Connectivity influences on nutrient and sediment migration in the Wartburg catchment, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

Non-point-source (NPS) pollution of surface and groundwater by sediment and nutrient loads emanating from agricultural catchments is a prominent environmental issue, with major consequences on water supply and aquatic ecosystem quality. The concept of connectivity has proved invaluable in understanding migration of NPS pollutants in catchments. Observations of sediments or suspended solids (SS), nitrate (NO3) and phosphorous (P) fluxes alongside stable water isotope sampling were made on a nested basis at field and catchment (41 km2) scales for a series of events in the Wartburg catchment, South Africa. The nested catchment scale sampling was focused on control features in the stream network, including road crossings, farm dams and wetland zones. The analyzed stable water (δ18O and δ2H) isotopes results were used to interpret the connectivity of the contributing land forms and the stream network. The results reveal the dominant influences of farm dams and wetlands in limiting the downstream migration of sediment and nutrients for all but the most intense events. Certain events resulted in mixing in the dams and larger resultant outflow than inflow loads. These occurrences appear to be as a result of combinations of reservoir status, catchment antecedent conditions and rainfall depth and intensity. The nutrients loads between Bridge 1 and Bridge 2 stations reflect the bedrock control, where contributions from sugar cane hillslopes between these stations are not retained, even in the short wetland upstream of Bridge 2. Isotope analyses reveal that the headwaters, comprising 70% of the catchment area, contribute as little as 29% of the total catchment discharge, due to impoundments in this area. However, this contribution varies significantly for different events, reaching a maximum of 78% of the catchment discharge. It can therefore be concluded that nutrients and sediment migration in the Wartburg catchment is greatly influenced by connectivity. The δ18O and δ2H water isotopes can be used to assess the contributions of different sources of water which impact the transport of nutrients and sediments in catchments.