Vadose Zone Sampling and Stable Isotope Methods to Examine Fluxes and Sources of Nitrate Leaching to Groundwater in the Willamette Valley

This presentation was requested to provide information about new methods and approaches for connecting nitrate leaching to nitrate transport and storage in deeper soils and groundwater can play in better understanding nitrogen pollution in groundwater.  

Impact/Purpose

Dr. Julie Weitzman was invited to the Region 10 annual CAFO meeting to present work on sampling deep soils and vadose zone nitrate leaching.  Julie was formerly an ORISE working with Renee Brooks and Jana Compton from EPA's nutrient research topic within SSWR, and has written two papers on the factors affecting groundwater nitrate leaching in Oregon's southern Willamette Valley Groundwater Management Area.  The CAFO meeting organizers were particularly interested in new techniques and approaches related to groundwater monitoring, and Julie will present the deep soil sampling, vadose zone monitoring and stable isotope approaches she has contributed.  Julie moved on from ORISE to become the Stable Isotope Biogeochemist-Lab manager at the University of Pittsburgh's Regional Stable Isotope Laboratory for Earth and Environmental Science Research.  

Citation

Weitzman, J., J. Renee Brooks, AND J. Compton. Vadose Zone Sampling and Stable Isotope Methods to Examine Fluxes and Sources of Nitrate Leaching to Groundwater in the Willamette Valley. Region 10 Annual CAFO workshop, Corvallis, OR, October 18 - 20, 2022.