Numerous laboratory studies and several field experiments have demonstrated that nitrate can be reduced below the EPA drinking water standard when conditions exist to promote the proliferation of nitrogen-reducing bacteria.
Nitrogen reducing bacteria generally exist in any natural water containing elevated nitrate.
However, natural de-nitrification is commonly limited by the lack of a carbon source and aerobic conditions. These two limitations are not present in healthy riparian systems. In addition to microbial de-nitrification, the enhanced bank stabilization structures would also provide a natural filtration barrier to the transport of phosphorus and certain pathogens into the receiving bodies of water. The project has three primary objectives. The first objective is to identify carbon sources in Colorado that can be used to achieve acceptable reduction of nitrate at a range of contact times and temperatures that reflect conditions expected in the field.