Estimación de la carga de nutrientes procedentes de la cuenca de drenaje superficial del rio Tepenaguasapa

Lake Cocibolca merits special attention as an important source of potable water. The Tepenaguasapa River has a sub watertable which, among other problems, has nutrient contamination. For research into this problem it was necessary to determinate the amount of nutrients (Phosphorus and Nitrogen) in the watertable. The amount of Phosphorus estimated was 24.33 t/year and Nitrogen 632.57ft/year making a total of 656.89 t/year with an order of importance in regard to origin, use of soil, rainfall and artificial water runoff. The river varies in it′s trophic state with a concentration of nutrients in a gradient from upstream to downstream. The nutrient load originates, for the most part, in areas used for pasture and livestock, farming monoculture, waste water management and logging, as well as a river basin which has an abundant rainfall and is of large size compared to the surface water.