Wetlands play a vital role in removing excess nutrients from agricultural catchments, which can have a negative impact on water quality. An EU-funded project identified the optimal size for wetlands and mapped their location within agricultural areas to reduce nutrient levels.
The EU-funded Horizon 2020 OPTWET project developed a fast method of identifying suitable locations for wetland construction. This technique also determined the effectiveness of wetlands in removing nutrients and the best use of land in agricultural catchments for reducing nitrogen and phosphorus levels.
Further details: Identification of sites for wetland aids water quality