The Relationship Between Riparian Soil Nutrients and Water Quality in Inlet Sections of Lakes: A Case Study of the Kherlen River

Yunliang Zhao, Biao Sun (), Xiaohong Shi, Yulong Tao, Zenglong Wang, Shihuan Wang and Bowen Ye
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Yunliang Zhao: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Biao Sun: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Xiaohong Shi: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Yulong Tao: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Zenglong Wang: Hulunbuir Academy of Inland Lakes in Northern Cold and Arid Areas, Hulunbuir 021008, China
Shihuan Wang: Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Bowen Ye: College of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: This study uses the Kherlen River as a case study to investigate the relationship between soil nutrients in riparian zones and water quality in inlet sections of lakes. Field sampling and experimental analyses were conducted during the high-water period (July) of 2023. An investigation was conducted on both the water quality of the river segments entering the lake and the soil nutrients. Methods such as the comprehensive water quality index (WQI), spatial heterogeneity analysis, and gray relational analysis were employed to assess water quality, soil nutrient characteristics, and their interrelationships, respectively. The results indicated that during the high-water period, the average concentrations of the permanganate index (COD Mn ), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and dichromate oxidizability (COD Cr ) in the Kherlen River exceeded the Class V surface water quality standard thresholds. The overall WQI of the Kherlen River was 22.54, reflecting generally poor water quality, with a Global Moran’s I of 0.21, indicating a spatially clustered distribution. In the watershed, the Global Moran’s I values for pH values, TOC, TN, and TP at soil depths of 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm were 0.52, 0.90, 0.86, and 0.94 and 0.51, 0.57, 0.77, and 0.78, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found among soil nutrients, exhibiting a strong spatial aggregation characteristic, with nutrient concentrations decreasing with increasing soil depth. Moreover, the WQI of the Kherlen River demonstrated a significant correlation (R 2 > 0.6) with soil nutrient indicators, underscoring the substantial impact of riparian soil nutrients on river water quality. Based on these findings, targeted water management and ecological restoration measures are proposed to improve the water quality of the Kherlen River and Hulun Lake, providing new insights and scientific evidence for the restoration and sustainable development of lake ecosystems.

Keywords: Kherlen River; water quality index; soil nutrients; spatial heterogeneity; gray correlation analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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