Nitrogen budget calculations performed for high-flow and low-flow years in
the major sub-basins of the Upper Mississippi River watershed show differen
ces in nitrogen applications and discharges. Nitrogen budgets show that fer
tilizer is the most important input of nitrogen to the basins, but also sho
w that atmospheric input and animal manures can be significant inputs of ni
trogen to the basins. The transport of nitrogen from the land to rivers var
ies with the prevailing hydrologic conditions. The annual nitrogen budgets
are not balanced. In years of high precipitation and river discharge, more
nitrogen can be removed than had been applied that year, presumably from N
stored in the soil or ground water. Storage of nitrogen in soils is a major
unknown in the model, but calculations suggest that it is a significant re
servoir of N.