Elevated concentrations of nutrients and mercury (Hg) make Steamboat Creek (SBC) the most polluted tributary of the Truckee River. Since wetlands are considered cost-effective, reliable, and potential sites for methylmercury (MeHg) production, a small-scale wetland system was constructed and monitored for several years in order to quantify both nutrient removal and transformation of mercury. Results indicated seasonal variations in nutrient removal with 40-75% of total nitrogen and 30-60% of total phosphorus being removed with highest removals during summer and lowest removals during winter. The wetland system behaved as a sink for MeHg during the winter months and as a source for MeHg during summer months. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.