Water-quality characteristics in runoff for three discovery farms in North Dakota, 2008-12

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nustad, Rochelle A.; Rowland, Kathleen M.; Wiederholt, Ronald

2015-01-01

Consistent patterns in water quality emerged at each individual farm, but similarities among farms also were observed. Suspended sediment, total phosphorus, and ammonia concentrations generally decreased downstream from feeding areas, and were primarily affected by surface runoff processes such as dilution, settling out of sediment, or vegetative uptake. Because surface runoff affects these constituents, increased annual surface runoff volume tended to result in increased loads and yields. No significant change in nitrate plus nitrite concentration were observed downstream from feeding areas because additional processes such as high solubility, nitrification, denitrification, and surface-groundwater interaction affect nitrate plus nitrite. For nitrate plus nitrite, increases in annual runoff volume did not consistently relate to increases in annual loads and yields. It seems that temporal distribution of precipitation and surface-groundwater interaction affected nitrate plus nitrite loads and yields. For surface drainage sites, the primary form of nitrogen was organic nitrogen whereas for subsurface drainage sites, the primary form of nitrogen was nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen.

Transport of three veterinary antimicrobials from feedlot pens via simulated rainfall runoff.

PubMed

Sura, Srinivas; Degenhardt, Dani; Cessna, Allan J; Larney, Francis J; Olson, Andrew F; McAllister, Tim A

2015-07-15

Veterinary antimicrobials are introduced to wider environments by manure application to agricultural fields or through leaching or runoff from manure storage areas (feedlots, stockpiles, windrows, lagoons). Detected in manure, manure-treated soils, and surface and ground water near intensive cattle feeding operations, there is a concern that environmental contamination by these chemicals may promote the development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. Surface runoff and leaching appear to be major transport pathways by which veterinary antimicrobials eventually contaminate surface and ground water, respectively. A study was conducted to investigate the transport of three veterinary antimicrobials (chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, tylosin), commonly used in beef cattle production, in simulated rainfall runoff from feedlot pens. Mean concentrations of veterinary antimicrobials were 1.4 to 3.5 times higher in surface material from bedding vs. non-bedding pen areas. Runoff rates and volumetric runoff coefficients were similar across all treatments but both were significantly higher from non-bedding (0.53Lmin(-1); 0.27) than bedding areas (0.40Lmin(-1); 0.19). In keeping with concentrations in pen surface material, mean concentrations of veterinary antimicrobials were 1.4 to 2.5 times higher in runoff generated from bedding vs. non-bedding pen areas. Water solubility and sorption coefficient of antimicrobials played a role in their transport in runoff. Estimated amounts of chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, and tylosin that could potentially be transported to the feedlot catch basin during a one in 100-year precipitation event were 1.3 to 3.6ghead(-1), 1.9ghead(-1), and 0.2ghead(-1), respectively. This study demonstrates the magnitude of veterinary antimicrobial transport in feedlot pen runoff and supports the necessity of catch basins for runoff containment within feedlots. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mitigation of nutrient losses via surface runoff from rice cropping systems with alternate wetting and drying irrigation and site-specific nutrient management practices.

PubMed

Liang, X Q; Chen, Y X; Nie, Z Y; Ye, Y S; Liu, J; Tian, G M; Wang, G H; Tuong, T P

2013-10-01

Resource-conserving irrigation and fertilizer management practices have been developed for rice systems which may help address water quality concerns by reducing N and P losses via surface runoff. Field experiments under three treatments, i.e., farmers' conventional practice (FCP), alternate wetting and drying (AWD), and AWD integrated with site-specific nutrient management (AWD + SSNM) were carried out during two rice seasons at two sites in the southwest Yangtze River delta region. Across site years, results indicated that under AWD irrigation (i.e., AWD and AWD + SSNM), water inputs were reduced by 13.4~27.5 % and surface runoff was reduced by 30.2~36.7 % compared to FCP. When AWD was implemented alone, total N and P loss masses via surface runoff were reduced by 23.3~30.4 % and 26.9~31.7 %, respectively, compared to FCP. However, nutrient concentrations of surface runoff did not decrease under AWD alone. Under AWD + SSNM, total N and P loss masses via surface runoff were reduced to a greater extent than AWD alone (39.4~47.6 % and 46.1~48.3 % compared to FCP, respectively), while fertilizer inputs and N surpluses significantly decreased and rice grain yields increased relative to FCP. Therefore, by more closely matching nutrient supply with crop demand and reducing both surface runoff and nutrient concentrations of surface runoff, our results demonstrate that integration of AWD and SSNM practices can mitigate N and P losses via surface runoff from rice fields while maintaining high yields.

Runoff of pharmaceuticals and personal care products following application of biosolids to an agricultural field.

PubMed

Topp, Edward; Monteiro, Sara C; Beck, Andrew; Coelho, Bonnie Ball; Boxall, Alistair B A; Duenk, Peter W; Kleywegt, Sonya; Lapen, David R; Payne, Michael; Sabourin, Lyne; Li, Hongxia; Metcalfe, Chris D

2008-06-15

Municipal biosolids are a source of nutrients for crop production. Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) can be used to minimize the risk of contamination of adjacent water resources with chemical or microbial agents that are of public or environmental health concern. In this field study, we applied biosolids slurry at a commercial rate using either subsurface injection or broadcast application followed by incorporation. Precipitation was simulated at 1, 3, 7, 22, 36 and 266 days post-application on 2 m(2) microplots to evaluate surface runoff of 9 model pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), atenolol, carbamazepine, cotinine, gemfibrozil, naproxen, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, sulfamethoxazole and triclosan. In runoff from the injected plots, concentrations of the model PPCPs were generally below the limits of quantitation. In contrast, in the broadcast application treatment, the concentrations of atenolol, carbamazepine, cotinine, gemfibrozil, naproxen, sulfamethoxazole and triclosan on the day following application ranged from 70-1477 ng L(-1) in runoff and generally declined thereafter with first order kinetics. The total mass of PPCPs mobilized in surface runoff per m(2) of the field ranged from 0.63 microg for atenolol to 21.1 microg for ibuprofen. For ibuprofen and acetaminophen, concentrations in runoff first decreased and then increased, suggesting that these drugs were initially chemically or physically sequestered in the biosolids slurry, and subsequently released in the soil. Carbamazepine and triclosan were detected at low concentrations in a runoff event 266 days after broadcast application. Overall, this study showed that injection of biosolids slurry below the soil surface could effectively eliminate surface runoff of PPCPs.

The effect of the runoff size on the pesticide concentration in runoff water and in FOCUS streams simulated by PRZM and TOXSWA.

PubMed

Adriaanse, Paulien I; Van Leerdam, Robert C; Boesten, Jos J T I

2017-04-15

Within the European Union the exposure of aquatic organisms to pesticides is assessed by simulations with the so-called FOCUS Surface Water Scenarios. Runoff plays an important role in these scenarios. As little is known about the effect of runoff size on the exposure, we investigated the effect of runoff size on the concentration in the runoff water and in streams simulated with the PRZM and TOXSWA models for two FOCUS runoff scenarios. For weakly sorbing pesticides (K F,oc <100Lkg -1 ) the pesticide concentration in the runoff water decreased exponentially with increasing daily runoff size. The runoff size hardly affected the pesticide concentration in the runoff water of strongly sorbing pesticides (K F,oc ≥1000Lkg -1 ). For weakly sorbing pesticides the concentration in the FOCUS stream reached a maximum at runoff sizes of about 0.3 to 1mm. The concentration increased rapidly when the runoff size increased from 0 to 0.1mm and gradually decreased when runoff exceeded 1mm. For strongly sorbing pesticides the occurrence of the maximum concentration in the stream is clearly less pronounced and lies approximately between 1 and 20mm runoff. So, this work indicates that preventing small runoff events (e.g. by vegetated buffer strips) reduces exposure concentrations strongly for weakly sorbing pesticides. A simple metamodel was developed for the ratio between the concentrations in the stream and in the runoff water. This model predicted the ratios simulated by TOXSWA very well and it demonstrated that (in addition to runoff size and concentration in runoff) the size of the pesticide-free base flow and pesticide treatment ratio of the catchment determine the stream concentration to a large extent. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of Grassed Waterways and Compost Filter Socks on the Quality of Surface Runoff from Corn Fields

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Surface runoff from cropland frequently has high concentrations of nutrients and herbicides, particularly in the first few events after application. Grassed waterways can control erosion while transmitting this runoff offsite, but are generally ineffective in removing dissolved agrochemicals. In thi...

Phosphorus mitigation during springtime runoff by amendments applied to grassed soil.

PubMed

Uusi-Kämppä, J; Turtola, E; Närvänen, A; Jauhiainen, L; Uusitalo, R

2012-01-01

Permanent grass vegetation on sloping soils is an option to protect fields from erosion, but decaying grass may liberate considerable amounts of dissolved reactive P (DRP) in springtime runoff. We studied the effects of freezing and thawing of grassed soil on surface runoff P concentrations by indoor rainfall simulations and tested whether the peak P concentrations could be reduced by amending the soil with P-binding materials containing Ca or Fe. Forty grass-vegetated soil blocks (surface area 0.045 m, depth 0.07 m) were retrieved from two permanent buffer zones on a clay and loam soil in southwest Finland. Four replicates were amended with either: (i) gypsum from phosphoric acid processing (CaSO × 2HO, 6 t ha), (ii) chalk powder (CaCO, 3.3 t ha), (iii) Fe-gypsum (6 t ha) from TiO processing, or (iv) granulated ferric sulfate (Fe[SO], 0.7 t ha), with four replicates serving as untreated controls. Rainfall (3.3 h × 5 mm h) was applied on presaturated samples set at a slope of 5% and the surface runoff was analyzed for DRP, total dissolved P (TDP), total P (TP), and suspended solids. Rainfall simulation was repeated twice after the samples were frozen. Freezing and thawing of the samples increased the surface runoff DRP concentration of the control treatment from 0.19 to 0.46 mg L, up to 2.6-3.7 mg L, with DRP being the main P form in surface runoff. Compared with the controls, surface runoff from soils amended with Fe compounds had 57 to 80% and 47 to 72% lower concentrations of DRP and TP, respectively, but the gypsum and chalk powder did not affect the P concentrations. Thus, amendments containing Fe might be an option to improve DRP retention in, e.g., buffer zones. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Nutrient loss with runoff from fairway turf: an evaluation of core cultivation practices and their environmental impact.

PubMed

Rice, Pamela J; Horgan, Brian P

2011-11-01

The presence of excess nutrients in surface waters can result in undesirable environmental and economic consequences, including nuisance algal blooms and eutrophication. Fertilizer use in highly managed turf systems has raised questions concerning the contribution of nutrients to surrounding surface waters. Experiments were designed to quantify phosphorus and nitrogen transport with runoff from turf plots maintained as a golf course fairway to identify which cultural practice, solid tine (ST) or hollow tine (HT) core cultivation, maximized phosphorus and nitrogen retention at the site of fertilizer application. Simulated precipitation and collection of resulting runoff were completed 26 ± 13 h following granular fertilizer application (18-3-18: N-P₂O₅-K₂O) and 63 d and 2 d following core cultivation. Runoff volumes were reduced in fairway turf plots aerated with HT relative to ST (63 d: 10%, 2 d: 55% reduction). Analysis of the runoff revealed a reduction in soluble phosphorus, ammonium nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen losses with runoff from plots managed with HT; a 5 to 27% reduction after 63 d; and a 39 to 77% reduction at 2 d. Golf course runoff-to-surface water scenarios were used to calculate estimated environmental concentrations (EECs) of nitrogen and phosphorus in surface water receiving runoff from turf managed with ST or HT core cultivation. Surface water concentrations of phosphorus remained above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's water quality criteria to limit eutrophication, with the exception of concentrations associated with HT core cultivation at 2 d. Regardless of management practice (ST or HT) and time between core cultivation and runoff (63 d or 2 d), all EECs of nitrogen were below levels associated with increased algal growth. Understanding nutrient transport with runoff and identifying strategies that reduce off-site transport will increase their effectiveness at intended sites of application and minimize undesirable effects to surrounding surface water resources. Copyright © 2011 SETAC.

Nutrients and sediment in frozen-ground runoff from no-till fields receiving liquid-dairy and solid-beef manures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Komiskey, Matthew J.; Stuntebeck, Todd D.; Frame, Dennis R.; Madison, Fred W.

2011-01-01

Nutrients and sediment in surface runoff from frozen agricultural fields were monitored within three small (16.0 ha [39.5 ac] or less), adjacent basins at a no-till farm in southwest Wisconsin during four winters from 2003 to 2004 through 2006 to 2007. Runoff depths and flow-weighted constituent concentrations were compared to determine the impacts of surface-applied liquid-dairy or solid-beef manure to frozen and/or snow-covered ground. Despite varying the manure type and the rate and timing of applications, runoff depths were not significantly different among basins within each winter period. Sediment losses were low (generally less than 22 kg ha−1 [20 lb ac−1] in any year) and any statistical differences in sediment concentrations among basins were not related to the presence or absence of manure or the amount of runoff. Concentrations and losses of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were significantly increased in basins that had either manure type applied less than one week preceding runoff. These increases occurred despite relatively low application rates. Lower concentrations and losses were measured in basins that had manure applied in fall and early winter and an extended period of time (months) had elapsed before the first runoff event. The highest mean, flow-weighted concentrations of total nitrogen (31.8 mg L−1) and total phosphorus (10.9 mg L−1) occurred in winter 2003 to 2004, when liquid-dairy manure was applied less than one week before runoff. On average, dissolved phosphorus accounted for over 80% of all phosphorus measured in runoff during frozen-ground periods. The data collected as part of this study add to the limited information on the quantity and quality of frozen-ground runoff at field edges, and the results highlight the importance of manure management decisions during frozen-ground periods to minimize nutrients lost in surface runoff.

Water-quality characteristics of urban runoff and estimates of annual loads in the Tampa Bay area, Florida, 1975-80

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lopez, M.A.; Giovannelli, R.F.

1984-01-01

Rainfall, runoff, and water quality data were collected at nine urban watersheds in the Tampa Bay area from 1975 to 1980. Watershed drainage area ranged from 0.34 to 0.45 sq mi. Land use was mixed. Development ranged from a mostly residential watershed with a 19% impervious surface, to a commercial-residential watershed with a 61% impervious surface. Average biochemical oxygen demand concentrations of base flow at two sites and of stormwater runoff at five sites exceeded treated sewage effluent standards. Average coliform concentrations of stormwater runoff at all sites were several orders of magnitude greater than standards for Florida Class III receiving water (for recreation or propagation and management of fish and wildlife). Average concentrations of lead and zinc in stormwater runoff were consistently higher than Class III standards. Stormwater-runoff loads and base-flow concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, total organic nitrogen, total phosphorus, and lead were related to runoff volume, land use, urban development, and antecedent daily rainfall by multiple linear regression. Stormwater-runoff volume was related to pervious area, hydraulically connected impervious surfaces, storm rainfall, and soil-infiltration index. Base-flow daily discharge was related to drainage area and antecedent daily rainfall. The flow regression equations of this report were used to compute 1979 water-year loads of biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, total organic nitrogen, total phosphorus , and total lead for the nine Tampa Bay area urban watersheds. (Lantz-PTT)

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and major and trace elements in simulated rainfall runoff from parking lots, Austin, Texas, 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahler, Barbara J.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Wilson, Jennifer T.

2004-01-01

Samples of creek bed sediment collected near seal-coated parking lots in Austin, Texas, by the City of Austin during 2001–02 had unusually elevated concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). To investigate the possibility that PAHs from seal-coated parking lots might be transported to urban creeks, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Austin, sampled runoff and scrapings from four test plots and 13 urban parking lots. The surfaces sampled comprise coal-tar-emulsion-sealed, asphalt-emulsion-sealed, unsealed asphalt, and unsealed concrete. Particulates and filtered water in runoff and surface scrapings were analyzed for PAHs. In addition, particulates in runoff were analyzed for major and trace elements. Samples of all three media from coal-tar-sealed parking lots had concentrations of PAHs higher than those from any other types of surface. The mean total PAH concentration in particulates in runoff from parking lots in use were 3,500,000, 620,000, and 54,000 micrograms per kilogram from coal-tar-sealed, asphalt-sealed, and unsealed (asphalt and concrete combined) lots, respectively. The probable effect concentration sediment quality guideline is 22,800 micrograms per kilogram. The mean total PAH (sum of detected PAHs) concentration in filtered water from parking lots in use was 8.6 micrograms per liter for coal-tar-sealed lots; the one sample analyzed from an asphalt-sealed lot had a concentration of 5.1 micrograms per liter and the one sample analyzed from an unsealed asphalt lot was 0.24 microgram per liter. The mean total PAH concentration in scrapings was 23,000,000, 820,000, and 14,000 micrograms per kilogram from coal-tar-sealed, asphalt-sealed, and unsealed asphalt lots, respectively. Concentrations of lead and zinc in particulates in runoff frequently exceeded the probable effect concentrations, but trace element concentrations showed no consistent variation with parking lot surface type.

[Effects of controlled release nitrogen fertilizer on surface water N dynamics and its runoff loss in double cropping paddy fields in Dongtinghu Lake area].

PubMed

Ji, Xiong-Hui; Zheng, Sheng-Xian; Lu, Yan-Hong; Liao, Yu-Lin

2007-07-01

By using leakage pond to simulate the double cropping paddy fields in Dongtinghu Lake area, this paper studied the effects of urea (CF) and controlled release nitrogen fertilizer (CRNF) on the dynamics of surface water pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total nitrogen (TN), ammonia nitrogen (NH4(+)-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3(-)-N) and the runoff loss of TN in alluvial sandy loamy paddy soil and purple calcareous clayed paddy soil, the two main paddy soils in this area. The results showed that after applying urea, the surface water TN and NH4(+)-N concentrations reached the peak at the 1st and 3rd day, respectively, and decreased rapidly then. Surface water NO3(-)-N concentration was very low, though it showed a little raise at the 3rd to 7th day after applying urea in purple calcareous clayed paddy soil. In early rice field, surface water pH rose gradually within 15 days after applying urea, while in late rice field, it did within 3 days. EC kept consistent with the dynamics of NH4(+)-N. CRNF, especially 70% N CRNF, gave rise to distinctly lower surface water pH, EC, and TN and NH4(+)-N concentrations within 15 days after application, but NO3- concentration rose slightly at late growth stages, compared with urea application. The monitoring of TN runoff loss indicated that during double cropping rice growth season, the loss amount of TN under urea application was 7.70 kg x hm(-2), accounting for 2.57% of applied urea-N. The two runoff events occurred within 20 days after urea application contributed significantly to the TN runoff loss. CRNF application resulted in a significantly lower TN concentration in runoff water from the 1st runoff event occurred within 10 days of its application, and thereafter, the total TN runoff loss for CRNF and 70% N CRNF application was decreased by 24.5% and 27.2%, respectively, compared with urea application.

Nutrient concentrations in leachate and runoff from dairy cattle lots with different surface materials

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loss from agriculture persists as a water quality issue, and outdoor cattle lots can have a high loss potential. We monitored hydrology and nutrient concentrations in leachate and runoff from dairy heifer lots constructed with three surface materials (soil, sand, bark...

Surface runoff and nitrogen (N) loss in a bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forest under different fertilization regimes.

PubMed

Zhang, Qichun; Shamsi, Imran Haider; Wang, Jinwen; Song, Qiujin; Xue, Qiaoyun; Yu, Yan; Lin, Xianyong; Hussain, Sayed

2013-07-01

Nitrogen (N) losses from agricultural fields have been extensively studied. In contrast, surface runoff and N losses have rarely been considered for bamboo forests that are widespread in regions such as southern China. The thriving of bamboo industries has led to increasing fertilizer use in bamboo forests. In this study, we evaluated surface runoff and N losses in runoff following different fertilization treatments under field conditions in a bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forest in the catchment of Lake Taihu in Jiangsu, China. Under three different fertilization regimes, i.e., control, site-specific nutrient management (SSNM), and farmer's fertilization practice (FFP), the water runoff rate amounted to 356, 361, and 342 m(3) ha(-1) and accounted for 1.91, 1.98, and 1.85% of the water input, respectively, from June 2009 to May 2010. The total N losses via surface runoff ranged from 1.2 to 1.8 kg ha(-1). Compared with FFP, the SSNM treatment reduced total nitrogen (TN) and dissolved nitrogen (DN) losses by 31 and 34%, respectively. The results also showed that variations in N losses depended mainly on runoff fluxes, not N concentrations. Runoff samples collected from all treatments throughout the year showed TN concentrations greater than 0.35 mg L(-1), with the mean TN concentration in the runoff from the FFP treatment reaching 8.97 mg L(-1). The loss of NO3(-)-N was greater than the loss of NH4(+)-N. The total loss of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) reached 23-41% of the corresponding DN. Therefore, DON is likely the main N species in runoff from bamboo forests and should be emphasized in the assessment and management of N losses in bamboo forest.

A laboratory study of colloid and solute transport in surface runoff on saturated soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Congrong; Gao, Bin; Muñoz-Carpena, Rafael; Tian, Yuan; Wu, Lei; Perez-Ovilla, Oscar

2011-05-01

SummaryColloids in surface runoff may pose risks to the ecosystems not only because some of them (e.g., pathogens) are toxic, but also because they may facilitate the transport of other contaminants. Although many studies have been conducted to explore colloid fate and transport in the environment, current understanding of colloids in surface runoff is still limited. In this study, we conducted a range of laboratory experiments to examine the transport behavior of colloids in a surface runoff system, made of a soil box packed with quartz sand with four soil drainage outlets and one surface flow outlet. A natural clay colloid (kaolinite) and a conservative chemical tracer (bromide) were applied to the system under a simulated rainfall event (64 mm/h). Effluent soil drainage and surface flow samples were collected to determine the breakthrough concentrations of bromide and kaolinite. Under the experimental conditions tested, our results showed that surface runoff dominated the transport processes. As a result, kaolinite and bromide were found more in surface flow than in soil drainage. Comparisons between the breakthrough concentrations of bromide and kaolinite showed that kaolinite had lower mobility than bromide in the subsurface flow (i.e., soil drainage), but behaved almost identical to bromide in the surface runoff. Student's t-test confirmed the difference between kaolinite and bromide in subsurface flow ( p = 0.02). Spearman's test and linear regression analysis, however, showed a strong 1:1 correlation between kaolinite and bromide in surface runoff ( p < 0.0001). Our result indicate that colloids and chemical solutes may behave similarly in overland flow on bare soils with limited drainage when surface runoff dominates the transport processes.

Rainfall timing effect on concentrations of testosterone and estradiol in surface runoff from broiler litter applied to grassed plots

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Broiler litter contains the sex hormones testosterone and estradiol, which may contaminate surface runoff following litter application to grasslands. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of runoff occurring at different times after litter application and under different environmental con...

A model for phosphorus transformation and runoff loss for surface-applied manures.

PubMed

Vadas, P A; Gburek, W J; Sharpley, A N; Kleinman, P J A; Moore, P A; Cabrera, M L; Harmel, R D

2007-01-01

Agricultural P transport in runoff is an environmental concern. An important source of P runoff is surface-applied, unincorporated manures, but computer models used to assess P transport do not adequately simulate P release and transport from surface manures. We developed a model to address this limitation. The model operates on a daily basis and simulates manure application to the soil surface, letting 60% of manure P infiltrate into soil if manure slurry with less than 15% solids is applied. The model divides manure P into four pools, water-extractable inorganic and organic P, and stable inorganic and organic P. The model simulates manure dry matter decomposition, and manure stable P transformation to water-extractable P. Manure dry matter and P are assimilated into soil to simulate bioturbation. Water-extractable P is leached from manure when it rains, and a portion of leached P can be transferred to surface runoff. Eighty percent of manure P leached into soil by rain remains in the top 2 cm, while 20% leaches deeper. This 2-cm soil layer contributes P to runoff via desorption. We used data from field studies in Texas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arkansas to build and validate the model. Validation results show the model accurately predicted cumulative P loads in runoff, reflecting successful simulation of the dynamics of manure dry matter, manure and soil P pools, and storm-event runoff P concentrations. Predicted runoff P concentrations were significantly related to (r2=0.57) but slightly less than measured concentrations. Our model thus represents an important modification for field or watershed scale models that assess P loss from manured soils.

The effect of vegetation and soil texture on the nature of organics in runoff from a catchment supplying water for domestic consumption.

PubMed

Awad, John; van Leeuwen, John; Abate, Dawit; Pichler, Markus; Bestland, Erick; Chittleborough, David J; Fleming, Nigel; Cohen, Jonathan; Liffner, Joel; Drikas, Mary

2015-10-01

The influence of vegetation and soil texture on the concentration and character of dissolved organic matter (DOM) present in runoff from the surface and sub-surface of zero order catchments of the Myponga Reservoir-catchment (South Australia) was investigated to determine the impacts of catchment characteristics and land management practices on the quality of waters used for domestic supply. Catchments selected have distinct vegetative cover (grass, native vegetation or pine) and contrasting texture of the surface soil horizon (sand or clay loam/clay). Water samples were collected from three slope positions (upper, middle, and lower) at soil depths of ~30 cm and ~60 cm in addition to overland flows. Filtered (0.45 μm) water samples were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and UV-visible absorbance and by F-EEM and HPSEC with UV and fluorescence detection to characterize the DOM. Surface and sub-surface runoff from catchments with clay soils and native vegetation or grass had lower DOC concentrations and lower relative abundances of aromatic, humic-like and high molecular weight organics than runoff from sandy soils with these vegetative types. Sub-surface flows from two catchments with Pinus radiata had similar DOC concentrations and DOM character, regardless of marked variation in surface soil texture. Runoff from catchments under native vegetation and grass on clay soils resulted in lower DOC concentrations and hence would be expected to have lower coagulant demand in conventional treatment for potable water supply than runoff from corresponding sandy soil catchments. However, organics in runoff from clay catchments would be more difficult to remove by coagulation. Surface waters from the native vegetation and grass catchments were generally found to have higher relative abundance of organic compounds amenable to removal by coagulation compared with sub-surface waters. Biophysical and land management practices combine to have a marked influence on the quality of source water used for domestic supply. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of climate change on runoff pollution in urban environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coutu, S.; Kramer, S.; Barry, D. A.; Roudier, P.

2012-12-01

Runoff from urban environments is generally contaminated. These contaminants mostly originate from road traffic and building envelopes. Facade envelopes generate lead, zinc and even biocides, which are used for facade protection. Road traffic produces particles from tires and brakes. The transport of these pollutants to the environment is controlled by rainfall. The interval, duration and intensity of rainfall events are important as the dynamics of the pollutants are often modeled with non-linear buildup/washoff functions. Buildup occurs during dry weather when pollution accumulates, and is subsequently washed-off at the time of the following rainfall, contaminating surface runoff. Climate predictions include modified rainfall distributions, with changes in both number and intensity of events, even if the expected annual rainfall varies little. Consequently, pollutant concentrations in urban runoff driven by buildup/washoff processes will be affected by these changes in rainfall distributions. We investigated to what extent modifications in future rainfall distributions will impact the concentrations of pollutants present in urban surface runoff. The study used the example of Lausanne, Switzerland (temperate climate zone). Three emission scenarios (time horizon 2090), multiple combinations of RCM/GCM and modifications in rain event frequency were used to simulate future rainfall distributions with various characteristics. Simulated rainfall events were used as inputs for four pairs of buildup/washoff models, in order to compare future pollution concentrations in surface runoff. In this way, uncertainty in model structure was also investigated. Future concentrations were estimated to be between ±40% of today's concentrations depending on the season and, importantly, on the choice of the RCM/GCM model. Overall, however, the dominant factor was the uncertainty inherent in buildup/washoff models, which dominated over the uncertainty in future rainfall distributions. Consequently, the choice of a proper buildup/washoff model, with calibrated site-specific coefficients, is a major factor in modeling future runoff concentrations from contaminated urban surfaces.

[Research on stormwater runoff quality of mountain city by source area monitoring].

PubMed

Li, Li-Qing; Shan, Bao-Qing; Zhao, Jian-Wei; Guo, Shu-Gang; Gao, Yong

2012-10-01

Stormwater runoff samples were collected from 10 source areas in Mountain City, Chongqing, during five rain events in an attempt to investigate the characteristics of runoff quality and influencing factors. The outcomes are expected to offer practical guidance of sources control of urban runoff pollution. The results indicated that the stormwater runoff of Mountain City presented a strong first flush for almost all events and constituents. The runoff quality indices were also influenced by the rainfall intensity. The concentration of TSS, COD, TN and TP decreased as the rainfall intensity increased. The concentrations of COD and TP in stormwater runoff were highly correlated with TSS concentrations. Suspended solid matter were not only the main pollutant of stormwater runoff but also served as the vehicle for transport of organic matter and phosphorus. Organic matter and phosphorus in stormwatrer runoff were mainly bound to particles, whereas nitrogen was predominantly dissolved, with ammonia and nitrate. A significant difference of stormwater runoff quality was observed among the ten monitored source areas. The highest magnitude of urban stormwater runoff pollution was expected in the commercial area and the first trunk road, followed by the minor road, residential area, parking lot and roof. Urban surface function, traffic volume, population density, and street sweeping practice are the main factors determining spatial differentiation of urban surface runoff quality. Commercial area, the first trunk road and residential area with high population density are the critical sources areas of urban stormwater runoff pollution.

[Analysis of first flush effect of typical underlying surface runoff in Beijing urban city].

PubMed

Ren, Yu-Fen; Wang, Xiao-Ke; Ouyang, Zhi-Yun; Hou, Pei-Qiang

2013-01-01

Rapid increase of the urban impervious underlying surfaces causes a great increase of urban runoff and the accumulation of pollutants on the roof and road surfaces brings many pollutants into the drainage system with the runoff, and it thus becomes a great threat to the urban water environment. To know the runoff pollution process and to build scientific basis for pollutant control, runoff processes from the roof and road surfaces were monitored and analyzed from 2004 to 2006, and the runoff EMC (Event Mean Concentration) was calculated. It was found that two types of runoff were seriously polluted by COD and TN. The COD and TN of roof runoff exceeded the fifth level of the surface water environmental quality standard (GB 3838-2002) by 3.64 and 4.80 times, respectively, and the COD and TN of road runoff exceeded by 3.73 and 1.07 times, respectively. M (V) curve was used to determine the relation between runoff volume and runoff pollution load. Various degrees of the first flush phenomenon were found for TSS, COD, TN and TP in roof runoff. But this phenomenon occurred only for TSS and TP of the road runoff, and on the whole it was not obvious. Properties of the underlying surfaces, rainfall intensity, and pollutant accumulation are all important factors affecting the roof and road runoff pollutant emission characteristics.

Pesticides on residential outdoor surfaces: environmental impacts and aquatic toxicity.

PubMed

Jiang, Weiying; Luo, Yuzhou; Conkle, Jeremy L; Li, Juying; Gan, Jay

2016-07-01

Pesticides are routinely applied to residential impervious outdoor surfaces for structural pest control. This residential usage has been linked to the occurrence of toxic levels of pesticides in urban water bodies. It is believed that run-off water transports particles that have sorbed hydrophobic pesticides. However, concentrations of particle-bound pesticides have not been directly measured on impervious surfaces, and the role of these particles as a source of contamination is unknown. Pesticides were detected in 99.4% of samples, with >75% of samples containing at least five pesticides. Assuming all particles were transferred with run-off, the run-off amount of pesticide during each rainfall would be >5 mg. We also used the US EPA Storm Water Management Model and estimated that 43 and 65% of the pesticides would be washed off during two rainfall events, with run-off concentrations ranging from 10.0 to 54.6 ng L(-1) and from 13.3 to 109.1 ng L(-1) respectively. The model-predicted pesticide run-off concentrations were similar to the levels monitored in urban run-off and sediments. Most (78%) particle samples contained aggregate toxicities above the Hyalella azteca LC50 . The results suggest that loose particles on residential impervious surfaces are not only carriers but also an important source of hydrophobic pesticides in urban run-off and contribute to downstream aquatic toxicities. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Field application of farmstead runoff to vegetated filter strips: surface and subsurface water quality assessment.

PubMed

Larson, Rebecca A; Safferman, Steven I

2012-01-01

Farmstead runoff poses significant environmental impacts to ground and surface waters. Three vegetated filter strips were assessed for the treatment of dairy farmstead runoff at the soil surface and subsurface at 0.3- or 0. 46-m and 0. 76-m depths for numerous storm events. A medium-sized Michigan dairy was retrofitted with two filter strips on sandy loam soil and a third filter strip was implemented on a small Michigan dairy with sandy soil to collect and treat runoff from feed storage, manure storage, and other impervious farmstead areas. All filter strips were able to eliminate surface runoff via infiltration for all storm events over the duration of the study, eliminating pollutant contributions to surface water. Subsurface effluent was monitored to determine the contributing groundwater concentrations of numerous pollutants including chemical oxygen demand (COD), metals, and nitrates. Subsurface samples have an average reduction of COD concentrations of 20, 11, and 85% for the medium dairy Filter Strip 1 (FS1), medium dairy Filter Strip 2 (FS2), and the small Michigan dairy respectively, resulting in average subsurface concentrations of 355, 3960, and 718 mg L COD. Similar reductions were noted for ammonia and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) in the subsurface effluent. The small Michigan dairy was able to reduce the pollutant leachate concentrations of COD, TKN, and ammonia over a range of influent concentrations. Increased influent concentrations in the medium Michigan dairy filter strips resulted in an increase in COD, TKN, and ammonia concentrations in the leachate. Manganese was leached from the native soils at all filter strips as evidenced by the increase in manganese concentrations in the leachate. Nitrate concentrations were above standard drinking water limits (10 mg L), averaging subsurface concentrations of 11, 45, and 25 mg L NO-N for FS1, FS2, and the small Michigan dairy, respectively. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Evaluation of nitrogen and phosphorus transport with runoff from fairway turf managed with hollow tine core cultivation and verticutting.

PubMed

Rice, Pamela J; Horgan, Brian P

2013-07-01

Enrichment of surface waters with excess nutrients is associated with increased algal blooms, euthrophication and hypoxic zones, as reported in the northern Gulf of Mexico. A source of nutrients to surface waters results from fertilizer runoff. Management strategies used to maintain turf on golf courses and recreational fields often include aerification and application of fertilizer. Although research exists on benefits of core cultivation and verticutting (VC) to reduce thatch and the transport of applied chemicals with runoff, there are no studies reporting the effect of coupling these management practices with the goal of further reduction of off-site transport of fertilizer with runoff. We hypothesized that the addition of VC to hollow tine core cultivation (HTCC) would enhance infiltration of precipitation, reduce runoff and nutrient transport with runoff and therefore influence concentrations of nutrients in surface waters receiving runoff from turf managed as a golf course fairway. Greater runoff and mass of soluble phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen transported with runoff were measured from plots managed with HTCC+VC than HTCC; however, the reverse was noted for nitrate nitrogen. Only a portion of the observed trends proved to be statistically significant. Our research showed no reduction or enhancement of risk associated with surface water concentrations of phosphorus or nitrogen, resulting from runoff from creeping bentgrass turf that was managed with HTCC+VC compared to HTCC. Data obtained in this research will be useful to grounds superintendents when selecting best management practices and to scientists seeking data relating runoff to land management for watershed-scale modeling. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Broiler Litter × Industrial By-Products Reduce Nutrients and Microbial Losses in Surface Runoff When Applied to Forages.

PubMed

Adeli, Ardeshir; Read, John J; Brooks, John P; Miles, Dana; Feng, Gary; Jenkins, Johnie N

2017-03-01

The inability to incorporate broiler litter (BL) into permanent hayfields and pastures leads to nutrient accumulation near the soil surface and increases the potential transport of nutrients in runoff. This study was conducted on Marietta silt loam soil to determine the effect of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum and lignite on P, N, C, and microbial concentrations in runoff. Treatments were (i) control (unfertilized) and (ii) BL at 13.4 Mg ha alone or (iii) treated with either FGD gypsum or lignite applied at 20% (w/w) (2.68 Mg ha). Rainfall simulators were used to produce a 5.6 cm h storm event sufficient in duration to cause 15 min of continuous runoff. Repeated rains were applied at 3-d intervals to determine how long FGD gypsum and lignite are effective in reducing loss of litter-derived N, P, and C from soil. Application of BL increased N, P, and C concentrations in runoff as compared to the control. Addition of FGD gypsum reduced ( < 0.05) water-soluble P and dissolved organic C concentrations in runoff by 39 and 16%, respectively, as compared to BL alone. Lignite reduced runoff total N and NH-N concentrations by 38 and 70%, respectively, as compared to BL alone. Addition of FGD gypsum or lignite failed to significantly reduce microbial loads in runoff, although both treatments reduced microbial concentration by >20%. Thus, BL treated with FGD and lignite can be considered as cost-effective management practices in the mitigation of P, N, and C and possibly microbial concentration in runoff. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Runoff phosphorus losses as related to phosphorus source, application method, and application rate on a Piedmont soil.

PubMed

Tarkalson, David D; Mikkelsen, Robert L

2004-01-01

Land application of animal manures and fertilizers has resulted in an increased potential for excessive P losses in runoff to nutrient-sensitive surface waters. The purpose of this research was to measure P losses in runoff from a bare Piedmont soil in the southeastern United States receiving broiler litter or inorganic P fertilizer either incorporated or surface-applied at varying P application rates (inorganic P, 0-110 kg P ha(-1); broiler litter, 0-82 kg P ha(-1)). Rainfall simulation was applied at a rate of 76 mm h(-1). Runoff samples were collected at 5-min intervals for 30 min and analyzed for reactive phosphorus (RP), algal-available phosphorus (AAP), and total phosphorus (TP). Incorporation of both P sources resulted in P losses not significantly different than the unfertilized control at all application rates. Incorporation of broiler litter decreased flow-weighted concentration of RP in runoff by 97% and mass loss of TP in runoff by 88% compared with surface application. Surface application of broiler litter resulted in runoff containing between 2.3 and 21.8 mg RP L(-1) for application rates of 8 to 82 kg P ha(-1), respectively. Mass loss of TP in runoff from surface-applied broiler litter ranged from 1.3 to 8.5 kg P ha(-1) over the same application rates. Flow-weighted concentrations of RP and mass losses of TP in runoff were not related to application rate when inorganic P fertilizer was applied to the soil surface. Results for this study can be used by P loss assessment tools to fine-tune P source, application rate, and application method site factors, and to estimate extreme-case P loss from cropland receiving broiler litter and inorganic P fertilizers.

Effects of cattle manure on erosion rates and runoff water pollution by faecal coliforms.

PubMed

Ramos, M C; Quinton, J N; Tyrrel, S F

2006-01-01

The large quantities of slurry and manure that are produced annually in many areas in which cattle are raised could be an important source of organic matter and nutrients for agriculture. However, the benefits of waste recycling may be partially offset by the risk of water pollution associated with runoff from the fields to which slurry or manure has been applied. In this paper, the effects of cattle manure application on soil erosion rates and runoff and on surface water pollution by faecal coliforms are analysed. Rainfall simulations at a rate of 70 mm h(-1) were conducted in a sandy loam soil packed into soil flumes (2.5m long x 1m wide) at a bulk density of 1400 kg m(-3), with and without cattle slurry manure applied on the surface. For each simulation, sediment and runoff rates were analysed and in those simulations with applied slurry, presumptive faecal coliform (PFC) concentrations in the runoff were evaluated. The application of slurry on the soil surface appeared to have a protective effect on the soils, reducing soil detachment by up to 70% but increasing runoff volume by up to 30%. This practice implies an important source of pollution for surface waters especially if rainfall takes place within a short period after application. The concentrations of micro-organisms (presumptive faecal coliforms (PFCs)) found in water runoff ranged from 1.9 x 10(4) to 1.1 x 10(6) PFC 100mL(-1), depending on the initial concentration in the slurry, and they were particularly high during the first phases of the rainfall event. The result indicates a strong relationship between the faecal coliforms transported by runoff and the organic matter in the sediment.

Prediction of Estrogen Runoff and Transport Driven by Rainfalls from Swine Spray Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, B.; Reckhow, K. H.; Kullman, S. W.

2010-12-01

Animal waste-borne steroidal hormones, which are referred to as natural steroidal estrogens, are recognized pollutants to surface water systems. Steroidal estrogens exhibit strong potency, even at very low concentrations, as endocrine disrupting chemicals on aquatic organisms. In North Carolina, the swine concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have been a major source for the release of estrogens to watersheds. Release is a direct result of the land application of the generated waste as an organic fertilizer. However, data regarding the estrogen loss and transport through the surface runoff and soil erosion to the water bodies after the spray-fields application has been up till now very limited. We have developed a decision support tool that can help predict and ultimately manage the potential mobilization and transport of estrogens from CAFOs, through the processes of surface runoff transport and sediment loss, into adjacent water bodies. Our decision support tool was built using a dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) framework. The developed DBN model integrates the processes of a sediment loss and a surface runoff by using the modified universal soil loss equation (MUSLE) and the SCS-CN curve runoff models. Estrogen mobility is assessed as a function of rainfall intensity and land use management with consideration to the temporal distribution of both. The DBN is used to model the estrogen concentration in the runoff process, to determine the degree of off-site movement of estrogens, and to verify the potential environmental significance of the estrogen inputs into the stream. We believe that our modeling framework is particularly useful for use in field situations where estrogen runoff data are not available or are scarce. The DBN model also provides a means to handle the uncertainties of mathematical sediment and runoff models as a dynamic probability model.

Seasonal patterns in nutrients, carbon, and algal responses in wadeable streams within three geographically distinct areas of the United States, 2007-08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, Kathy E.; Lorenz, David L.; Petersen, James C.; Greene, John B.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey determined seasonal variability in nutrients, carbon, and algal biomass in 22 wadeable streams over a 1-year period during 2007 or 2008 within three geographically distinct areas in the United States. The three areas are the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMIS) in Minnesota, the Ozark Plateaus (ORZK) in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas, and the Upper Snake River Basin (USNK) in southern Idaho. Seasonal patterns in some constituent concentrations and algal responses were distinct. Nitrate concentrations were greatest during the winter in all study areas potentially because of a reduction in denitrification rates and algal uptake during the winter, along with reduced surface runoff. Decreases in nitrate concentrations during the spring and summer at most stream sites coincided with increased streamflow during the snowmelt runoff or spring storms indicating dilution. The continued decrease in nitrate concentrations during summer potentially is because of a reduction in nitrate inputs (from decreased surface runoff) or increases in biological uptake. In contrast to nitrate concentrations, ammonia concentrations varied among study areas. Ammonia concentration trends were similar at UMIS and USNK sampling sites with winter peak concentrations and rapid decreases in ammonia concentrations by spring or early summer. In contrast, ammonia concentrations at OZRK sampling sites were more variable with peak concentrations later in the year. Ammonia may accumulate in stream water in the winter under ice and snow cover at the UMIS and USNK sites because of limited algal metabolism and increased mineralization of decaying organic matter under reducing conditions within stream bottom sediments. Phosphorus concentration patterns and the type of phosphorus present changes with changing hydrologic conditions and seasons and varied among study areas. Orthophosphate concentrations tended to be greater in the summer at UMIS sites, whereas total phosphorus concentrations at most UMIS and USNK sites peaked in the spring during runoff and then decreased through the remainder of the sampling period. Total phosphorus and orthophosphate concentrations in OZRK streams peaked during summer indicating a runoff-based source of both nutrients. Orthophosphate concentrations may increase in streams in the late summer when surface runoff composes less of total streamflow, and when groundwater containing orthophosphate becomes a more dominant source in streams during lower flows. Seston chlorophyll a concentrations were greatest early in the growing season (spring), whereas the spring runoff events coincided with reductions in benthic algal chlorophyll a biomass likely because of scour of benthic algae from the channel bottom that are entrained in the water column during that period. Nitrate, ammonia, and orthophosphate concentrations also decreased during that same period, indicating dilution in the spring during runoff events. The data from this study indicate that the source of water (surface runoff or groundwater) to a stream and the intensity of major runoff events are important factors controlling instream concentrations. Biological processes appear to affect nutrient concentrations during more stable lower flow periods in later summer, fall, and winter when residence time of water in a channel is longer, which allows more time for biological uptake and transformations. Management of nutrient conditions in streams is challenging and requires an understanding of multiple factors that affect in-stream nutrient concentrations and biological uptake and growth.

Phosphorus fertilizer and grazing management effects on phosphorus in runoff from dairy pastures.

PubMed

Dougherty, Warwick J; Nicholls, Paul J; Milham, Paul J; Havilah, Euie J; Lawrie, Roy A

2008-01-01

Fertilizer phosphorus (P) and grazing-related factors can influence runoff P concentrations from grazed pastures. To investigate these effects, we monitored the concentrations of P in surface runoff from grazed dairy pasture plots (50 x 25 m) treated with four fertilizer P rates (0, 20, 40, and 80 kg ha(-1) yr(-1)) for 3.5 yr at Camden, New South Wales. Total P concentrations in runoff were high (0.86-11.13 mg L(-1)) even from the control plot (average 1.94 mg L(-1)). Phosphorus fertilizer significantly (P < 0.001) increased runoff P concentrations (average runoff P concentrations from the P(20), P(40), and P(80) treatments were 2.78, 3.32, and 5.57 mg L(-1), respectively). However, the magnitude of the effect of P fertilizer varied between runoff events (P < 0.01). Further analysis revealed the combined effects on runoff P concentration of P rate, P rate x number of applications (P < 0.001), P rate x time since fertilizer (P < 0.001), dung P (P < 0.001), time since grazing (P < 0.05), and pasture biomass (P < 0.001). A conceptual model of the sources of P in runoff comprising three components is proposed to explain the mobilization of P in runoff and to identify strategies to reduce runoff P concentrations. Our data suggest that the principal strategy for minimizing runoff P concentrations from grazed dairy pastures should be the maintenance of soil P at or near the agronomic optimum by the use of appropriate rates of P fertilizer.

Response of turf and quality of water runoff to manure and fertilizer.

PubMed

Gaudreau, J E; Vietor, D M; White, R H; Provin, T L; Munster, C L

2002-01-01

Manure applications can benefit turfgrass production and unused nutrients in manure residues can be exported through sod harvests. Yet, nutrients near the soil surface could be transported in surface runoff. Our research objective was to evaluate responses of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. var. Guymon] turf and volumes and P and N concentrations of surface runoff after fertilizer or composted manure applications. Three replications of five treatments were established on a Boonville fine sandy loam (fine, smectitic, thermic Vertic Albaqualf) that was excavated to create an 8.5% slope. Manure rates of 50 and 100 kg P ha(-1) at the start of two monitoring periods were compared with P fertilizer rates of 25 and 50 kg ha(-1) and an unfertilized control. Compared with initial soil tests, nitrate concentrations decreased and P concentrations increased after two manure or fertilizer applications and eight rain events over the two monitoring periods. The fertilizer sources of P and N produced 19% more dry weight and 21% larger N concentrations in grass clippings than manure sources. Yet, runoff volumes were similar between manure and fertilizer sources of P. Dissolved P concentration (30 mg L(-1)) in runoff during a rain event 3 d after application of 50 kg P ha(-1) was five times greater for fertilizer than for manure P. Observations during both monitoring periods indicated that total P and N losses in runoff were no greater for composted manure than for fertilizer sources of P at relatively large P rates on a steep slope of turfgrass.

Effect of climate change on runoff of Campylobacter and Cryptosporidium from land to surface water.

PubMed

Sterk, Ankie; Schijven, Jack; de Roda Husman, Ana Maria; de Nijs, Ton

2016-05-15

Faeces originating from wildlife, domestic animals or manure-fertilized fields, is considered an important source of zoonotic pathogens to which people may be exposed by, for instance, bathing or drinking-water consumption. An increase in runoff, and associated wash-off of animal faeces from fields, is assumed to contribute to the increase of disease outbreaks during periods of high precipitation. Climate change is expected to increase winter precipitation and extreme precipitation events during summer, but has simultaneously also other effects such as temperature rise and changes in evapotranspiration. The question is to what extent the combination of these effects influence the input of zoonotic pathogens to the surface waters. To quantitatively analyse the impacts of climate change on pathogen runoff, pathogen concentrations reaching surface waters through runoff were calculated by combining an input model for catchment pathogen loads with the Wageningen Lowland Runoff Simulator (WALRUS). Runoff of Cryptosporidium and Campylobacter was evaluated under different climate change scenarios and by applying different scenarios for sources of faecal pollution in the catchments, namely dairy cows and geese and manure fertilization. Model evaluation of these scenarios shows that climate change has little overall impact on runoff of Campylobacter and Cryptosporidium from land to the surface waters. Even though individual processes like runoff fluxes, pathogen release and dilution are affected, either positively or negatively, the net effect on the pathogen concentration in surface waters and consequently also on infection risks through recreation seems limited. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Runoff quality from no-till cotton fertilized with broiler litter in subsurface bands.

PubMed

Adeli, A; Tewolde, H; Shankle, M W; Way, T R; Brooks, J P; McLaughlin, M R

2013-01-01

Surface broadcast of broiler litter to no-till row crops exposes the litter and its nutrients to risks of loss in runoff water and volatilization and may limit the potential benefit of litter to the crops. Subsurface banding of litter could alleviate these risks. A field study was conducted in 2008 and 2009 on an upland Falkner silt loam soil to determine the effect of broiler litter placement on runoff nutrient losses from no-till cotton ( L.). Treatments included surface broadcast broiler litter applied manually, subsurface-banded litter applied by tractor-drawn equipment, and no broiler litter, all in combination with or without winter wheat ( L.) cover crop residue. Broiler litter rate was 5.6 Mg ha. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with a split-plot arrangement of treatments replicated three times. In 2008, simulated rainfall was used to generate runoff 27 d after litter application. Subsurface-banded litter reduced runoff total C, N, P, NH, NO, Cu, Zn and water-soluble P (WP) concentrations by 72, 64, 51, 49, 70, 36, 65, and 77%, respectively, compared with surface broadcast. The reductions were greater in 2009 where runoff occurred 1 d after litter application. Bacterial runoff was decreased by one log with subsurface-banded litter compared to surface broadcast. Except for C, NH, N, and WP, the presence of winter cover crop residue did not affect the load or runoff nutrient concentrations in either year. The results indicate that subsurface banding litter to no-till cotton substantially reduces nutrient and bacterial losses in runoff compared with surface broadcasting. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

A comparative study of the grain-size distribution of surface dust and stormwater runoff quality on typical urban roads and roofs in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Shen, Zhenyao; Liu, Jin; Aini, Guzhanuer; Gong, Yongwei

2016-02-01

The deposition of pollutants on impervious surfaces is a serious problem associated with rapid urbanization, which results in non-point-source pollution. Characterizing the build-up and wash-off processes of pollutants in urban catchments is essential for urban planners. In this paper, the spatial variation and particle-size distributions of five heavy metals and two nutrients in surface dust were analyzed, and the runoff water first-flush effect (FF30) and event-mean concentrations (EMCs) of 10 common constituents were characterized. The relationships between runoff variables and stormwater characteristics were examined from three typical urban impervious surfaces in Beijing, China. Dust on road surfaces with smaller grain sizes had higher pollutant concentrations, whereas concentrations of Mn, Zn, Fe, and TP in roof surface dust increased with grain size. Particles with grain sizes of 38-74 and 125-300 μm contributed most to the total pollutant load in roads, while particles with the smallest grain sizes (<38 μm) contributed most on roofs (23.46-41.71 %). Event-mean concentrations (EMCs) and FF30 values for most runoff pollutants tended to be higher on roofs than on roads. The maximum intensity (I max) and the antecedent dry days (ADD) were critical parameters for EMCs in roads, while ADD was the only dominant parameter for EMCs on our studied roof. The rainfall intensity (RI) and maximum intensity (I max) were found to be the parameters with the strongest correlation to the first-flush effect on both roads and roofs. Significant correlations of total suspended solids (TSS) concentration in runoff with grain-size fractions of surface dust indicated that coarser particles (74-300 μm) are most likely to contribute to the solid-phase pollutants, and finer particles (<38 μm) are likely the main source of dissolved pollutants.

Nutrient loss in leachate and surface runoff from surface-broadcast and subsurface-banded broiler litter.

PubMed

Lamba, Jasmeet; Srivastava, Puneet; Way, Thomas R; Sen, Sumit; Wood, C Wesley; Yoo, Kyung H

2013-09-01

Subsurface band application of poultry litter has been shown to reduce the transport of nutrients from fields in surface runoff compared with conventional surface broadcast application. Little research has been conducted to determine the effects of surface broadcast application and subsurface banding of litter on nutrients in leachate. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of subsurface band application and surface broadcast application of poultry litter on nutrient losses in leachate. Zero-tension pan and passive capillary fiberglass wick lysimeters were installed in situ 50 cm beneath the soil surface of an established tall fescue ( Schreb.) pasture on a sandy loam soil. The treatments were surface broadcast and subsurface-banded poultry litter at 5 Mg ha and an unfertilized control. Results of the rainfall simulations showed that the concentrations of PO-P and total phosphorus (TP) in leachate were reduced by 96 and 37%, respectively, in subsurface-banded litter treatment compared with the surface-applied litter treatment. There was no significant difference in PO-P concentration between control and subsurface-banded litter treatment in leachate. The trend in the loading of nutrients in leachate was similar to the trend in concentration. Concentration and loading of the nutrients (TP, PO-P, NH-N, and NO-N) in runoff from the subsurface-banded treatment were significantly less than for the surface-applied treatment and were similar to those from control plots. These results show that, compared with conventional surface broadcast application of litter, subsurface band application of litter can greatly reduce loss of P in surface runoff and leachate. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Estrogenic activity and nutrient losses in surface runoff after winter manure application to small watersheds.

PubMed

Shappell, N W; Billey, L O; Shipitalo, M J

2016-02-01

Confined Animal Feeding Operations generate large amounts of wastes that are land-applied to provide nutrients for crop production and return organic matter to the soil. Production practices and storage limitations often necessitate that wastes be applied to frozen and snow-covered soil. Use of application setbacks have reduced concerns related to nutrient losses in surface runoff from manure, but the estrogenic activity of runoff under these conditions has not been evaluated. Therefore, we measured and sampled surface runoff when manure was applied in the winter at a rate to meet crop N needs and measured estradiol equivalents (E2Eqs) using E-Screen. In year one, six small watersheds used to produce corn were evaluated, treatments: 2 no-manure controls, 2 liquid swine manure with 30-m setbacks, and 2 turkey litter with 30-m setbacks. In addition, beef manure was applied to six frozen plots of forage. For years 2 and 3, applications were repeated on the swine manure watersheds and one control watershed. E2Eqs and nutrient concentrations generally peaked in the first runoff event after application. The highest measured E2Eq (5.6 ng L(-1)) was in the first event after swine manure application and was less than the 8.9 ng L(-1) Lowest Observable Effect Concentration (LOEC) for aquatic species and well below the concentrations measured in other studies using ELISAs to measure hormone concentrations. No runoff occurred from plots planted with forage, indicating low risk for environmental impact, and therefore plots were discontinued from study. In years 2 and 3, estrogenic activity never exceeded the Predicted No Effect Concentrations for E2 of 2 ng L(-1). When post-application runoff contained high estrogenic activity, strong correlations (R(2) 0.86 to 0.96) of E2Eq to Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and K(+) concentrations were observed, indicating under some condition these cations might be useful surrogates for E2Eq measurements. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Transport mechanisms of Silver Nanoparticles by runoff - A Flume Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahdi Mahdi, Karrar NM; Commelin, Meindert; Peters, Ruud J. B.; Baartman, Jantiene E. M.; Ritsema, Coen; Geissen, Violette

2017-04-01

Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) are being used in many products as it has unique antimicrobial-biocidal properties. Through leaching, these particles will reach the soil environment which may affect soil organisms and disrupt plants. This work aims to study the potential transport of AgNPs with water and sediment over the soil surface due to soil erosion by water. This was done in a laboratory setting, using a rainfall simulator and flume. Low AgNPs concentration (50 μg.kg-1) was applied to two soil-flumes with slopes of 20% and 10%. The rainfall was applied in four events of 15 min each with the total amount of rainfall was 15mm in each event. After applying the rainfall, different samples were collected; soil clusters, background (BS) and surface sediments (Sf), from the flume surface, and, Runoff sediments (RS) and water (RW) was collected from the outlet. The results showed that AgNPs were detected in all samples collected, however, AgNPs concentration varied according samples type (soil or water), time of collection (for runoff water and sediment) and the slope of the soil flume. Further, the higher AgNPs concentrations were detected in the background soil (BS); as the BS samples have more finer parts (silt and clay). The AgNPs concentration in the runoff sediments increased with subsequent applied rain events. In addition to that, increasing the slope of the flume from 10% to 20% increased the total AgNPs transported with the runoff sediments by a factor 1.5. The study confirms that AgNPs can be transported over the soil surface by both runoff water and sediments due to erosion.

Modeling the risk of phosphorus runoff following single and split phosphorus fertilizer applications in two contrasting catchments.

PubMed

Burkitt, Lucy L; Dougherty, Warwick J; Corkrey, Ross; Broad, Shane T

2011-01-01

The potential loss of P in runoff is a function of the combined effects of fertilizer-soil interactions and climatic characteristics. In this study, we applied a Bayesian approach to experimental data to model the annualized long-term risk of P runoff following single and split P fertilizer applications using two example catchments with contrasting rainfall/runoff patterns. Split P fertilizer strategies are commonly used in intensive pasture production in Australia and our results showed that three applications of 13.3 kg P ha(-1) resulted in a greater risk of P runoff compared with a single application of 40 kg P ha(-1) when long-term surface runoff data were incorporated into a Bayesian P risk model. Splitting P fertilizer applications increased the likelihood of a coincidence of fertilizer application and runoff occurring. We found that the overall risk of P runoff is also increased in catchments where the rainfall/runoff pattern is less predictable, compared with catchments where rainfall/runoff is winter dominant. The findings of our study also question the effectiveness of current recommendations to avoid applying fertilizer if runoff is likely to occur in the next few days, as we found that total P concentrations at the half-life were still very high (18.2 and 8.2 mg P L(-1)) following single and split P treatments, respectively. Data from the current study also highlight that omitting P fertilizer on soils that already have adequate soil test P concentrations is an effective method of reducing P loss in surface runoff. If P fertilizer must be applied, we recommend less frequent applications and only during periods of the year when the risk of surface P runoff is low.

Formation and transport of deethylatrazine and deisopropylatrazine in surface water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thurman, E.M.; Meyer, M.T.; Mills, M.S.; Zimmerman, L.R.; Perry, C.A.; Goolsby, D.A.

1994-01-01

Field disappearance studies and a regional study of nine rivers in the Midwest Corn Belt show that deethylatrazine (DEA; 2-amino-4-chloro-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine) and deisopropylatrazine (DIA; 2-amino-4-chloro-6-ethylaminos-triazine) occur frequently in surface water that has received runoff from two parent triazine herbicides, atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine) and cyanazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-methylpropionitrileamino-s-triazine). The concentration of DEA and DIA in surface water varies with the hydrologic conditions of the basin and the timing of runoff, with maximum concentrations reaching 5 ??g/L (DEA + DIA). Early rainfall followed by a dry summer will result in an early peak concentration of metabolites in surface water. A wet summer will delay the maximum concentrations of metabolites and increase their runoff into surface water, occasionally resulting in a slight separation of the parent atrazine maximum concentrations from the metabolite maximum concentrations, giving a "second flush?? of triazine metabolites to surface water. Replicated field dissipation studies of atrazine and cyanazine indicate that DIA/DEA ratios will vary from 0.4 ?? 0.1 when atrazine is the major triazine present to 0.6 ?? 0.1 when significant amounts of cyanazine are present. A comparison of transport time of DEA and DIA from field plots to their appearance in surface water indicates that storage and dilution are occurring in the alluvial aquifers of the basin.

Particle size distribution variance in untreated urban runoff and its implication on treatment selection.

PubMed

Charters, Frances J; Cochrane, Thomas A; O'Sullivan, Aisling D

2015-11-15

Understanding the particle size distribution (PSD) of sediment in urban runoff assists in the selection of appropriate treatment systems for sediment removal as systems vary in their ability to remove sediment across different particle size fractions. Variation in PSD in runoff from individual urban surfaces both during and across multiple rain events is not well understood and it may lead to performance uncertainty in treatment systems. Runoff PSDs in international literature were compiled to provide a comparative summary of PSDs from different urban surfaces. To further assess both intra-event and inter-event PSD variation, untreated runoff was collected from road, concrete roof, copper roof, and galvanized roof surfaces within an urban catchment exposed to the same rainfall conditions and analysed for PSD and total suspended solids (TSS). Road runoff had the highest TSS concentrations, while copper roofs had high initial TSS that reduced to very low levels under steady state conditions. Despite variation in TSS concentrations, the median particle diameter of the TSS was comparable across the surfaces. Intra-event variation was generally not significant, but substantial inter-event variation was observed, particularly for coarser road and concrete roof surfaces. PSD variation for each surface contributed to a wide range in predicted treatment performance and suggests that short-retention treatment devices carry a high performance risk of not being able to achieve adequate TSS removal across all rain events. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transport of Three Antimicrobials in Runoff from Windrows of Composting Beef Cattle Manure.

PubMed

Sura, Srinivas; Degenhardt, Dani; Cessna, Allan J; Larney, Francis J; Olson, Andrew F; McAllister, Tim A

2016-03-01

Rain runoff from windrowed or stockpiled manure may contain antimicrobials with the potential to contaminate surface and ground water. To quantify the concentration of antimicrobials transported in runoff from windrowed manure, antimicrobials were administered continuously in feed to beef cattle () as follows: 44 mg of chlortetracycline kg feed (dry weight), a 1:1 mixture of 44 mg of chlortetracycline and 44 mg sulfamethazine kg feed, and 11 mg of tylosin kg feed. Cattle in a fourth treatment group received no antimicrobials (control). Manure from the cattle was used to construct two windrows per treatment. On Days 2 and 21 of composting, a portable Guelph Rainfall Simulator II was used to apply deionized water at an intensity of 127 mm h to each windrow, and the runoff was collected. Manure samples were collected before rain simulations on Days 2 and 21 of composting for antimicrobial analysis. On Day 2, average concentrations of chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, and tylosin in manure were 2580, 450, and 120 μg kg, respectively, with maximum concentrations in runoff of 2740, 3600, and 4930 μg L, respectively. Concentrations of all three antimicrobials in runoff were higher ( < 0.05) on Day 2 than on Day 21, reflecting the higher concentrations in manure on Day 2. Maximum estimated masses of chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, and tylosin that could be transported in runoff from a windrow (3 m long, 2.5 m wide, 1.5 m high) were approximately 0.87 to 0.94, 1.57, and 1.23 g, respectively. This study demonstrates the importance of windrow composting in reducing antimicrobial concentrations in manure. The runoff from windrows can be a source of antimicrobials and demonstrates the need for containment of runoff from composting facilities to mitigate antimicrobial contamination of surface and groundwater resources. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Estrogen Transport in Surface Runoff from Agricultural Fields Treated with Two Application Methods of Dairy Manure.

PubMed

Mina, Odette; Gall, Heather E; Saporito, Louis S; Kleinman, Peter J A

2016-11-01

This study compares two methods of dairy manure application-surface broadcast and shallow disk injection-on the fate and transport of natural estrogens in surface runoff from 12 field plots in central Pennsylvania. Ten natural surface runoff events were sampled over a 9-mo period after fall manure application. Results show that the range of estrogen concentrations observed in surface runoff from the broadcast plots was several orders of magnitude higher (>5000 ng L) than the concentrations in runoff from the shallow disk injection plots (<10 ng L). Additionally, the transport dynamics differed, with the majority of the estrogen loads from the surface broadcast plots occurring during the first rainfall event after application, whereas the majority of the loads from the shallow disk injection plots occurred more than 6 mo later during a hail storm event. Total estrogen loads were, on average, two orders of magnitude lower for shallow disk injection compared with surface broadcast. Independent of the method of manure application, 17α-estradiol and estrone were preserved in the field for as long as 9 mo after application. Overall, injection of manure shows promise in reducing the potential for off-site losses of hormones from manure-amended soils. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Erosion rills offset the efficacy of vegetated buffer strips to mitigate pesticide exposure in surface waters.

PubMed

Stehle, Sebastian; Dabrowski, James Michael; Bangert, Uli; Schulz, Ralf

2016-03-01

Regulatory risk assessment considers vegetated buffer strips as effective risk mitigation measures for the reduction of runoff-related pesticide exposure of surface waters. However, apart from buffer strip widths, further characteristics such as vegetation density or the presence of erosion rills are generally neglected in the determination of buffer strip mitigation efficacies. This study conducted a field survey of fruit orchards (average slope 3.1-12.2%) of the Lourens River catchment, South Africa, which specifically focused on the characteristics and attributes of buffer strips separating orchard areas from tributary streams. In addition, in-stream and erosion rill water samples were collected during three runoff events and GIS-based modeling was employed to predict losses of pesticides associated with runoff. The results show that erosion rills are common in buffer strips (on average 13 to 24 m wide) of the tributaries (up to 6.5 erosion rills per km flow length) and that erosion rills represent concentrated entry pathways of pesticide runoff into the tributaries during rainfall events. Exposure modeling shows that measured pesticide surface water concentrations correlated significantly (R(2)=0.626; p<0.001) with runoff losses predicted by the modeling approach in which buffer strip width was set to zero at sites with erosion rills; in contrast, no relationship between predicted runoff losses and in-stream pesticide concentrations were detected in the modeling approach that neglected erosion rills and thus assumed efficient buffer strips. Overall, the results of our study show that erosion rills may substantially reduce buffer strip pesticide retention efficacies during runoff events and suggest that the capability of buffer strips as a risk mitigation tool for runoff is largely overestimated in current regulatory risk assessment procedures conducted for pesticide authorization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A field study of colloid transport in surface and subsurface flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei; Tang, Xiang-Yu; Xian, Qing-Song; Weisbrod, Noam; Yang, Jae E.; Wang, Hong-Lan

2016-11-01

Colloids have been recognized to enhance the migration of strongly-sorbing contaminants. However, few field investigations have examined combined colloid transport via surface runoff and subsurface flows. In a headwater catchment of the upper Yangtze River, a 6 m (L) by 4 m (W) sloping (6°) farmland plot was built by cement walls to form no-flow side boundaries. The plot was monitored in the summer of 2014 for the release and transport of natural colloids via surface runoff and subsurface flows (i.e., the interflow from the soil-mudrock interface and fracture flow from the mudrock-sandstone interface) in response to rain events. The water sources of the subsurface flows were apportioned to individual rain events using a two end-member model (i.e., mobile pre-event soil water extracted by a suction-cup sampler vs. rainwater (event water)) based on δ18O measurements. For rain events with high preceding soil moisture, mobile pre-event soil water was the main contributor (generally >60%) to the fracture flow. The colloid concentration in the surface runoff was 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than that in the subsurface flows. The lowest colloid concentration was found in the subsurface interflow, which was probably the result of pore-scale colloid straining mechanisms. The rainfall intensity and its temporal variation govern the dynamics of the colloid concentrations in both surface runoff and subsurface flows. The duration of the antecedent dry period affected not only the relative contributions of the rainwater and the mobile pre-event soil water to the subsurface flows but also the peak colloid concentration, particularly in the fracture flow. The <10 μm fine colloid size fraction accounted for more than 80% of the total suspended particles in the surface runoff, while the colloid size distributions of both the interflow and the fracture flow shifted towards larger diameters. These results highlight the need to avoid the application of strongly-sorbing agrochemicals (e.g., pesticides, phosphorus fertilizers) immediately before rainfall following a long no-rain period because their transport in association with colloids may occur rapidly over long distances via both surface runoff and subsurface flows with rainfall.

Limited Influence of Urban Stormwater Runoff on Salt Marsh Platform and Marsh Creek Oxygen Dynamics in Coastal Georgia.

PubMed

Savidge, William B; Brink, Jonathan; Blanton, Jackson O

2016-12-01

Oxygen concentrations and oxygen utilization rates were monitored continuously for 23 months on marsh platforms and in small tidal creeks at two sites in coastal Georgia, USA, that receive urban stormwater runoff via an extensive network of drainage canals. These data were compared to nearby control sites that receive no significant surface runoff. Overall, rainfall and runoff per se were not associated with differences in the oxygen dynamics among the different locations. Because of the large tidal range and long tidal excursions in coastal Georgia, localized inputs of stormwater runoff are rapidly mixed with large volumes of ambient water. Oxygen concentrations in tidal creeks and on flooded marsh platforms were driven primarily by balances of respiration and photosynthesis in the surrounding regional network of marshes and open estuarine waters. Local respiration, while measurable, was of relatively minor importance in determining oxygen concentrations in tidal floodwaters. Water residence time on the marshes could explain differences in oxygen concentration between the runoff-influenced and control sites.

Limited Influence of Urban Stormwater Runoff on Salt Marsh Platform and Marsh Creek Oxygen Dynamics in Coastal Georgia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savidge, William B.; Brink, Jonathan; Blanton, Jackson O.

2016-12-01

Oxygen concentrations and oxygen utilization rates were monitored continuously for 23 months on marsh platforms and in small tidal creeks at two sites in coastal Georgia, USA, that receive urban stormwater runoff via an extensive network of drainage canals. These data were compared to nearby control sites that receive no significant surface runoff. Overall, rainfall and runoff per se were not associated with differences in the oxygen dynamics among the different locations. Because of the large tidal range and long tidal excursions in coastal Georgia, localized inputs of stormwater runoff are rapidly mixed with large volumes of ambient water. Oxygen concentrations in tidal creeks and on flooded marsh platforms were driven primarily by balances of respiration and photosynthesis in the surrounding regional network of marshes and open estuarine waters. Local respiration, while measurable, was of relatively minor importance in determining oxygen concentrations in tidal floodwaters. Water residence time on the marshes could explain differences in oxygen concentration between the runoff-influenced and control sites.

Water-quality assessment of stormwater runoff from a heavily used urban highway bridge in Miami, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKenzie, Donald J.; Irwin, G.A.

1983-01-01

Runoff from a heavily-traveled, 1.43-acre bridge section of Interstate-95 in Miami, Florida, was comprehensively monitored for both quality and quantity during five selected storms between November 1979 and May 1981. For most water-quality parameters, 6 to 11 samples were collected during each of the 5 runoff events. Concentrations of most parameters in the runoff were quite variable both during individual storm events and among the five storm events; however, the ranges in parameter concentration were about the same magnitude report for numerous other highway and urban drainages. Data were normalized to estimate the average, discharge-weighted parameter loads per storm per acre of bridge surface and results suggested that the most significant factor influencing stormwater loads was parameter concentration. Rainfall intensity and runoff volume, however, influenced rates of loading. The total number of antecedent dry days and traffic volume did not appear to be conspicously related to either runoff concentrations or loads. (USGS)

Effect of liquid swine manure rate, incorporation, and timing of rainfall on phosphorus loss with surface runoff.

PubMed

Allen, Brett L; Mallarino, Antonio P

2008-01-01

Excessive manure phosphorus (P) application increases risk of P loss from fields. This study assessed total runoff P (TPR), bioavailable P (BAP), and dissolved reactive P (DRP) concentrations and loads in surface runoff after liquid swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) manure application with or without incorporation into soil and different timing of rainfall. Four replicated manure P treatments were applied in 2002 and in 2003 to two Iowa soils testing low in P managed with corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotations. Total P applied each time was 0 to 80 kg P ha(-1) at one site and 0 to 108 kg P ha(-1) at the other. Simulated rainfall was applied within 24 h of P application or after 10 to 16 d and 5 to 6 mo. Nonincorporated manure P increased DRP, BAP, and TPR concentrations and loads linearly or exponentially for 24-h and 10- to 16-d runoff events. On average for the 24-h events, DRP, BAP, and TPR concentrations were 5.4, 4.7, and 2.2 times higher, respectively, for nonincorporated manure than for incorporated manure; P loads were 3.8, 7.7, and 3.6 times higher; and DRP and BAP concentrations were 54% of TPR for nonincorporated manure and 22 to 25% for incorporated manure. A 10- to 16-d rainfall delay resulted in DRP, BAP, and TPR concentrations that were 3.1, 2.7, and 1.1 times lower, respectively, than for 24-h events across all nonincorporated P rates, sites, and years, whereas runoff P loads were 3.8, 3.6, and 1.6 times lower, respectively. A 5- to 6-mo simulated rainfall delay reduced runoff P to levels similar to control plots. Incorporating swine manure when the probability of immediate rainfall is high reduces the risk of P loss in surface runoff; however, this benefit sharply decreases with time.

[Pollution Characteristics of Surface Runoff of Typical Town in Chongqing City].

PubMed

Wang, Long-tao; Duan, Bing-zheng; Zhao, Jian-wei; Hua, Yu-mei; Zhu, Duan-wei

2015-08-01

Six kinds of impermeable underlying surface, cement tile roof, asbestos roof, cement flat roof, residential concrete pavement, asphalt pavement of restaurants, asphalt pavement of oil depot, and a combined sewer overflow canal in the Jiansheng town of Dadukou district in Chongqing city were chosen as sample plots to study the characteristics of nutritional pollutants and heavy metals in town runoff. The research showed that the average mass concentrations of TSS, COD, TN, TP in road runoff were (1681.2 +/- 677.2), (1154.7 +/- 415.5), (12.07 +/- 2.72), (3.32 +/- 1.15) mgL(-1), respectively. These pollutants were higher than those in roof runoff which were (13.3 +/- 6.5), (100.4 +/- 24.8), (3.58 +/- 0.70), (0.10 +/- 0.02) mg x L(-1), respectively. TDN accounted for 62.60% +/- 34.38% of TN, and TDP accounted for 42.22% +/- 33.94% of TP in the runoff of impermeable underlying surface. Compared with the central urban runoff, town runoff in our study had higher mass concentrations of these pollutants. The mass concentrations of TSS, COD, TDN, TN, TDP and TP in the combined sewer overflow were (281.57 +/- 308.38), (231.21 +/- 42.95), (8.16 +/- 2.78), (10.60 +/- 3.94), (0.38 +/- 0.23) and (1.51 +/- 0.75) mg x L(-1), respectively. The average levels of heavy metals in this kind of runoff did not exceed the class VI level of the surface water environmental quality standard. Most pollutants in the combined sewer overflow had first flush. However, this phenomenon was very rare for TSS. There was a significant positive correlation between TSS and COD, TP in the combined sewer overflow. And this correlation was significant between NH4+ -N and TP, TDP, TN, TDP. However, a negative correlation existed between NO3- -N and all other indicators.

Sorption, Leaching, and Surface Runoff of Beef Cattle Veterinary Pharmaceuticals under Simulated Irrigated Pasture Conditions

PubMed Central

Popova, Inna E.; Bair, Daniel A.; Tate, Kenneth W.; Parikh, Sanjai J.

2014-01-01

The use of veterinary pharmaceuticals in beef cattle has led to concerns associated with the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and endocrine disruption in aquatic organisms. Despite the potential negative consequences, data on the transport and mitigation of pharmaceuticals in grazed watersheds with irrigated pasture are scarce. The objective of this study was to assess the transport of common beef cattle pharmaceuticals (i.e., oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, ivermectin) via surface runoff and leachate from manure amended to grass-vegetated soil boxes under irrigated pasture conditions. The transport of pharmaceuticals from animal manure in surface runoff and soil leachate was relatively low and appears to be limited by desorption and transport of pharmaceuticals entrained in the manure. In surface runoff, less than 4.2% of applied pharmaceuticals in manure (initial concentration: 0.2 mg kg−1 of manure) were detected after three weeks of irrigation. Concentrations of pharmaceuticals in surface runoff and leachate never exceeded 0.5 µg L−1. The major portion of pharmaceuticals (up to 99%) was retained in the manure or in the soil directly beneath the manure application site. Based on the minimal transport of oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, and ivermectin, the risk of significant transport for these targeted beef cattle pharmaceuticals to surface water and groundwater from manure on irrigated pasture appears to be relatively low. PMID:24216368

Metal and nutrient dynamics on an aged intensive green roof.

PubMed

Speak, A F; Rothwell, J J; Lindley, S J; Smith, C L

2014-01-01

Runoff and rainfall quality was compared between an aged intensive green roof and an adjacent conventional roof surface. Nutrient concentrations in the runoff were generally below Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) values and the green roof exhibited NO3(-) retention. Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations were in excess of EQS values for the protection of surface water. Green roof runoff was also significantly higher in Fe and Pb than on the bare roof and in rainfall. Input-output fluxes revealed the green roof to be a potential source of Pb. High concentrations of Pb within the green roof soil and bare roof dusts provide a potential source of Pb in runoff. The origin of the Pb is likely from historic urban atmospheric deposition. Aged green roofs may therefore act as a source of legacy metal pollution. This needs to be considered when constructing green roofs with the aim of improving pollution remediation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Pollution load and the first flush effect of BOD5 and COD in urban runoff of Wenzhou City].

PubMed

Wang, Jun; Bi, Chun-juan; Chen, Zhen-lou; Zhou, Dong

2013-05-01

Four typical rainfalls were monitored in two different research areas of Wenzhou Municipality. Concentrations of BOD5 and COD in six different urban runoffs were measured. In addition the event mean concentration (EMC), M (V) curve and BOD5/COD of pollutant were calculated. The results showed that concentrations of BOD5 and COD in different urban runoffs of Wenzhou ranged from ND to 69.21 mg x L(-1) and ND to 636 mg x L(-1). Concentrations of BOD5 and COD in different urban runoffs were decreasing over time, so it is greatly significant to manage the initial runoff for reducing organic pollution. Judged by EMC of BOD5 and COD in these five rainfalls, concentrations of pollutant in some urban runoffs were out of the integrated wastewater discharge standard. If these runoffs flowed into river, it would cause environmental pressure to the next level receiving water bodies. According to the M (V) curve, the first flush effect of COD in most urban runoffs was common; while the first flush effect of BOD5 was same as that of COD. The result also showed that organic pollution was serious at the beginning of runoff. The underlying surface type could affect the concentration of BOD5 and COD in urban runoff. While the results of BOD5/COD also suggested that biodegradation was considered as one of the effective ways to decrease the pollution load of organics in urban runoff, and the best management plans (BMPs) should be selected for various urban runoff types for the treatment of organic pollution.

17beta-Estradiol and testosterone in drainage and runoff from poultry litter applications to tilled and no-till crop land under irrigation.

PubMed

Jenkins, Michael B; Endale, Dinku M; Schomberg, Harry H; Hartel, Peter G; Cabrera, Miguel L

2009-06-01

Thirteen million [corrected] metric tons of poultry litter are produced annually by poultry producers in the U.S. Poultry litter contains the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, endocrine disruptors that have been detected in surface waters. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of poultry litter applications on estradiol and testosterone concentrations in subsurface drainage and surface runoff in irrigated crop land under no-till and conventional-till management. We conducted an irrigation study in fall of 2001 and spring of 2002. Four treatments, no-till plus poultry litter, conventional-till plus poultry litter, no-till plus conventional fertilizer, and conventional-till plus conventional fertilizer, were evaluated. Flow-weighted concentration and load ha(-1) of the two hormones were measured in drainage and runoff. Soil concentrations of estradiol and testosterone were measured. Based on comparisons to the conventional fertilizer (and control) treatments, poultry litter did not add to the flow-weighted concentration or load ha(-1) of either estradiol or testosterone in subsurface drainage or surface runoff. Significant differences were, however, observed between tillage treatments: flow-weighted concentrations of estradiol were greater for no-till than conventional-till plots of the June irrigation; and runoff loads of both estradiol and testosterone were less from no-till than conventional-till plots for the November irrigation. Although the differences between no-till and conventional-tillage appeared to affect the hydrologic transport of both hormones, the differences appeared to have inconsequential environmental impact.

Phosphorus transfer in runoff following application of fertilizer, manure, and sewage sludge.

PubMed

Withers, P J; Clay, S D; Breeze, V G

2001-01-01

Phosphorus (P) transfer in surface runoff from field plots receiving either no P, triplesuperphoshate (TSP), liquid cattle manure (LCS), liquid anaerobically digested sludge (LDS), or dewatered sludge cake (DSC) was compared over a 2-yr period. Dissolved inorganic P concentrations in runoff increased from 0.1 to 0.2 mg L(-1) on control and sludge-treated plots to 3.8 and 6.5 mg L(-1) following application of LCS and TSP, respectively, to a cereal crop in spring. When incorporated into the soil in autumn, runoff dissolved P concentrations were typically < 0.5 mg L(-1) across all plots, and particulate P remained the dominant P form. When surface-applied in autumn to a consolidated seedbed, direct loss of LCS and LDS increased both runoff volume and P transfers, but release of dissolved P occurred only from LCS. The largest P concentrations (>70 mg L(-1)) were recorded following TSP application without any increase in runoff volume, while application of bulky DSC significantly reduced total P transfers by 70% compared with the control due to a reduced runoff volume. Treatment effects in each monitoring period were most pronounced in the first runoff event. Differences in the release of P from the different P sources were related to the amounts of P extracted by either water or sodium bicarbonate in the order TSP > LCS > LDS > DSC. The results suggest there is a lower risk of P transfer in land runoff following application of sludge compared with other agricultural P amendments at similar P rates.

[Research on evaluation of water quality of Beijing urban stormwater runoff].

PubMed

Hou, Pei-Qiang; Ren, Yu-Fen; Wang, Xiao-Ke; Ouyang, Zhi-Yun; Zhou, Xiao-Ping

2012-01-01

The natural rainwater and stormwater runoff samples from three underlying surfaces (rooftop, campus road and ring road) were sampled and analyzed from July to October, 2010 in Beijing. Eight rainfall events were collected totally and thirteen water quality parameters were measured in each event. Grey relationship analysis and principal component analysis were applied to assess composite water quality and identify the main pollution sources of stormwater runoff. The results show that the composite water quality of ring road runoff is mostly polluted, and then is rooftop runoff, campus road runoff and rainwater, respectively. The composite water quality of ring road runoff is inferior to V class of surface water, while rooftop runoff, campus road runoff and rainwater are in II class of surface water. The mean concentration of TN and NH4(+)-N in rainwater and runoff is 5.49-11.75 mg x L(-1) and 2.90-5.67 mg x L(-1), respectively, indicating that rainwater and runoff are polluted by nitrogen (N). Two potential pollution sources are identified in ring road runoff: (1) P, SS and organic pollutant are possibly related to debris which is from vehicle tyre and material of ring road; (2) N and dissolved metal have relations with automobile exhaust emissions and bulk deposition.

Modeling urban storm rainfall runoff from diverse underlying surfaces and application for control design in Beijing.

PubMed

Ouyang, Wei; Guo, Bobo; Hao, Fanghua; Huang, Haobo; Li, Junqi; Gong, Yongwei

2012-12-30

Managing storm rainfall runoff is paramount in semi-arid regions with urban development. In Beijing, pollution prevention in urban storm runoff and storm water utilization has been identified as the primary strategy for urban water management. In this paper, we sampled runoff during storm rainfall events and analyzed the concentration of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS) and total phosphorus (TP) in the runoff. Furthermore, the first flush effect of storm rainfall from diverse underlying surfaces was also analyzed. With the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), the different impervious rates of underlying surfaces during the storm runoff process were expressed. The removal rates of three typical pollutants and their interactions with precipitation and underlying surfaces were identified. From these rates, the scenarios regarding the urban storm runoff pollution loading from different designs of underlying previous rates were assessed with the SWMM. First flush effect analysis showed that the first 20% of the storm runoff should be discarded, which can help in utilizing the storm water resource. The results of this study suggest that the SWMM can express in detail the storm water pollution patterns from diverse underlying surfaces in Beijing, which significantly affected water quality. The scenario analysis demonstrated that impervious rate adjustment has the potential to reduce runoff peak and decrease pollution loading. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison between snowmelt-runoff and rainfall-runoff nonpoint source pollution in a typical urban catchment in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Chen, Lei; Zhi, Xiaosha; Shen, Zhenyao; Dai, Ying; Aini, Guzhanuer

2018-01-01

As a climate-driven event, nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is caused by rainfall- or snowmelt-runoff processes; however, few studies have compared the characteristics and mechanisms of these two kinds of NPS processes. In this study, three factors relating to urban NPS, including surface dust, snowmelt, and rainfall-runoff processes, were analyzed comprehensively by both field sampling and laboratory experiments. The seasonal variation and leaching characteristics of pollutants in surface dust were explored, and the runoff quality of snowmelt NPS and rainfall NPS were compared. The results indicated that dusts are the main sources of urban NPS and more pollutants are deposited in dust samples during winter and spring. However, pollutants in surface dust showed a low leaching ratio, which indicated most NPS pollutants would be carried as particulate forms. Compared to surface layer, underlying snow contained higher chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids (TSS), Cu, Fe, Mn, and Pb concentrations, while the event mean concentration of most pollutants in snowmelt tended to be higher in roads. Moreover, the TSS and heavy metal content of snowmelt NPS was always higher than those of rainfall NPS, which indicated the importance of controlling snowmelt pollution for effective water quality management.

Rainfall intensity and phosphorus source effects on phosphorus transport in surface runoff from soil trays.

PubMed

Shigaki, Francirose; Sharpley, Andrew; Prochnow, Luis Ignacio

2007-02-01

Phosphorus runoff from agricultural fields amended with mineral fertilizers and manures has been linked to freshwater eutrophication. A rainfall simulation study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different rainfall intensities and P sources differing in water soluble P (WSP) concentration on P transport in runoff from soil trays packed with a Berks loam and grassed with annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). Triple superphosphate (TSP; 79% WSP), low-grade super single phosphate (LGSSP; 50% WSP), North Carolina rock phosphate (NCRP; 0.5% WSP) and swine manure (SM; 70% WSP), were broadcast (100 kg total P ha-1) and rainfall applied at 25, 50 and 75 mm h-1 1, 7, 21, and 56 days after P source application. The concentration of dissolved reactive (DRP), particulate (PP), and total P (TP) was significantly (P<0.01) greater in runoff with a rainfall intensity of 75 than 25 mm h-1 for all P sources. Further, runoff DRP increased as P source WSP increased, with runoff from a 50 mm h-1 rain 1 day after source application having a DRP concentration of 0.25 mg L-1 for NCRP and 28.21 mg L-1 for TSP. In contrast, the proportion of runoff TP as PP was greater with low (39% PP for NCRP) than high WSP sources (4% PP for TSP) averaged for all rainfall intensities. The increased PP transport is attributed to the detachment and transport of undissolved P source particles during runoff. These results show that P source water solubility and rainfall intensity can influence P transport in runoff, which is important in evaluating the long-term risks of P source application on P transport in surface runoff.

The herbicide glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA in the Lavaux vineyard area, western Switzerland: proof of widespread export to surface waters. Part II: the role of infiltration and surface runoff.

PubMed

Daouk, Silwan; De Alencastro, Luiz F; Pfeifer, Hans-Rudolf

2013-01-01

Two parcels of the Lavaux vineyard area, western Switzerland, were studied to assess to which extent the widely used herbicide, glyphosate, and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) were retained in the soil or exported to surface waters. They were equipped at their bottom with porous ceramic cups and runoff collectors, which allowed retrieving water samples for the growing seasons 2010 and 2011. The role of slope, soil properties and rainfall regime in their export was examined and the surface runoff/throughflows ratio was determined with a mass balance. Our results revealed elevated glyphosate and AMPA concentrations at 60 and 80 cm depth at parcel bottoms, suggesting their infiltration in the upper parts of the parcels and the presence of preferential flows in the studied parcels. Indeed, the succession of rainy days induced the gradual saturation of the soil porosity, leading to rapid infiltration through macropores, as well as surface runoff formation. Furthermore, the presence of more impervious weathered marls at 100 cm depth induced throughflows, the importance of which in the lateral transport of the herbicide molecules was determined by the slope steepness. Mobility of glyphosate and AMPA into the unsaturated zone was thus likely driven by precipitation regime and soil characteristics, such as slope, porosity structure and layer permeability discrepancy. Important rainfall events (>10 mm/day) were clearly exporting molecules from the soil top layer, as indicated by important concentrations in runoff samples. The mass balance showed that total loss (10-20%) mainly occurred through surface runoff (96%) and, to a minor extent, by throughflows in soils (4%), with subsequent exfiltration to surface waters.

Water quality of surface runoff and lint yield in cotton under furrow irrigation in Northeast Arkansas.

PubMed

Adviento-Borbe, M Arlene A; Barnes, Brittany D; Iseyemi, Oluwayinka; Mann, Amanda M; Reba, Michele L; Robertson, William J; Massey, Joseph H; Teague, Tina G

2018-02-01

Use of furrow irrigation in row crop production is a common practice through much of the Midsouth US and yet, nutrients can be transported off-site through surface runoff. A field study with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum, L.) was conducted to understand the impact of furrow tillage practices and nitrogen (N) fertilizer placement on characteristics of runoff water quality during the growing season. The experiment was designed as a randomized complete block design with conventional (CT) and conservation furrow tillage (FT) in combination with either urea (URN) broadcast or 32% urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) injected, each applied at 101kgNha -1 . Concentrations of ammonium (NH 4 -N), nitrate (NO 3 -N), nitrite (NO 2 -N), and dissolved phosphorus (P) in irrigation runoff water and lint yields were measured in all treatments. The intensity and chemical form of nutrient losses were primarily controlled by water runoff volume and agronomic practice. Across tillage and fertilizer N treatments, median N concentrations in the runoff were <0.3mgNL -1 , with NO 3 -N being relatively the highest among N forms. Concentrations of runoff dissolved P were <0.05mgPL -1 and were affected by volume of runoff water. Water pH, specific electrical conductivity, alkalinity and hardness were within levels that common to local irrigation water and less likely to impair pollution in waterways. Lint yields averaged 1111kgha -1 and were higher (P-value=0.03) in FT compared to CT treatments. Runoff volumes across irrigation events were greater (P-value=0.02) in CT than FT treatments, which increased NO 3 -N mass loads in CT treatments (394gNO 3 -Nha -1 season -1 ). Nitrate-N concentrations in CT treatments were still low and pose little threat to N contaminations in waterways. The findings support the adoption of conservation practices for furrow tillage and N fertilizer placement that can reduce nutrient runoff losses in furrow irrigation systems. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Phosphorus loads from different urban storm runoff sources in southern China: a case study in Wenzhou City.

PubMed

Zhou, Dong; Bi, Chun-Juan; Chen, Zhen-Lou; Yu, Zhong-Jie; Wang, Jun; Han, Jing-Chao

2013-11-01

Storm runoff from six types of underlying surface area during five rainfall events in two urban study areas of Wenzhou City, China was investigated to measure phosphorus (P) concentrations and discharge rates. The average event mean concentrations (EMCs) of total phosphorus (TP), total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), and particulate phosphorus (PP) ranged from 0.02 to 2.5 mg · L(-1), 0.01 to 0.48 mg · L(-1), and 0.02 to 2.43 mg · L(-1), respectively. PP was generally the dominant component of TP in storm runoff, while the major form of P varied over time, especially in roof runoff, where TDP made up the largest portion in the latter stages of runoff events. Both TP and PP concentrations were positively correlated with pH, total suspended solids (TSS), and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)/chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations (p<0.01), while TDP was positively correlated with BOD/COD only (p<0.01). In addition, the EMCs of TP and PP were negatively correlated with maximum rainfall intensity (p<0.05), while the EMCs of TDP positively correlated with the antecedent dry weather period (p<0.05). The annual TP emission fluxes from the two study areas were 367.33 and 237.85 kg, respectively. Underlying surface type determined the TP and PP loadings in storm runoff, but regional environmental conditions affected the export of TDP more significantly. Our results indicate that the removal of particles from storm runoff could be an effective measure to attenuate P loadings to receiving water bodies.

Evaluation of agricultural best-management practices in the Conestoga River headwaters, Pennsylvania : characterization of surface-runoff and ground-water quantity and quality in a small carbonate basin near Churchtown, Pennsylvania, prior to terracing and implementation of nutrient management : water-quality study of the Conestoga River headwaters, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leitman, Patricia L.; Hall, D.W.; Langland, M.J.; Chichester, D.C.; Ward, J.R.

1996-01-01

Surface-runoff and ground-water quantity and quality of a 22.1-acre field site were characterized from January 1983 through September 1984, before implementation of terracing and nutrient-management practices. The site, underlain by carbonate rock, was cropland used primarily for the production of corn and alfalfa. Average annual application of nutrients to the 14.4 acres of cornfields was 410 pounds of nitrogen and 110 pounds of phosphorus. About three times more nutrients were applied during the 1984 water year than during the 1983 water year. During the investigation, 714,000 cubic feet of runoff transported 244 tons of suspended sediment, 300 pounds of nitrogen, and 170 pounds of phosphorus during the 1984 water year. Runoff from storms on frozen ground produced the highest loads of nitrogen. Regression analyses indicate that runoff rates and quantities were controlled by precipitation intensities of quantities and the amount of crop cover, and that mean concentrations of nitrogen for runoff events increased with increased surface-nitrogen applications made prior to runoff. Ground-water levels responded quickly to recharge, with peaks occurring several hours to a day after precipitation. Median concentrations of dissolved nitrate in ground water ranged from 9.2 to 13 milligrams per liter as nitrogen. A lag time of 1 to 3 months was observed between the time that nitrogen was applied to the land surface and local maximums in nitrate concentrations were detected in ground water unaffected by recharge events. About 3 million cubic feet of ground water and an associated 2,200 pounds of nitrate-nitrogen discharged from the site during the study period. For the study period, 42 percent of the precipitation recharged to ground water, 10 percent became runoff, and 48 percent evapotranspired. Inputs of nitrogen to the study area were estimated to be 93 percent from manure, 5 percent from commercial fertilizer, and 2 percent from precipitation. Nitrogen outputs from the system were estimated to be 38 percent to crop uptake, 39 percent to volatilization, 20 percent to ground- water discharge, and 3 percent to surface runoff.

Runoff of pharmaceuticals and personal care products following application of dewatered municipal biosolids to an agricultural field.

PubMed

Sabourin, Lyne; Beck, Andrew; Duenk, Peter W; Kleywegt, Sonya; Lapen, David R; Li, Hongxia; Metcalfe, Chris D; Payne, Michael; Topp, Edward

2009-08-01

Municipal biosolids are a useful source of nutrients for crop production, and commonly used in agriculture. In this field study, we applied dewatered municipal biosolids at a commercial rate using broadcast application followed by incorporation. Precipitation was simulated at 1, 3, 7, 21 and 34 days following the application on 2 m(2) microplots to evaluate surface runoff of various pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), namely atenolol, carbamazepine, cotinine, caffeine, gemfibrozil, naproxen, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, sulfamethoxazole, triclosan and triclocarban. There was little temporal coherence in the detection of PPCPs in runoff, various compounds being detected maximally on days 1, 3, 7 or 36. Maximum concentrations in runoff ranged from below detection limit (gemfibrozil) to 109.7 ng L(-1) (triclosan). Expressing the total mass exported as a percentage of that applied, some analytes revealed little transport potential (<1% exported; triclocarban, triclosan, sulfamethoxazole, ibuprofen, naproxen and gemfibrozil) whereas others were readily exported (>1% exported; acetaminophen, carbamazepine, caffeine, cotinine, atenolol). Those compounds with little transport potential had log K(ow) values of 3.18 or greater, whereas those that were readily mobilized had K(ow) values of 2.45 or less. Maximal concentrations of all analytes were below toxic concentrations using a variety of endpoints available in the literature. In summary, this study has quantified the transport potential in surface runoff of PPCPs from land receiving biosolids, identified that log K(ow) may be a determinant of runoff transport potential of these analytes, and found maximal concentrations of all chemicals tested to be below toxic concentrations using a variety of endpoints.

Estimating pesticide runoff in small streams.

PubMed

Schriever, Carola A; von der Ohe, Peter C; Liess, Matthias

2007-08-01

Surface runoff is one of the most important pathways for pesticides to enter surface waters. Mathematical models are employed to characterize its spatio-temporal variability within landscapes, but they must be simple owing to the limited availability and low resolution of data at this scale. This study aimed to validate a simplified spatially-explicit model that is developed for the regional scale to calculate the runoff potential (RP). The RP is a generic indicator of the magnitude of pesticide inputs into streams via runoff. The underlying runoff model considers key environmental factors affecting runoff (precipitation, topography, land use, and soil characteristics), but predicts losses of a generic substance instead of any one pesticide. We predicted and evaluated RP for 20 small streams. RP input data were extracted from governmental databases. Pesticide measurements from a triennial study were used for validation. Measured pesticide concentrations were standardized by the applied mass per catchment and the water solubility of the relevant compounds. The maximum standardized concentration per site and year (runoff loss, R(Loss)) provided a generalized measure of observed pesticide inputs into the streams. Average RP explained 75% (p<0.001) of the variance in R(Loss). Our results imply that the generic indicator can give an adequate estimate of runoff inputs into small streams, wherever data of similar resolution are available. Therefore, we suggest RP for a first quick and cost-effective location of potential runoff hot spots at the landscape level.

STWIR, a microorganism transport with infiltration and runoff add-on module for the KINEROS2 runoff and erosion model: documentation and user manual

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Runoff from manured fields is often considered to be the source of microorganisms in the surface water used for irrigation, recreation, and household needs. Concerns about microbial safety of this water resulted in development of predictive models for estimating the concentrations and total numbers ...

Sorption, Leaching, and Surface Runoff of Beef Cattle Veterinary Pharmaceuticals under Simulated Irrigated Pasture Conditions.

PubMed

Popova, Inna E; Bair, Daniel A; Tate, Kenneth W; Parikh, Sanjai J

2013-07-01

The use of veterinary pharmaceuticals in beef cattle has led to concerns associated with the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and endocrine disruption in aquatic organisms. Despite the potential negative consequences, data on the transport and mitigation of pharmaceuticals in grazed watersheds with irrigated pasture are scarce. The objective of this study was to assess the transport of common beef cattle pharmaceuticals (oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, and ivermectin) via surface runoff and leachate from manure amended to grass-vegetated soil boxes under irrigated pasture conditions. The transport of pharmaceuticals from animal manure in surface runoff and soil leachate was relatively low and appears to be limited by desorption and transport of pharmaceuticals entrained in the manure. In surface runoff, less than 4.2% of applied pharmaceuticals in manure (initial concentration: 0.2 mg kg of manure) was detected after 3 wk of irrigation. Concentrations of pharmaceuticals in surface runoff and leachate never exceeded 0.5 μg L. The major portion of pharmaceuticals (up to 99%) was retained in the manure or in the soil directly beneath the manure application site. Based on the minimal transport of oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, and ivermectin, the risk of significant transport for these targeted beef cattle pharmaceuticals to surface water and groundwater from manure on irrigated pasture appears to be relatively low. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Multivariate analysis for stormwater quality characteristics identification from different urban surface types in macau.

PubMed

Huang, J; Du, P; Ao, C; Ho, M; Lei, M; Zhao, D; Wang, Z

2007-12-01

Statistical analysis of stormwater runoff data enables general identification of runoff characteristics. Six catchments with different urban surface type including roofs, roadway, park, and residential/commercial in Macau were selected for sampling and study during the period from June 2005 to September 2006. Based on univariate statistical analysis of data sampled, major pollutants discharged from different urban surface type were identified. As for iron roof runoff, Zn is the most significant pollutant. The major pollutants from urban roadway runoff are TSS and COD. Stormwater runoff from commercial/residential and Park catchments show high level of COD, TN, and TP concentration. Principal component analysis was further done for identification of linkages between stormwater quality and urban surface types. Two potential pollution sources were identified for study catchments with different urban surface types. The first one is referred as nutrients losses, soil losses and organic pollutants discharges, the second is related to heavy metals losses. PCA was proved to be a viable tool to explain the type of pollution sources and its mechanism for different urban surface type catchments.

Managing urban runoff in residential neighborhoods: Nitrogen and phosphorus in lawn irrigation driven runoff.

PubMed

Toor, Gurpal S; Occhipinti, Marti L; Yang, Yun-Ya; Majcherek, Tammy; Haver, Darren; Oki, Lorence

2017-01-01

Sources and mechanisms of nutrient transport in lawn irrigation driven surface runoff are largely unknown. We investigated the transport of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in lawn irrigation driven surface runoff from a residential neighborhood (28 ha) of 56% impervious and 44% pervious areas. Pervious areas encompassing turfgrass (lawns) in the neighborhood were irrigated with the reclaimed water in common areas during the evening to late night and with the municipal water in homeowner's lawns during the morning. The stormwater outlet pipe draining the residential neighborhood was instrumented with a flow meter and Hach autosampler. Water samples were collected every 1-h and triple composite samples were obtained at 3-h intervals during an intensive sampling period of 1-week. Mean concentrations, over 56 sampling events, of total N (TN) and total P (TP) in surface runoff at the outlet pipe were 10.9±6.34 and 1.3±1.03 mg L-1, respectively. Of TN, the proportion of nitrate-N was 58% and other-N was 42%, whereas of TP, orthophosphate-P was 75% and other-P was 25%. Flow and nutrient (N and P) concentrations were lowest from 6:00 a.m. to noon, which corresponded with the use of municipal water and highest from 6:00 p.m. to midnight, which corresponded with the use of reclaimed water. This data suggests that N and P originating in lawn irrigation driven surface runoff from residential catchments is an important contributor of nutrients in surface waters.

Managing urban runoff in residential neighborhoods: Nitrogen and phosphorus in lawn irrigation driven runoff

PubMed Central

Occhipinti, Marti L.; Yang, Yun-Ya; Majcherek, Tammy; Haver, Darren; Oki, Lorence

2017-01-01

Sources and mechanisms of nutrient transport in lawn irrigation driven surface runoff are largely unknown. We investigated the transport of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in lawn irrigation driven surface runoff from a residential neighborhood (28 ha) of 56% impervious and 44% pervious areas. Pervious areas encompassing turfgrass (lawns) in the neighborhood were irrigated with the reclaimed water in common areas during the evening to late night and with the municipal water in homeowner’s lawns during the morning. The stormwater outlet pipe draining the residential neighborhood was instrumented with a flow meter and Hach autosampler. Water samples were collected every 1-h and triple composite samples were obtained at 3-h intervals during an intensive sampling period of 1-week. Mean concentrations, over 56 sampling events, of total N (TN) and total P (TP) in surface runoff at the outlet pipe were 10.9±6.34 and 1.3±1.03 mg L–1, respectively. Of TN, the proportion of nitrate–N was 58% and other–N was 42%, whereas of TP, orthophosphate–P was 75% and other–P was 25%. Flow and nutrient (N and P) concentrations were lowest from 6:00 a.m. to noon, which corresponded with the use of municipal water and highest from 6:00 p.m. to midnight, which corresponded with the use of reclaimed water. This data suggests that N and P originating in lawn irrigation driven surface runoff from residential catchments is an important contributor of nutrients in surface waters. PMID:28604811

[Dynamics of total organic carbon (TOC) in hydrological processes in coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest of Dinghushan].

PubMed

Yin, Guangcai; Zhou, Guoyi; Zhang, Deqiang; Wang, Xu; Chu, Guowei; Liu, Yan

2005-09-01

The total flux and concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) in hydrological processes in coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest of Dinghushan were measured from July 2002 to July 2003. The results showed that the TOC input by precipitation was 41.80 kg x hm(-2) x yr(-1), while its output by surface runoff and groundwater (soil solution at 50 cm depth) was 17.54 and 1.80 kg x hm(-2) x yr(-1), respectively. The difference between input and output was 22.46 kg x hm(-2) x yr(-1), indicating that the ecosystem TOC was in positive balance. The monthly variation of TOC flux in hydrological processes was very similar to that in precipitation. The mean TOC concentration in precipitation was 3.64 mg x L(-1), while that in throughfall and stemflow increased 6.10 and 7.39 times after rain passed through the tree canopies and barks. The mean TOC concentration in surface runoff and in soil solution at 25 and 50 cm depths was 12.72, 7.905 and 3.06 mg x L(-1), respectively. The monthly TOC concentration in throughfall and stemflow had a similar changing tendency, showing an increase at the beginning of growth season (March), a decrease after September, and a little increase in December. The TOC concentration in runoff was much higher during high precipitation months. No obvious monthly variation was observed in soil solution TOC concentration (25 and 50 cm below the surface). Stemflow TOC concentration differed greatly between different tree species. The TOC concentration in precipitation, throughfall, and soil solution (25 and 50 cm depths) decreased with increasing precipitation, and no significant relationship existed between the TOC concentrations in stemflow, surface runoff and precipitation. The TOC concentrations in the hydrological processes fluctuated with precipitation intensity, except for that in stemflow and soil solutions.

Spatial distribution of perchlorate, iodide and thiocyanate in the aquatic environment of Tianjin, China: environmental source analysis.

PubMed

Qin, Xiaolei; Zhang, Tao; Gan, Zhiwei; Sun, Hongwen

2014-09-01

Although China is the largest producer of fireworks (perchlorate-containing products) in the world, the pathways through which perchlorate enters the environment have not been characterized completely in this country. In this study, perchlorate, iodide and thiocyanate were measured in 101 water samples, including waste water, surface water, sea water and paired samples of rain water and surface runoff collected in Tianjin, China. The concentrations of the target anions were generally on the order of rain>surface water≈waste water treatment plant (WWTP) influent>WWTP effluent. High concentrations of perchlorate, iodide and thiocyanate were detected in rain samples, ranging from 0.35 to 27.3 (median: 4.05), 0.51 to 8.33 (2.92), and 1.31 to 107 (5.62) ngmL(-)(1), respectively. Furthermore, the concentrations of the target anions in rain samples were significantly (r=0.596-0.750, p<0.01) positively correlated with the concentrations obtained in the paired surface runoff samples. The anions tested showed a clear spatial distribution, and higher concentrations were observed in the upper reaches of rivers, sea waters near the coast, and rain-surface runoff pairs sampled in urban areas. Our results revealed that precipitation may act as an important source of perchlorate, iodide and thiocyanate in surface water. Moreover, iodide concentrations in the Haihe River and Dagu Drainage Canal showed a good correlation with an ideal marker (acesulfame) of domestic waste water, indicating that input from domestic waste water was an important source of iodide in the surface waters of Tianjin. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The integration of constructed wetlands into a treatment system for airport runoff.

PubMed

Revitt, D M; Worral, P; Brewer, D

2001-01-01

A new surface runoff treatment system has been designed for London Heathrow Airport, which incorporates separate floating constructed wetlands or reedbeds and sub-surface flow constructed wetlands as major pollutant removal systems. The primary requirement of the newly developed treatment system is to control the concentrations of glycols following their use as de-icers and anti-icers within the airport. The ability of reedbeds to contribute to this treatment role was fully tested through pilot scale, on-site experiments over a 2 year period. The average reductions in runoff BOD concentrations achieved by pilot scale surface flow and sub-surface flow reedbeds were 30.9% and 32.9%, respectively. The corresponding average glycol removal efficiencies were 54.2% and 78.3%, following shock dosing inputs. These treatment performances are used to predict the required full scale constructed wetland surface areas needed to attain the desired effluent water quality. The treatment system also incorporates aeration, storage and, combined with reedbed technology, has been designed to reduce a mixed inlet BOD concentration of 240 mg/l to less than 40 mg/l for water temperatures varying between 6 degrees C and 20 degrees C.

Antibiotic losses in leaching and surface runoff from manure-amended agricultural land.

PubMed

Dolliver, Holly; Gupta, Satish

2008-01-01

A 3-yr field study quantified leaching and runoff losses of antibiotics from land application of liquid hog (chlortetracycline and tylosin) and solid beef (chlortetracycline, monensin, and tylosin) manures under chisel plowing and no-tillage systems. The study was conducted in southwestern Wisconsin, a karst area with steep, shallow, macroporous soils. Relative mass losses of chlortetracycline, monensin, and tylosin were <5% of the total amount applied with manure. Chlortetracycline was only detected in runoff, whereas monensin and tylosin were detected in leachate and runoff. Highest concentrations of monensin and tylosin in the leachate were 40.9 and 1.2 microg L(-1), respectively. Highest chlortetracycline, monensin, and tylosin concentrations in runoff were 0.5, 57.5, and 6.0 microg L(-1), respectively. For all three antibiotics, >90% of detections and 99% of losses occurred during the non-growing season due to fall manure application and slow degradation of antibiotics at cold temperatures. During years of high snowmelt, runoff accounted for nearly 100% of antibiotic losses, whereas during years of minimal snowmelt, runoff accounted for approximately 40% of antibiotic losses. Antibiotic losses were generally higher from the no-tillage compared with chisel plow treatment due to greater water percolation as a result of macroporosity and greater runoff due to lack of surface roughness in the no-tillage plots during the non-growing season. The results from this study suggest that small quantities of dissolved antibiotics could potentially reach surface and ground waters in the Upper Midwestern USA from manure-amended shallow macroporous soils underlain with fractured bedrock.

Dairy diet phosphorus and rainfall timing effects on runoff phosphorus from land-applied manure.

PubMed

Hanrahan, Laura P; Jokela, William E; Knapp, Joanne R

2009-01-01

Surface-applied dairy manure can increase P concentrations in runoff, which may contribute to eutrophication of lakes and streams. The amount of dietary P fed to dairy cows (Bos taurus) and the timing of a rain event after manure application may further affect runoff P losses. The objective of this study was to examine dietary P supplementation effects on manure and runoff P concentrations from rain events occurring at different time intervals after manure application. Manure from dairy cows fed an unsupplemented low P diet (LP; 3.6 g P kg(-1)) or a diet supplemented with either an inorganic (HIP; 4.4 g P kg(-1)) or an organic (HOP; 4.6 g P kg(-1)) source was hand-applied onto soil-packed pans at 56 wet Mg ha(-1). Thirty min of runoff was collected from simulated rain events (30 mm h(-1)) 2, 5, or 9 d after manure application. Total P (TP) concentrations in runoff from HIP and HOP diet manure from the 2-d rain were 46 and 31% greater than that of the LP diet. Runoff P concentrations from high P diets were numerically higher than that of the LP diet at 5 and 9 d after application, but differences were significant only for dissolved reactive P (DRP) at 5 d. Large decreases in runoff TP (89%) and DRP (65%) concentrations occurred with delay of rainfall from 2 d until 5 d. The proportion of TP as DRP increased as the time between manure application and runoff increased. Results showed that reducing dietary P and extending the time between manure application and a rain event can significantly reduce concentrations of TP and DRP in runoff.

Dissolved organic carbon in runoff and tile-drain water under corn and forage fertilized with hog manure.

PubMed

Royer, Isabelle; Angers, Denis A; Chantigny, Martin H; Simard, Régis R; Cluis, Daniel

2007-01-01

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export from soils can play a significant role in soil C cycling and in nutrient and pollutant transport. However, information about DOC losses from agricultural soils as influenced by management practices is scarce. We compared the effects of mineral fertilizer (MF) and liquid hog manure (LHM) applications on the concentration and molecular size of DOC released in runoff and tile-drain water under corn (Zea mays L.) and forage cropping systems. Runoff and tile-drain water samples were collected during a 2-mo period (October to December 1998) and DOC concentration was measured. Characterization of DOC was performed by tangential ultrafiltration with nominal cut-offs at 3 and 100 kDa. Mean concentration of DOC in runoff water (12.7 mg DOC L(-1)) was higher than in tile-drain water (6.5 mg DOC L(-1)). Incorporation of corn residues increased the DOC concentration by 6- to 17-fold in surface runoff, but this effect was short-lived. In runoff water, the relative size of the DOC molecules increased when corn residues and LHM were applied probably due to partial microbial breakdown of these organic materials and to a faster decomposition or preferential adsorption of the small molecules. The DOC concentration in tile-drain water was slightly higher under forage (7.5 mg DOC L(-1)) than under corn (5.4 mg DOC L(-1)) even though the application rates of LHM were higher in corn plots. We suggest that preferential flow facilitated the migration of DOC to tile drains in forage plots. In conclusion, incorporation of corn residues and LHM increased the concentration of DOC and the relative size of the molecules in surface runoff water, whereas DOC in tile-drain water was mostly influenced by the cropping system with relatively more DOC and larger molecules under forage than corn.

Trend and concentrations of legacy lead (Pb) in highway runoff.

PubMed

Kayhanian, Masoud

2012-01-01

This study presents the results of lead (Pb) concentrations from both highway runoff and contaminated soil along 32 and 23 highway sites, respectively. In general, the Pb concentration on topsoil (0-15 cm) along highways was much higher than the Pb concentration in subsurface soil (15-60 cm). The Pb deposited on soil appears to be anthropogenic and a strong correlation was found between the Pb concentration in surface soil and highway runoff in urban areas. The concentration of Pb measured during 1980s from highways runoff throughout the world was up to 11 times higher than the measured values in mid 1990 s and 2000s. The current Pb deposited on soil near highways appears to be a mixture of paint, tire weight balance and old leaded gasoline combustion. Overall, the Pb phase-out regulation reduced the Pb deposits in the environment and consequently lowered Pb loading into receiving waters. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metolachlor and its metabolites in tile drain and stream runoff in the canajoharie creek watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phillips, P.J.; Wall, G.R.; Thurman, E.M.; Eckhardt, D.A.; Vanhoesen, J.

1999-01-01

Water samples collected during April-November 1997 from tile drains beneath cultivated fields in central New York indicate that two metabolites of the herbicide metolachlor-metolachlor ESA (ethanesulfonic acid) and OA (oxanilic acid) can persist in agricultural soils for 4 or more years after application and that fine-grained soils favor the transport of metolachlor ESA over metolachlor and metolachlor OA. Concentrations of metolachlor ESA from the tile drains ranged from 3.27 to 23.4 ??g/L (200 1800 times higher than those of metolachlor), metolachlor OA concentrations ranged from 1.14 to 13.5 ??g/L, and metolachlor concentrations ranged from less than 0.01 to 0.1 ??g/L. In the receiving stream, concentrations of metolachlor ESA were always below 0.6 ??g/L except during a November storm, when concentrations reached 0.85 ??g/L. Concentrations of metolachlor ESA in the stream were 2 45 times higher than those of metolachlor, reflecting the greater relative concentrations of metolachlor in surface water runoff than in tile drain runoff. These results are consistent with findings in other studies that acetanilide herbicide degredates are found in much higher concentrations than parent compounds in both surface water and groundwater.Water samples collected during April-November 1997 from tile drains beneath cultivated fields in central New York indicate that two metabolites of the herbicide metolachlor-metolachlor ESA (ethanesulfonic acid) and OA (oxanilic acid)-can persist in agricultural soils for 4 or more years after application and that fine-grained soils favor the transport of metolachlor ESA over metolachlor and metolachlor OA. Concentrations of metolachlor ESA from the tile drains ranged from 3.27 to 23.4 ??g/L (200-1800 times higher than those of metolachlor), metolachlor OA concentrations ranged from 1.14 to 13.5 ??g/L, and metolachlor concentrations ranged from less than 0.01 to 0.1 ??g/L. In the receiving stream, concentrations of metolachlor ESA were always below 0.6 ??g/L except during a November storm, when concentrations reached 0.85 ??g/L. Concentrations of metolachlor ESA in the stream were 2-45 times higher than those of metolachlor, reflecting the greater relative concentrations of metolachlor in surface water runoff than in tile drain runoff. These results are consistent with findings in other studies that acetanilide herbicide degredates are found in much higher concentrations than parent compounds in both surface water and groundwater.

Rainfall-runoff model for prediction of waterborne viral contamination in a small river catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelati, E.; Dommar, C.; Lowe, R.; Polcher, J.; Rodó, X.

2013-12-01

We present a lumped rainfall-runoff model aimed at providing useful information for the prediction of waterborne viral contamination in small rivers. Viral contamination of water bodies may occur because of the discharge of sewage effluents and of surface runoff over areas affected by animal waste loads. Surface runoff is caused by precipitation that cannot infiltrate due to its intensity and to antecedent soil water content. It may transport animal feces to adjacent water bodies and cause viral contamination. We model streamflow by separating it into two components: subsurface flow, which is produced by infiltrated precipitation; and surface runoff. The model estimates infiltrated and non-infiltrated precipitation and uses impulse-response functions to compute the corresponding fractions of streamflow. The developed methodologies are applied to the Glafkos river, whose catchment extends for 102 km2 and includes the city of Patra. Streamflow and precipitation observations are available at a daily time resolution. Waterborne virus concentration measurements were performed approximately every second week from the beginning of 2011 to mid 2012. Samples were taken at several locations: in river water upstream of Patras and in the urban area; in sea water at the river outlet and approximately 2 km south-west of Patras; in sewage effluents before and after treatment. The rainfall-runoff model was calibrated and validated using observed streamflow and precipitation data. The model contribution to waterborne viral contamination prediction was benchmarked by analyzing the virus concentration measurements together with the estimated surface runoff values. The presented methodology may be a first step towards the development of waterborne viral contamination alert systems. Predicting viral contamination of water bodies would benefit sectors such as water supply and tourism.

The measurement of dry deposition and surface runoff to quantify urban road pollution in Taipei, Taiwan.

PubMed

Wang, Yunn-Jinn; Chen, Chi-Feng; Lin, Jen-Yang

2013-10-16

Pollutants deposited on road surfaces and distributed in the environment are a source of nonpoint pollution. Field data are traditionally hard to collect from roads because of constant traffic. In this study, in cooperation with the traffic administration, the dry deposition on and road runoff from urban roads was measured in Taipei City and New Taipei City, Taiwan. The results showed that the dry deposition is 2.01-5.14 g/m(2) · day and 78-87% of these solids are in the 75-300 µm size range. The heavy metals in the dry deposited particles are mainly Fe, Zn, and Na, with average concentrations of 34,978, 1,519 and 1,502 ppm, respectively. Elevated express roads show the highest heavy metal concentrations. Not only the number of vehicles, but also the speed of the traffic should be considered as factors that influence road pollution, as high speeds may accelerate vehicle wear and deposit more heavy metals on road surfaces. In addition to dry deposition, the runoff and water quality was analyzed every five minutes during the first two hours of storm events to capture the properties of the first flush road runoff. The sample mean concentration (SMC) from three roads demonstrated that the first flush runoff had a high pollution content, notably for suspended solid (SS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), oil and grease, Pb, and Zn. Regular sweeping and onsite water treatment facilities are suggested to minimize the pollution from urban roads.

Effects of near-surface hydraulic gradients on nitrate and phosphorus losses in surface runoff.

PubMed

Zheng, Fen-Li; Huang, Chi-Hua; Norton, L Darrell

2004-01-01

Phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N) in runoff from agricultural fields are key components of nonpoint-source pollution and can accelerate eutrophication of surface waters. A laboratory study was designed to evaluate effects of near-surface hydraulic gradients on P and N losses in surface runoff from soil pans at 5% slope under simulated rainfall. Experimental treatments included three rates of fertilizer input (control [no fertilizer input], low [40 kg P ha(-1), 100 kg N ha(-1)], and high [80 kg P ha(-1), 200 kg N ha(-1)]) and four near-surface hydraulic gradients (free drainage [FD], saturation [Sa], artesian seepage without rain [Sp], and artesian seepage with rain [Sp + R]). Simulated rainfall of 50 mm h(-1) was applied for 90 min. The results showed that near-surface hydraulic gradients have dramatic effects on NO(3)-N and PO(4)-P losses and runoff water quality. Under the low fertilizer treatment, the average concentrations in surface runoff from FD, Sa, Sp, and Sp + R were 0.08, 2.20, 529.5, and 71.8 mg L(-1) for NO(3)-N and 0.11, 0.54, 0.91, and 0.72 mg L(-1) for PO(4)-P, respectively. Similar trends were observed for the concentrations of NO(3)-N and PO(4)-P under the high fertilizer treatment. The total NO(3)-N loss under the FD treatment was only 0.01% of the applied nitrogen, while under the Sp and Sp + R treatments, the total NO(3)-N loss was 11 to 16% of the applied nitrogen. These results show that artesian seepage could make a significant contribution to water quality problems.

The Fate and Transport of Glyphosate and its Degradation Product, Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA), in Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scribner, E.; Meyer, M. T.

2006-05-01

Since 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has investigated the fate and transport of glyphosate and its degradation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), in surface water, and more recently in tile-drain flow, soil, and wet deposition. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sources, glyphosate is among the world's most widely used herbicides. In 2004, glyphosate usage estimates indicated that between 103 and 113 million pounds were applied annually to crops in the United States. The use of glyphosate over a wide geographic area suggests that this herbicide might be a potential concern for air, water, and soil quality as well as measured in high concentrations in streams; therefore, it is important to monitor its fate and transport in ground-water/surface-water systems. National, regional, and field-scale studies conducted by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment and Toxic Substance Hydrology Programs have studied the fate and transport of glyphosate in overland flow, tile- drain flow, surface water, soil, and wet-deposition samples. The samples were analyzed for glyphosate and AMPA by using derivatization and online solid-phase extraction with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and LC/MS/MS methods developed by the USGS Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory in Lawrence, Kansas. During spring, summer, and fall 2002 runoff periods in 50 Midwestern streams, glyphosate was detected at or above the 0.10 micrograms per liter detection limit in 35, 41, and 31 percent of samples, respectively. AMPA was detected in 53, 82, and 75 percent of samples, respectively. Results of 128 samples from a field study showed that glyphosate was transported as a narrow high- concentration pulse during the first period of runoff after application and that the concentration of glyphosate in runoff was greater than the concentration of AMPA. In tile-drain flow, glyphosate and AMPA were transported in a broad low-concentration pulse during these same runoff periods with glyphosate concentrations only slightly exceeding AMPA concentrations. Seasonal distribution of glyphosate and AMPA was also evident in soil and wet-deposition samples. These variously scaled studies indicate that glyphosate and AMPA are readily detected in surface water in high-use areas through spring and fall and that they are transported to surface water via overland-flow runoff and tile-drain flow.

[Pollution load and the first flush effect of phosphorus in urban runoff of Wenzhou City].

PubMed

Zhou, Dong; Chen, Zhen-lou; Bi, Chun-juan

2012-08-01

Five typical rainfalls were monitored in two different research areas of Wenzhou municipality. The pH and concentrations of total phosphorus (TP), dissolved phosphorus (DP), particulate phosphorus (PP), total inorganic carbon (TIC), total organic carbon (TOC), total suspended substances (TSS), BOD5 and COD in six different kinds of urban runoff were measured. The results showed that, the concentrations of TP, DP and PP in different kinds of urban runoff of Wenzhou ranged from 0.01 to 4.32 mg x L(-1), ND to 0.88 mg x L(-1) and ND to 4.31 mg x L(-1), respectively. In the early stages of runoff process PP was dominated, while in the later, the proportion of DP in most of the runoff samples would show a rising trend, especially in roof and outlet runoff. Judged by the event mean concentration (EMC) of TP and DP in these five rainfalls, some kinds of urban runoff could cause environmental pressure to the next level receiving water bodies. Meanwhile, the differences among the TP and DP content (maximum, minimum and mean content) in various urban runoffs were significant, and so were the differences among various rainfall events. According to the M (V) curve, the first flush effect of TP in most kinds of urban runoff was common; while the first flush effect of DP was more difficult to occur comparing with TP. Not only the underlying surface types but also many physico-chemical properties of runoff could affect the concentration of TP in urban runoff. All the results also suggested that different best management plans (BMPs) should be selected for various urban runoff types for the treatment of phosphorus pollution, and reducing the concentration of TSS is considered as one of the effective ways to decrease the pollution load of phosphorus in urban runoff.

Phosphorus and nitrogen in runoff after phosphorus- or nitrogen-based manure applications.

PubMed

Miller, Jim J; Chanasyk, David S; Curtis, Tony W; Olson, Barry M

2011-01-01

Application of beef cattle () manure based on nitrogen (N) requirements of crops has resulted in elevated concentrations of soil test phosphorus (P) in surface soils, and runoff from this cropland can contribute to eutrophication of surface waters. We conducted a 3-yr field study (2005-2007) on a Lethbridge loam soil cropped to dryland barley () in southern Alberta, Canada to evaluate the effect of annual and triennial P-based and annual N-based feedlot manure on P and N in runoff. The manure was spring applied and incorporated. There was one unamended control plot. A portable rainfall simulator was used to generate runoff in the spring of each year after recent manure incorporation, and the runoff was analyzed for total P, total dissolved P, total particulate P, dissolved reactive P, total N, total dissolved N, total particulate N, NO-N, and NH-N. Annual or triennial P-based application resulted in significantly ( ≤ 0.05) lower (by 50 to 94%) concentrations or loads of mainly dissolved P fractions in runoff for some years compared with annual N-based application, and this was related to lower rates of annual manure P applied. For example, mean dissolved reactive P concentrations in 2006 and 2007 were significantly lower for the annual P-based (0.12-0.20 mg L) than for the annual N-based application (0.24-0.48 mg L), and mean values were significantly lower for the triennial P-based (0.06-0.13 mg L) than for the annual N-based application. In contrast, other P fractions in runoff were unaffected by annual P-based application. Our findings suggested no environmental benefit of annual P-based application over triennial P-based application with respect to P and N in runoff. Similar concentrations and loads of N fractions in runoff for the P- and N-based applications indicated that shifting to a P-based application would not significantly influence N in runoff. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Runoff water quality from broiler litter-amended tall fescue in response to natural precipitation in the Ozark Highlands.

PubMed

Menjoulet, B C; Brye, K R; Pirani, A L; Haggard, B E; Gbur, E E

2009-01-01

The Arkansas poultry industry produced more than 1.2 billion broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) and generated approximately 1.3 million Mg of broiler litter in 2002. High transportation costs of relocating broiler litter have led to annual land applications near poultry houses, increasing concern for potential surface water contamination from runoff. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of broiler litter application rate on runoff water quality in response to natural precipitation. Six plots (1.5 by 6.0 m), located on a Captina silt loam (finesilty, siliceous, active, mesic Typic Fragiudult), were amended with fresh broiler litter at 0, 5.6, and 11.2 Mg ha(-1) (control, low, and high litter treatments, respectively) once annually for 4 yr (May 2003 through April 2007). Runoff collected after each runoff-producing event was analyzed for soluble nutrients and metals. Cumulative runoff did not differ among litter treatments over the 4-yr study. At times, flow-weighted mean (FWM) concentrations of As from all litter treatments exceeded the maximum contaminant level for drinking water (0.01 mg As L(-1)). Four-year FWM Fe concentrations and runoff losses were greater (P < 0.05) from the high than from the low litter treatment and unamended control, and the 4-yr FWM P concentration from the low litter treatment (3.0 mg L(-1)) was greater than that from the unamended control (1.8 mg L(-1)). Since precipitation is temporally variable, evaluating runoff water quality in response to natural precipitation over several years is key to ascertaining the long-term impacts of surface-applied soil amendments like broiler litter.

Relations of surface-water quality to streamflow in the Atlantic Coastal, lower Delaware River, and Delaware Bay basins, New Jersey, water years 1976-93

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hunchak-Kariouk, Kathryn; Buxton, Debra E.; Hickman, R. Edward

1999-01-01

Relations of water quality to streamflow were determined for 18 water-quality constituents at 28 surface-water-quality stations within the drainage area of the Atlantic Coastal, lower Delaware River, and Delaware Bay Basins for water years 1976-93. Surface-water-quality and streamflow data were evaluated for trends (through time) in constituent concentrations during high and low flows, and relations between constituent concentration and streamflow, and between constituent load and streamflow, were determined. Median concentrations were calculated for the entire period of study (water years 1976-93) and for the last 5 years of the period of study (water years 1989-93) to determine whether any large variation in concentration exists between the two periods. Medians also were used to determine the seasonal Kendall\\'s tau statistic, which was then used to evaluate trends in concentrations during high and low flows. Trends in constituent concentrations during high and low flows were evaluated to determine whether the distribution of the observations changes through time for intermittent (nonpoint storm runoff) and constant (point sources and ground water) sources, respectively. High- and low-flow trends in concentrations were determined for some constituents at 26 of the 28 water-quality stations. Seasonal effects on the relations of concentration to streamflow are evident for 10 constituents at 14 or more stations. Dissolved oxygen shows seasonal dependency at all stations. Negative slopes of relations of concentration to streamflow, which indicate a decrease in concentration at high flows, predominate over positive slopes because of dilution of instream concentrations from storm runoff. The slopes of the regression lines of load to streamflow were determined in order to show the relative contributions to the instream load from constant (point sources and ground water) and intermittent sources (storm runoff). Greater slope values indicate larger contributions from storm runoff to instream load, which most likely indicate an increased relative importance of nonpoint sources. Load-to-streamflow relations along a stream reach that tend to increase in a downstream direction indicate the increased relative importance of contributions from storm runoff. Likewise, load-to-streamflow relations along a stream reach that tend to decrease in a downstream direction indicate the increased relative importance of point sources and ground-water discharge. The magnitudes of the load slopes for five constituents increase in the downstream direction along the Great Egg Harbor River, indicating an increased relative importance of storm runoff for these constituents along the river. The magnitudes of the load slopes for 11 constituents decrease in the downstream direction along the Assunpink Creek and for 5 constituents along the Maurice River, indicating a decreased relative importance of storm runoff for these constituents along the rivers.

Surface coal mine land reclamation using a dry flue gas desulfurization product: Short-term and long-term water responses.

PubMed

Chen, Liming; Stehouwer, Richard; Tong, Xiaogang; Kost, Dave; Bigham, Jerry M; Dick, Warren A

2015-09-01

Abandoned coal-mined lands are a worldwide concern due to their potential negative environmental impacts, including erosion and development of acid mine drainage. A field study investigated the use of a dry flue gas desulfurization product for reclamation of abandoned coal mined land in USA. Treatments included flue gas desulfurization product at a rate of 280 Mg ha(-1) (FGD), FGD at the same rate plus 112 Mg ha(-1) yard waste compost (FGD/C), and conventional reclamation that included 20 cm of re-soil material plus 157 Mg ha(-1) of agricultural limestone (SOIL). A grass-legume sward was planted after treatment applications. Chemical properties of surface runoff and tile water (collected from a depth of 1.2m below the ground surface) were measured over both short-term (1-4 yr) and long-term (14-20 yr) periods following reclamation. The pH of surface runoff water was increased from approximately 3, and then sustained at 7 or higher by all treatments for up to 20 yr, and the pH of tile flow water was also increased and sustained above 5 for 20 yr. Compared with SOIL, concentrations of Ca, S and B in surface runoff and tile flow water were generally increased by the treatments with FGD product in both short- and long-term measurements and concentrations of the trace elements were generally not statistically increased in surface runoff and tile flow water over the 20-yr period. However, concentrations of As, Ba, Cr and Hg were occasionally elevated. These results suggest the use of FGD product for remediating acidic surface coal mined sites can provide effective, long-term reclamation. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Assessment of water quality, road runoff, and bulk atmospheric deposition, Guanella Pass area, Clear Creek and Park Counties, Colorado, water years 1995-97

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, Michael R.

2001-01-01

The Guanella Pass road, located about 40 miles west of Denver, Colorado, between the towns of Georgetown and Grant, has been designated a scenic byway and is being considered for reconstruction. The purpose of this report is to present an assessment of hydrologic and water-quality conditions in the Guanella Pass area and provide baseline data for evaluation of the effects of the proposed road reconstruction. The data were collected during water years 1995-97 (October 1, 1995, to September 30, 1997).Based on Colorado water-quality standards, current surface-water quality near Guanella Pass road was generally acceptable for specified use classifications of recreation, water supply, agriculture, and aquatic life. Streams had small concentrations of dissolved solids, nutrients, trace elements, and suspended sediment. An exception was upper Geneva Creek, which was acidic and had relatively large concentrations of iron, zinc, and other trace elements related to acid-sulfate weathering. Concentrations of many water-quality constituents, especially particle-related phases and suspended sediment, increased during peak snowmelt and rainstorm events and decreased to prerunoff concentrations at the end of runoff periods. Some dissolved (filtered) trace-element loads in Geneva Creek decreased during rainstorms when total recoverable loads remained generally static or increased, indicating a phase change that might be explained by adsorption of trace elements to suspended sediment during storm runoff.Total recoverable iron and dissolved zinc exceeded Colorado stream-water-quality standards most frequently. Exceedances for iron generally occurred during periods of high suspended-sediment transport in several streams. Zinc standards were exceeded in about one-half the samples collected in Geneva Creek 1.5 miles upstream from Grant.Lake-water quality was generally similar to that of area streams. Nitrogen and phosphorus ratios calculated for Clear and Duck Lakes indicated that phytoplankton in the lakes were probably phosphorus-limited. Measures of trophic status (secchi depth, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a) indicated that Duck and Clear Lakes were oligotrophic in 1997.Ground water had relatively low specific conductance (range 24 to 584 microsiemens per centimeter) and did not exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standards, except for samples collected from a single well, which exceeded the Proposed Maximum Contaminant Level for uranium.Runoff from the Guanella Pass road enters streams through surface channels connected to culverts and roadside ditches. Fifty-six percent of the total number of culvert and roadside-ditch drainage features on the Guanella Pass road showed evidence of recent surface runoff connection to an adjacent stream. Road runoff is generated during snowmelt and during summer rainstorms.At a road cross-drain culvert monitored continuously for discharge (water years 1996-97), most runoff (77 to 96 percent) was a result of snowmelt, and runoff from the road preceded the basinwide peak streamflow, resulting in sediment and water-quality constituent inputs to the stream when the stream?s capacity for dilution of the road runoff was low. Specific conductance of road-runoff samples ranged from 14 to 468 microsiemens per centimeter. Major-ion composition of some samples indicated effects from deicing salt (sodium chloride) and dust inhibitor (magnesium chloride) applied to sections of the road, but changes in the stream concentrations that might be attributed to the runoff were brief and relatively small.Nutrients were commonly measured in road-runoff samples at larger concentrations than in streamflow. Concentrations of nitrate and ammonia, especially during rainfall-generated road runoff, were more similar to the concentrations in precipitation than to the concentrations in stream water. Concentrations of ammonia plus organic nitrogen (total as N) (range less than 0.2 to 24 milligrams per liter) and t

Rainfall Driven Sorting of Soils and Manure in Beef Feedlot Pens, Implications for Steroid Hormone Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryson, R.; Harter, T.

2009-12-01

Previous research has documented elevated estrogenic and androgenic activity in surface waters receiving cattle feedlot effluent, while current research shows that significant concentrations of hydrophobic steroid hormones are transported in the solid phase of feedlot pen surface runoff. Accumulated manure in beef feedlot pens includes organic matter ranging from colloidal particles to partially digested feed, forming a complex soil-manure conglomerate at the pen surface. We hypothesized that the transport of solid phase particles in rainfall runoff on beef feedlots would be influenced but not limited by shield layer development. Soils and manure at a beef feedlot were evaluated before and after rainfall-runoff events to determine changes in soil composition and structure. Runoff samples were also collected during an hour of runoff and analyzed for suspended solids. Results indicate that rainfall actively sorts the soil and manure components through raindrop impact, depression storage and runoff. However, transport of solid phase constituents was found to be elevated throughout the hydrograph. This suggests that the surface shield layer conceptualization applied to other soils should be modified before application to the soil-manure conglomerate found in beef feedlot pens.

High frequency monitoring of pesticides in runoff water from a vineyard: ecotoxicological and hysteresis pattern analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lefrancq, Marie; Jadas-Hécart, Alain; La Jeunesse, Isabelle; Landry, David; Payraudeau, Sylvain

2017-04-01

Rainfall-induced peaks in pesticide concentrations can occur rapidly; therefore, low frequency sampling may largely underestimate maximum pesticide concentrations and fluxes. Detailed storm-based sampling of pesticide concentrations in runoff water to better predict pesticide sources, transport pathways and toxicity within the headwater catchments is actually lacking. High frequency monitoring (2 min) of dissolved concentrations and loads for seven pesticides (Dimetomorph, Fluopicolide, Glyphosate, Iprovalicarb, Tebuconazole, Tetraconazole and Triadimenol) and one degradation product (AMPA) were assessed for 20 runoff events from 2009 to 2012 at the outlet of a vineyard catchment in the Layon catchment in France. The pesticide concentrations reached 387 µg/L. All of the runoff events exceeded the mandated acceptable concentrations of 0.1 µg/L for each pesticide (European directive 2013/39/EC). High resolution sampling used to detect the peak pesticide levels revealed that Toxic Units (TU) for algae, invertebrates and fish often exceeded the European Uniform principles (25%). The instantaneous and average (time or discharge-weighted) concentrations indicated an up to 30- or 4-fold underestimation of the TU obtained when measuring the maximum concentrations, respectively, highlighting the important role of the sampling methods for assessing peak exposure. High resolution sampling combined with concentration-discharge hysteresis analyses revealed that clockwise responses were predominant (52%), indicating that Hortonian runoff is the prevailing surface runoff trigger mechanism in the study catchment. The hysteresis patterns for suspended solids and pesticides were highly dynamic and storm- and chemical-dependent. Intense rainfall events induced stronger C-Q hysteresis (magnitude). This study provides new insights into the complexity of pesticide dynamics in runoff water and highlights the ability of hysteresis analysis to improve the understanding of pesticide supply and transport.

Runoff of pyrethroid insecticides from concrete surfaces following simulated and natural rainfalls.

PubMed

Jiang, Weiying; Haver, Darren; Rust, Michael; Gan, Jay

2012-03-01

Intensive residential use of insecticides has resulted in their ubiquitous presence as contaminants in urban surface streams. For pest eradication, urban hard surfaces such as concrete are often directly treated with pesticides, and wind/water can also carry pesticides onto hard surfaces from surrounding areas. This study expanded on previous bench-scale studies by considering pesticide runoff caused by irrigation under dry weather conditions and rain during the wet season, and evaluated the effects of pesticide residence time on concrete, single versus recurring precipitations, precipitation intensity, and concrete surface conditions, on pesticide transferability to runoff water. Runoff from concrete 1 d after pesticide treatment contained high levels of bifenthrin (82 μg/L) and permethrin (5143 μg/L for cis and 5518 μg/L for trans), indicating the importance of preventing water contact on concrete after pesticide treatments. Although the runoff transferability quickly decreased as the pesticide residence time on concrete increased, detectable residues were still found in runoff water after 3 months (89 d) exposure to hot and dry summer conditions. ANOVA analysis showed that precipitation intensities and concrete surface conditions (i.e., acid wash, silicone seal, stamping, and addition of microsilica) did not significantly affect the pesticide transferability to runoff. For concrete slabs subjected to natural rainfalls during the winter wet season, pesticide levels in the runoff decreased as the time interval between pesticide application and the rain event increased. However, bifenthrin and permethrin were still detected at 0.15-0.17 and 0.75-1.15 μg/L in the rain runoff after 7 months (221 d) from the initial treatment. In addition, pesticide concentrations showed no decrease between the two rainfall events, suggesting that concrete surfaces contaminated by pesticides may act as a reservoir for pesticide residues, leading to sustained urban runoff contamination. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pollution characteristics of surface runoff under different restoration types in manganese tailing wasteland.

PubMed

Wang, Jun; Cheng, Qingyu; Xue, Shengguo; Rajendran, Manikandan; Wu, Chuan; Liao, Jiaxin

2018-04-01

A great deal of manganese and associated heavy metals (such as Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, etc.) was produced in manganese mining, smelting, and other processes and weathering and leaching of waste slag, which entered rainwater runoff by different means under the action of rainfall runoff. It caused heavy metal pollution in water environment to surrounding areas, and then environmental and human health risks were becoming increasingly serious. In the Xiangtan manganese mine, we studied the characteristics of nutritional pollutants and heavy metals by using the method of bounded runoff plots on the manganese tailing wasteland after carrying out some site treatments using three different approaches, such as (1) exposed tailings, the control treatment (ET), (2) external-soil amelioration and colonization of Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers. turf (EC), and (3) external-soil amelioration and seedling seeding propagation of Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers. (ES). The research showed that the maximum runoff occurred in 20,140,712 rainfall events, and the basic law of runoff was EC area > ET area > ES area in the same rainfall event. The concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of three ecological restoration areas adopted the following rule: ET area > EC area > ES area. Nitrogen (N) existed mainly in the form of water soluble while phosphorus (P) was particulate. The highest concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were 11.57 ± 2.99 mg/L in the EC area and 1.42 ± 0.56 mg/L in the ET area, respectively. Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, Mn, and Cu in surface runoff from three restoration types all exceeded the class V level of the environmental quality standard for surface water except Cu in EC and ES areas. Pollution levels of heavy metals in surface runoff from three restoration areas are shown as follows: ET area > EC area > ES area. There was a significant positive correlation between TSS and runoff, COD, and TP. And this correlation was significant between total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), TN, total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), and TP. The six heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Mn, and Cr) in surface runoff of different ecological restoration areas were strongly related to each other, and were significantly related to the TSS.

Frequency analysis of urban runoff quality in an urbanizing catchment of Shenzhen, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Huapeng; Tan, Xiaolong; Fu, Guangtao; Zhang, Yingying; Huang, Yuefei

2013-07-01

This paper investigates the frequency distribution of urban runoff quality indicators using a long-term continuous simulation approach and evaluates the impacts of proposed runoff control schemes on runoff quality in an urbanizing catchment in Shenzhen, China. Four different indicators are considered to provide a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts: total runoff depth, event pollutant load, Event Mean Concentration, and peak concentration during a rainfall event. The results obtained indicate that urban runoff quantity and quality in the catchment have significant variations in rainfall events and a very high rate of non-compliance with surface water quality regulations. Three runoff control schemes with the capacity to intercept an initial runoff depth of 5 mm, 10 mm, and 15 mm are evaluated, respectively, and diminishing marginal benefits are found with increasing interception levels in terms of water quality improvement. The effects of seasonal variation in rainfall events are investigated to provide a better understanding of the performance of the runoff control schemes. The pre-flood season has higher risk of poor water quality than other seasons after runoff control. This study demonstrates that frequency analysis of urban runoff quantity and quality provides a probabilistic evaluation of pollution control measures, and thus helps frame a risk-based decision making for urban runoff quality management in an urbanizing catchment.

Effect of growth promotants on the occurrence of endogenous and synthetic steroid hormones on feedlot soils and in runoff from beef cattle feeding operations.

PubMed

Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon L; Snow, Daniel D; Kranz, William L; Mader, Terry L; Shapiro, Charles A; Donk, Simon J van; Shelton, David P; Tarkalson, David D; Zhang, Tian C

2012-02-07

Supplements and growth promotants containing steroid hormones are routinely administered to beef cattle to improve feeding efficiency, reduce behavioral problems, and enhance production. As a result, beef cattle manure will contain both synthetic steroids as well as a range of endogenous steroids including androgens, estrogens, and progestogens. A two-year controlled study was conducted in which beef cattle were administered steroid hormones via subcutaneous implants and feed additives and the occurrence of 16 endogenous and synthetic steroid hormones and metabolites was evaluated in runoff from beef cattle feedlots and in manure and soil collected from feedlot surfaces. Samples were extracted and analyzed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometryfor metabolites of the synthetic androgen trenbolone acetate, 17α-trenbolone, 17β-trenbolone, for the nonsteroidal semisynthetic estrogen agonist, α-zearalanol, and the synthetic progesterone melengesterol acetate, as well as a wide range of endogeneous estrogens, androgens, and fusarium metabolites. Synthetic steroids including trenbolone metabolites and melengestrol acetate were detected in fresh manure and in feedlot surface soils from cattle administered synthetic steroids at concentrations up to 55 ± 22 ng/g dry weight (dw) (17α-trenbolone) and 6.5 ± 0.4 ng/g dw (melengesterol acetate). Melengesterol acetate was detected in 6% of runoff samples from feedlots holding cattle administered synthetic steroids at concentrations ranging up to 115 ng/L. The presence of melengesterol acetate in runoff from beef cattle feeding operations has not been previously reported. Synthetic steroids were not detected in manure or runoff from control cattle. A wide range of endogenous hormones were detected in runoff and feedlot surface soils and manure from cattle given synthetic steroids and from control cattle, with no statistically significant differences in concentration. These results indicate that runoff from confined animal production facilities is of environmental and public health concern regardless of the use of growth promotants.

Using a hybrid model to predict solute transfer from initially saturated soil into surface runoff with controlled drainage water.

PubMed

Tong, Juxiu; Hu, Bill X; Yang, Jinzhong; Zhu, Yan

2016-06-01

The mixing layer theory is not suitable for predicting solute transfer from initially saturated soil to surface runoff water under controlled drainage conditions. By coupling the mixing layer theory model with the numerical model Hydrus-1D, a hybrid solute transfer model has been proposed to predict soil solute transfer from an initially saturated soil into surface water, under controlled drainage water conditions. The model can also consider the increasing ponding water conditions on soil surface before surface runoff. The data of solute concentration in surface runoff and drainage water from a sand experiment is used as the reference experiment. The parameters for the water flow and solute transfer model and mixing layer depth under controlled drainage water condition are identified. Based on these identified parameters, the model is applied to another initially saturated sand experiment with constant and time-increasing mixing layer depth after surface runoff, under the controlled drainage water condition with lower drainage height at the bottom. The simulation results agree well with the observed data. Study results suggest that the hybrid model can accurately simulate the solute transfer from initially saturated soil into surface runoff under controlled drainage water condition. And it has been found that the prediction with increasing mixing layer depth is better than that with the constant one in the experiment with lower drainage condition. Since lower drainage condition and deeper ponded water depth result in later runoff start time, more solute sources in the mixing layer are needed for the surface water, and larger change rate results in the increasing mixing layer depth.

Effect of age and rainfall pH on contaminant yields from metal roofs.

PubMed

Wicke, Daniel; Cochrane, Thomas A; O'Sullivan, Aisling D; Cave, Simon; Derksen, Mark

2014-01-01

Metal roofs are recognized for conveying significant metal loads to urban streams through stormwater runoff. Metal concentrations in urban runoff depend on roof types and prevailing weather conditions but the combined effects of roof age and rainfall pH on metal mobilization are not well understood. To investigate these effects on roof runoff, water quality was analysed from galvanized iron and copper roofs following rainfall events and also from simulating runoff using a rainfall simulator on specially constructed roof modules. Zinc and copper yields under different pH regimes were investigated for two roof materials and two different ages. Metal mobilization from older roofs was greater than new roofs with 55-year-old galvanized roof surfaces yielding more Zn, on average increasing by 45% and 30% under a rainfall pH of 4 and 8, respectively. Predominantly dissolved (85-95%) Zn and Cu concentrations in runoff exponentially increased as the rainfall pH decreased. Results also confirmed that copper guttering and downpipes associated with galvanized steel roof systems can substantially increase copper levels in roof runoff. Understanding the dynamics of roof surfaces as a function of weathering and rainfall pH regimes can help developers with making better choices about roof types and materials for stormwater improvement.

The impact of runoff and surface hydrology on Titan's climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faulk, Sean; Lora, Juan; Mitchell, Jonathan

2017-10-01

Titan’s surface liquid distribution has been shown by general circulation models (GCMs) to greatly influence the hydrological cycle. Simulations from the Titan Atmospheric Model (TAM) with imposed polar methane “wetlands” reservoirs realistically produce many observed features of Titan’s atmosphere, whereas “aquaplanet” simulations with a global methane ocean are not as successful. In addition, wetlands simulations, unlike aquaplanet simulations, demonstrate strong correlations between extreme rainfall behavior and observed geomorphic features, indicating the influential role of precipitation in shaping Titan’s surface. The wetlands configuration is, in part, motivated by Titan’s large-scale topography featuring low-latitude highlands and high-latitude lowlands, with the implication being that methane may concentrate in the high-latitude lowlands by way of runoff and subsurface flow. However, the extent to which topography controls the surface liquid distribution and thus impacts the global hydrological cycle by driving surface and subsurface flow is unclear. Here we present TAM simulations wherein the imposed wetlands reservoirs are replaced by a surface runoff scheme that allows surface liquid to self-consistently redistribute under the influence of topography. To isolate the singular impact of surface runoff on Titan’s climatology, we run simulations without parameterizations of subsurface flow and topography-atmosphere interactions. We discuss the impact of surface runoff on the surface liquid distribution over seasonal timescales and compare the resulting hydrological cycle to observed cloud and surface features, as well as to the hydrological cycles of the TAM wetlands and aquaplanet simulations. While still idealized, this more realistic representation of Titan’s hydrology provides new insight into the complex interaction between Titan’s atmosphere and surface, demonstrates the influence of surface runoff on Titan’s global climate, and lays the groundwork for further surface hydrology developments in Titan GCMs.

The Measurement of Dry Deposition and Surface Runoff to Quantify Urban Road Pollution in Taipei, Taiwan

PubMed Central

Wang, Yunn-Jinn; Chen, Chi-Feng; Lin, Jen-Yang

2013-01-01

Pollutants deposited on road surfaces and distributed in the environment are a source of nonpoint pollution. Field data are traditionally hard to collect from roads because of constant traffic. In this study, in cooperation with the traffic administration, the dry deposition on and road runoff from urban roads was measured in Taipei City and New Taipei City, Taiwan. The results showed that the dry deposition is 2.01–5.14 g/m2·day and 78–87% of these solids are in the 75–300 µm size range. The heavy metals in the dry deposited particles are mainly Fe, Zn, and Na, with average concentrations of 34,978, 1,519 and 1,502 ppm, respectively. Elevated express roads show the highest heavy metal concentrations. Not only the number of vehicles, but also the speed of the traffic should be considered as factors that influence road pollution, as high speeds may accelerate vehicle wear and deposit more heavy metals on road surfaces. In addition to dry deposition, the runoff and water quality was analyzed every five minutes during the first two hours of storm events to capture the properties of the first flush road runoff. The sample mean concentration (SMC) from three roads demonstrated that the first flush runoff had a high pollution content, notably for suspended solid (SS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), oil and grease, Pb, and Zn. Regular sweeping and onsite water treatment facilities are suggested to minimize the pollution from urban roads. PMID:24135820

Discharge-nitrate data clustering for characterizing surface-subsurface flow interaction and calibration of a hydrologic model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, R. R.; Rode, M.

2008-12-01

Concentration of reactive chemicals has different chemical signatures in baseflow and surface runoff. Previous studies on nitrate export from a catchment indicate that the transport processes are driven by subsurface flow. Therefore nitrate signature can be used for understanding the event and pre-event contributions to streamflow and surface-subsurface flow interactions. The study uses flow and nitrate concentration time series data for understanding the relationship between these two variables. Unsupervised artificial neural network based learning method called self organizing map is used for the identification of clusters in the datasets. Based on the cluster results, five different pattern in the datasets are identified which correspond to (i) baseflow, (ii) subsurface flow increase, (iii) surface runoff increase, (iv) surface runoff recession, and (v) subsurface flow decrease regions. The cluster results in combination with a hydrologic model are used for discharge separation. For this purpose, a multi-objective optimization tool NSGA-II is used, where violation of cluster results is used as one of the objective functions. The results show that the use of cluster results as supplementary information for the calibration of a hydrologic model gives a plausible simulation of subsurface flow as well total runoff at the catchment outlet. The study is undertaken using data from the Weida catchment in the North-Eastern Germany, which is a sub-catchment of the Weisse Elster river in the Elbe river basin.

A watershed scale assessment of the impacts of suburban turf management on runoff water quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachman, M.; Inamdar, S. P.; Barton, S.; Duke, J.; Tallamy, D.; Bruck, J.

2014-12-01

Steadily increasing rates of urbanization have raised concerns about the negative impacts of urban runoff on receiving surface water quality. These concerns have been further amplified by landscaping paradigms that encourage high-input, intensively-managed and mono-culture turf and lawn landscapes. We conducted a watershed-scale assessment of turf management practices on water quality vis-à-vis less-intensive management practices that preserve and enhance more diverse and native vegetation. The study treatments with existing/established vegetation and landscaping practices included turf, urban, forest, meadow, and a mixed site with a professional golf course. Stream water sampling was performed during baseflow and storm events. Highest nutrient (nitrate and total nitrogen) concentrations in runoff were observed for the mixed watershed draining the golf course. In contrast, nutrient concentrations in baseflow from the turf watershed were lower than expected and were comparable to those measured in the surrounding meadow and forest sites. Runoff losses from the turf site may have been minimal due to the optimal quality of management implemented. Total nitrogen concentrations from the turf site increased sharply during the first storms following fertilization, suggesting that despite optimal management there exists a risk for nutrient runoff following fertilization. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations from the turf site were elevated and aromatic in content while the mixed watershed site yielded more labile DOM. Overall, this study suggests that turf lawns, when managed properly, pose minimal environmental risk to surrounding surface waters. Based on the results of this study, providing homeowners with increased information regarding best management practices for lawn maintenance may serve as a cost-efficient method for reducing suburban runoff pollution.

[Effects of slopes on nitrogen transport along with runoff from sloping plots on a lateritic red soil amended with sewage sludge].

PubMed

Chen, Yan-Hui; Chen, Ming-Hua; Wang, Guo; Chen, Wen-Xiang; Yang, Shun-Cheng; Chai, Peng

2010-10-01

The effects of different slopes on nitrogen transport along with runoff from sloping plots amended with sewage sludge on a lateritic red soil were studied under simulated rainfall conditions. When the sludge was broadcasted and mixed with surface soils (BM), the MTN (total nitrogen of mixing sample), STN (total nitrogen of settled sample), TPN (total particulate nitrogen), TSN (total suspended nitrogen), TDN (total dissolved nitrogen) and NH4(+) -N concentrations and nitrogen loss amounts in runoff of all treatments were highest at 1 day or 18 days after application. The highest concentrations and the loss amounts of MTN and STN in the slope runoff for the BM treatment increased with slope degree, showing increasing pollution risks to the surface waters. The STN concentration and loss amounts from the 25 degrees plots were 126.1 mg x L(-1) and 1788.6 mg x m(-2), respectively, being 4.6 times and 5.8 times of the corresponding values from the 10 degrees plots, respectively. Then the concentrations and the loss amounts of nitrogen (except NO3(-) -N) from the BM plots diminished rapidly first and then tended to be stable with dwindling differences between the slopes. The loss of MTN and STN in early runoff (1 day and 18 days) accounted for 68.6% -73.4% and 62.3% -66.7% of the cumulative loss amounts during the experimental period for all the broadcasted treatments. Runoff loss coefficients of MTN increased in the order of 20 degrees > 25 degrees > 15 degrees > 10 degrees. Nitrogen was largely lost in dissolved species while large portion of NH4(+) -N was lost with particulates.

The use of simulated rainfall to study the discharge process and the influence factors of urban surface runoff pollution loads.

PubMed

Qinqin, Li; Qiao, Chen; Jiancai, Deng; Weiping, Hu

2015-01-01

An understanding of the characteristics of pollutants on impervious surfaces is essential to estimate pollution loads and to design methods to minimize the impacts of pollutants on the environment. In this study, simulated rainfall equipment was constructed to investigate the pollutant discharge process and the influence factors of urban surface runoff (USR). The results indicated that concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) appeared to be higher in the early period and then decreased gradually with rainfall duration until finally stabilized. The capacity and particle size of surface dust, rainfall intensity and urban surface slopes affected runoff pollution loads to a variable extent. The loads of TP, TN and COD showed a positive relationship with the surface dust capacity, whereas the maximum TSS load appeared when the surface dust was 0.0317 g·cm⁻². Smaller particle sizes (<0.125 mm) of surface dust generated high TN, TP and COD loads. Increases in rainfall intensity and surface slope enhanced the pollution carrying capacity of runoff, leading to higher pollution loads. Knowledge of the influence factors could assist in the management of USR pollution loads.

Nutrient transport through a Vegetative Filter Strip with subsurface drainage.

PubMed

Bhattarai, Rabin; Kalita, Prasanta Kumar; Patel, Mita Kanu

2009-04-01

The transport of nutrients and soil sediments in runoff has been recognized as a noteworthy environmental issue. Vegetative Filter Strips (VFS) have been used as one of the best management practices (BMPs) for retaining nutrients and sediments from surface runoff, thus preventing the pollutants from reaching receiving waters. However, the effectiveness of a VFS when combined with a subsurface drainage system has not been investigated previously. This study was undertaken to monitor the retention and transport of nutrients within a VFS that had a subsurface drainage system installed at a depth of 1.2 m below the soil surface. Nutrient concentrations of NO(3)-N (Nitrate Nitrogen), PO(-)(4) (Orthophosphorus), and TP (Total Phosphorus) were measured in surface water samples (entering and leaving the VFS), and subsurface outflow. Soil samples were collected and analyzed for plant available Phosphorus (Bray P1) and NO(3)-N concentrations. Results showed that PO(-)(4), NO(3)-N, and TP concentrations decreased in surface flow through the VFS. Many surface outflow water samples from the VFS showed concentration reductions of as much as 75% for PO(-)(4) and 70% for TP. For subsurface outflow water samples through the drainage system, concentrations of PO(-)(4) and TP decreased but NO(3)-N concentrations increased in comparison to concentrations in surface inflow samples. Soil samples that were collected from various depths in the VFS showed a minimal buildup of nutrients in the top soil profile but indicated a gradual buildup of nutrients at the depth of the subsurface drain. Results demonstrate that although a VFS can be very effective in reducing runoff and nutrients from surface flow, the presence of a subsurface drain underneath the VFS may not be environmentally beneficial. Such a combination may increase NO(3)-N transport from the VFS, thus invalidating the purpose of the BMP.

High frequency monitoring of pesticides in runoff water to improve understanding of their transport and environmental impacts.

PubMed

Lefrancq, Marie; Jadas-Hécart, Alain; La Jeunesse, Isabelle; Landry, David; Payraudeau, Sylvain

2017-06-01

Rainfall-induced peaks in pesticide concentrations can occur rapidly. Low frequency sampling may therefore largely underestimate maximum pesticide concentrations and fluxes. Detailed storm-based sampling of pesticide concentrations in runoff water to better predict pesticide sources, transport pathways and toxicity within the headwater catchments is lacking. High frequency monitoring (2min) of seven pesticides (Dimetomorph, Fluopicolide, Glyphosate, Iprovalicarb, Tebuconazole, Tetraconazole and Triadimenol) and one degradation product (AMPA) were assessed for 20 runoff events from 2009 to 2012 at the outlet of a vineyard catchment in the Layon catchment in France. The maximum pesticide concentrations were 387μgL -1 . Samples from all of the runoff events exceeded the legal limit of 0.1μgL -1 for at least one pesticide (European directive 2013/39/EC). High resolution sampling used to detect the peak pesticide levels revealed that Toxic Units (TU) for algae, invertebrates and fish often exceeded the European Uniform principles (25%). The point and average (time or discharge-weighted) concentrations indicated up to a 30- or 4-fold underestimation of the TU obtained when measuring the maximum concentrations, respectively. This highlights the important role of sampling methods for assessing peak exposure. High resolution sampling combined with concentration-discharge hysteresis analyses revealed that clockwise responses were predominant (52%), indicating that Hortonian runoff is the prevailing surface runoff trigger mechanism in the study catchment. The hysteresis patterns for suspended solids and pesticides were highly dynamic and storm- and chemical-dependent. Intense rainfall events induced stronger C-Q hysteresis (magnitude). This study provides new insights into the complexity of pesticide dynamics in runoff water and highlights the ability of hysteresis analysis to improve understanding of pesticide supply and transport. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimation of runoff mitigation by morphologically different cover crop root systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yang; Loiskandl, Willibald; Kaul, Hans-Peter; Himmelbauer, Margarita; Wei, Wei; Chen, Liding; Bodner, Gernot

2016-07-01

Hydrology is a major driver of biogeochemical processes underlying the distinct productivity of different biomes, including agricultural plantations. Understanding factors governing water fluxes in soil is therefore a key target for hydrological management. Our aim was to investigate changes in soil hydraulic conductivity driven by morphologically different root systems of cover crops and their impact on surface runoff. Root systems of twelve cover crop species were characterized and the corresponding hydraulic conductivity was measured by tension infiltrometry. Relations of root traits to Gardner's hydraulic conductivity function were determined and the impact on surface runoff was estimated using HYDRUS 2D. The species differed in both rooting density and root axes thickness, with legumes distinguished by coarser axes. Soil hydraulic conductivity was changed particularly in the plant row where roots are concentrated. Specific root length and median root radius were the best predictors for hydraulic conductivity changes. For an intensive rainfall simulation scenario up to 17% less rainfall was lost by surface runoff in case of the coarsely rooted legumes Melilotus officinalis and Lathyrus sativus, and the densely rooted Linum usitatissimum. Cover crops with coarse root axes and high rooting density enhance soil hydraulic conductivity and effectively reduce surface runoff. An appropriate functional root description can contribute to targeted cover crop selection for efficient runoff mitigation.

[Monitoring and analysis on evolution process of rainfall runoff water quality in urban area].

PubMed

Dong, Wen; Li, Huai-En; Li, Jia-Ke

2013-02-01

In order to find the water quality evolution law and pollution characteristics of the rainfall runoff from undisturbed to the neighborhood exit, 6 times evolution process of rainfall runoff water quality were monitored and analyzed from July to October in 2011, and contrasted the clarification efficiency of the grassland to the roof runoff rudimentarily at the same time. The research showed: 1. the results of the comparison from "undisturbed, rainfall-roof, rainfall runoff-road, rainfall-runoff the neighborhood exit runoff " showed that the water quality of the undisturbed rain was better than that from the roof and the neighborhood exist, but the road rainfall runoff water quality was the worst; 2. the average concentrations of the parameters such as COD, ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen all exceeded the Fifth Class of the Surface Water Quality Standard except for the soluble total phosphorus from undisturbed rainfall to the neighborhood exit; 3. the runoff water quality of the short early fine days was better than that of long early fine days, and the last runoff water quality was better than that of the initial runoff in the same rainfall process; 4. the concentration reduction of the grassland was notable, and the reduction rate of the grassland which is 1.0 meter wide of the roof runoff pollutants such as COD and nitrogen reached 30%.

Temporal fluctuations in grain size, organic materials and iron concentrations in intertidal surface sediment of San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomson-Becker, E. A.; Luoma, S.N.

1985-01-01

The physical and chemical characteristics of the oxidized surface sediment in an estuary fluctuate temporally in response to physical forces and apparently-fluctuating inputs. These characteristics, which include grain size and concentrations of organic materials and iron, will influence both trace-metal geochemistry and bioavailability. Temporal trends in the abundance of fine particles, total organic carbon content (TOC), absorbance of extractable organic material (EOM), and concentration of extractable iron in the sediment of San Francisco Bay were assessed using data sets containing approximately monthly samples for periods of two to seven years. Changes in wind velocity and runoff result in monthly changes in the abundance of fine particles in the intertidal zone. Fine-grained particles are most abundant in the late fall/early winter when runoff is elevated and wind velocities are low; particles are coarser in the summer when runoff is low and wind velocities are consistently high. Throughout the bay, TOC is linearly related to fine particle abundance (r = 0.61). Temporal variability occurs in this relationship, as particles are poor in TOC relative to percent of fine particles in the early rainy season. Iron-poor particles also appear to enter the estuary during high runoff periods; while iron is enriched on particle surfaces in the summer. Concentrations of extractable iron and absorbance of EOM vary strongly from year to year. Highest absorbances of EOM occurred in the first year following the drought in 1976-77, and in 1982 and 1983 when river discharge was unusually high. Extractable-iron concentrations were also highest in 1976-77, but were very low in 1982 and 1983. ?? 1985 Dr W. Junk Publishers.

Long-term stormwater quantity and quality performance of permeable pavement systems.

PubMed

Brattebo, Benjamin O; Booth, Derek B

2003-11-01

This study examined the long-term effectiveness of permeable pavement as an alternative to traditional impervious asphalt pavement in a parking area. Four commercially available permeable pavement systems were evaluated after 6 years of daily parking usage for structural durability, ability to infiltrate precipitation, and impacts on infiltrate water quality. All four permeable pavement systems showed no major signs of wear. Virtually all rainwater infiltrated through the permeable pavements, with almost no surface runoff. The infiltrated water had significantly lower levels of copper and zinc than the direct surface runoff from the asphalt area. Motor oil was detected in 89% of samples from the asphalt runoff but not in any water sample infiltrated through the permeable pavement. Neither lead nor diesel fuel were detected in any sample. Infiltrate measured 5 years earlier displayed significantly higher concentrations of zinc and significantly lower concentrations of copper and lead.

Effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water in a sandplain setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delin, G.N.; Landon, M.K.

2002-01-01

An experiment was conducted at a depressional (lowland) and an upland site in sandy soils to evaluate the effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water. Approximately 16.5 cm of water was applied to both sites during the experiment, representing a natural precipitation event with a recurrence interval of approximately 100 years. Run-off was quantified at the lowland site and was not detected at the upland site during the experiment. Run-off of water to the lowland site was the most important factor affecting differences in the concentrations and fluxes of the agricultural chemicals between the two sites. Run-off of water to the lowland site appears to have played a dual role by diluting chemical concentrations in the unsaturated zone as well as increasing the concentrations at the water table, compared to the upland site. Concentrations of chloride, nitrate and atrazine plus metabolites were noticeably greater at the water table than in the unsaturated zone at both sites. The estimated mass flux of chloride and nitrate to the water table during the test were 5-2 times greater, respectively, at the lowland site compared to the upland site, whereas the flux of sulfate and atrazine plus metabolites was slightly greater at the upland site. Results indicate that matrix flow of water and chemicals was the primary process causing the observed differences between the two sites. Results of the experiment illustrate the effects of heterogeneity and the complexity of evaluating chemical transport through the unsaturated zone. Copyright ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

Effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water in a sandplain setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delin, Geoffrey N.; Landon, Matthew K.

2002-01-01

An experiment was conducted at a depressional (lowland) and an upland site in sandy soils to evaluate the effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water. Approximately 16.5 cm of water was applied to both sites during the experiment, representing a natural precipitation event with a recurrence interval of approximately 100 years. Run-off was quantified at the lowland site and was not detected at the upland site during the experiment. Run-off of water to the lowland site was the most important factor affecting differences in the concentrations and fluxes of the agricultural chemicals between the two sites. Run-off of water to the lowland site appears to have played a dual role by diluting chemical concentrations in the unsaturated zone as well as increasing the concentrations at the water table, compared to the upland site. Concentrations of chloride, nitrate and atrazine plus metabolites were noticeably greater at the water table than in the unsaturated zone at both sites. The estimated mass flux of chloride and nitrate to the water table during the test were 5–2 times greater, respectively, at the lowland site compared to the upland site, whereas the flux of sulfate and atrazine plus metabolites was slightly greater at the upland site. Results indicate that matrix flow of water and chemicals was the primary process causing the observed differences between the two sites. Results of the experiment illustrate the effects of heterogeneity and the complexity of evaluating chemical transport through the unsaturated zone.

Effects of Grazing Management and Buffer Strips on Metal Runoff from Pastures Fertilized with Poultry Litter.

PubMed

Pilon, C; Moore, P A; Pote, D H; Martin, J W; DeLaune, P B

2017-03-01

Metal runoff from fields fertilized with poultry litter may pose a threat to aquatic systems. Buffer strips located adjacent to fields may reduce nutrients and solids in runoff. However, scant information exists on the long-term effects of buffer strips combined with grazing management on metal runoff from pastures. The objective of this study was to assess the 12-yr impact of grazing management and buffer strips on metal runoff from pastures receiving poultry litter. The research was conducted using 15 watersheds (25 m wide and 57 m long) with five treatments: hayed (H), continuously grazed (CG), rotationally grazed (R), rotationally grazed with a buffer strip (RB), and rotationally grazed with a fenced riparian buffer strip (RBR). Poultry litter was applied annually in spring at 5.6 Mg ha. Runoff samples were collected after every rainfall event. Aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) concentrations were strongly and positively correlated with total suspended solids, indicating soil erosion was the primary source. Soluble Al and Fe were not related to total Al and Fe. However, there was a strong positive correlation between soluble and total copper (Cu) concentrations. The majority of total Cu and zinc was in water-soluble form. The CG treatment had the highest metal concentrations and loads of all treatments. The RBR and H treatments resulted in lower concentrations of total Al, Cu, Fe, potassium, manganese, and total organic carbon in the runoff. Rotational grazing with a fenced riparian buffer and converting pastures to hayfields appear to be effective management systems for decreasing concentrations and loads of metals in surface runoff from pastures fertilized with poultry litter. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Nonpoint source of nutrients and herbicides associated with sugarcane production and its impact on Louisiana coastal water quality.

PubMed

Yu, Kewei; Delaune, Ronald D; Tao, Rui; Beine, Robert L

2008-01-01

A watershed analysis of nonpoint-source pollution associated with sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) production was conducted. Runoff water samples following major rainfall events from two representative sugarcane fields (SC1 and SC2) were collected and analyzed. The impact of runoff on two receiving water bodies, St. James canal (SJC) and Bayou Chevreuil (BC) in a drainage basin (Baratarian Basin), was studied. Results show that runoff flow/rainfall ratios at the SC1 were significantly higher (P < 0.0001, n = 14) than at the SC2, probably mainly due to higher sand content and higher infiltration rate of surface soil at the SC2. In runoff water samples, total suspended solids (TSS) showed a significant correlation with the concentrations of N and P. Sugarcane runoff showed a direct impact on the SJC and BC locations where seasonal variations of pollutant concentrations in the waters followed the patterns of runoff loadings. Swamp forest runoff (SFR) location showed a buffering effect of forested wetlands on water quality with the lowest measured pollutant concentrations. The ratios in total N/total P and in inorganic N/organic N in runoff waters indicated that fertilization in spring greatly contributed to the temporal increase of N loadings, especially in forms of inorganic N. Isotope signature of (15)N-nitrate in the water samples verified that the nitrate was derived from fertilizers and was consumed during transportation. Both N and P concentrations in the receiving water bodies were above the eutrophic level. During the study period, herbicide concentrations in the receiving water bodies rarely exceeded the drinking water standards.

Nitrate-nitrogen reduction by established tree and pasture buffer strips associated with a cattle feedlot effluent disposal area near Armidale, NSW Australia.

PubMed

Wang, Liangmin; Duggin, John A; Nie, Daoping

2012-05-30

Vegetated buffer strips have been recognized as an important element in overall agro-ecosystem management to reduce the delivery of non-point source pollutants from agricultural land to inland water systems. A buffer strip experiment consisting of two tree species (Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Casuarina cunninghamiana) with two planting densities and a pasture treatment was conducted to determine the effectiveness of NO(3)-N removal from a cattle feedlot effluent disposal area at Tullimba near Armidale, NSW Australia. Different management methods were applied for the buffers where grass and weeds were mowed 2-3 times during the second and third years and were not managed during the rest experimental years for the tree buffer, while grass was harvested 1-3 times per year for the pasture buffer. The differences between tree species and planting density significantly affected tree growth, but the growth difference did not significantly affect their capacities to reduce NO(3)-N in soil surface runoff and groundwater. On average for all the tree and pasture treatments, the buffer strips reduced NO(3)-N concentration by 8.5%, 14.7% and 14.4% for the surface runoff, shallow and deep groundwater respectively. The tree and pasture buffer strips were not significantly different in NO(3)-N reduction for both shallow and deep groundwater while the pasture buffer strips reduced significantly more NO(3)-N concentration in surface runoff than the tree buffer strips. Both buffer strips reduced more than 50% of surface runoff volume indicating that both the tree and pasture buffer strips were efficient at removing water and nutrients, mostly through a significant reduction in soil surface runoff volume. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subsoil erosion dominates the supply of fine sediment to rivers draining into Princess Charlotte Bay, Australia.

PubMed

Olley, Jon; Brooks, Andrew; Spencer, John; Pietsch, Timothy; Borombovits, Daniel

2013-10-01

The Laura-Normanby River (catchment area: 24,350 km(2)), which drains into Princess Charlotte Bay, has been identified in previous studies as the third largest contributor of sediment to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. These catchment scale modelling studies also identified surface soil erosion as supplying >80% of the sediment. Here we use activity concentrations of the fallout radionuclides (137)Cs and (210)Pbex to test the hypothesis that surface soil erosion dominates the supply of fine (<10 μm) sediment in the river systems draining into Princess Charlotte Bay. Our results contradict these previous studies, and are consistent with channel and gully erosion being the dominant source of fine sediment in this catchment. The hypothesis that surface soil erosion dominates the supply of fine sediment to Princess Charlotte Bay is rejected. River sediment samples were collected using both time-integrated samplers and sediment drape deposits. We show that there is no detectable difference in (137)Cs and (210)Pbex activity concentrations between samples collected using these two methods. Two methods were also used to collect samples to characterise (137)Cs and (210)Pbex concentrations in sediment derived from surface soil erosion; sampling of surface-wash deposits and deployment of surface runoff traps that collected samples during rain events. While there was no difference in the (137)Cs activity concentrations for samples collected using these two methods, (210)Pbex activity concentrations were significantly higher in the samples collected using the runoff traps. The higher (210)Pbex concentrations are shown to be correlated with loss-on-ignition (r(2) = 0.79) and therefore are likely to be related to higher organic concentrations in the runoff trap samples. As a result of these differences we use a three end member mixing model (channel/gully, hillslope surface-wash and hillslope runoff traps) to determine the relative contribution from surface soil erosion. Probability distributions for (137)Cs and (210)Pbex concentrations were determined for each of the end members, with these distributions then used to estimate the surface soil contribution to each of the collected river sediment samples. The mean estimate of contribution of surface derived sediment for all river samples (n = 70) is 16 ± 2%. This study reinforces the importance of testing model predictions before they are used to target investment in remedial action and adds to the body of evidence that the primary source of sediment delivered to tropical river systems is derived from subsoil erosion. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil aggregate stability and size-selective sediment transport with surface runoff as affected by organic residue amendment.

PubMed

Shi, Pu; Arter, Christian; Liu, Xingyu; Keller, Martin; Schulin, Rainer

2017-12-31

Aggregate breakdown influences the availability of soil particles for size-selective sediment transport with surface runoff during erosive rainfall events. Organic matter management is known to affect aggregate stability against breakdown, but little is known about how this translates into rainfall-induced aggregate fragmentation and sediment transport under field conditions. In this study, we performed field experiments in which artificial rainfall was applied after pre-wetting on three pairs of arable soil plots (1.5×0.75m) six weeks after incorporating a mixture of grass and wheat straw into the topsoil of one plot in each pair (OI treatment) but not on the other plot (NI treatment). Artificial rainfall was applied for approximately 2h on each pair at an intensity of 49.1mmh -1 . In both treatments, discharge and sediment concentration in the discharge were correlated and followed a similar temporal pattern after the onset of surface runoff: After a sharp increase at the beginning both approached a steady state. But the onset of runoff was more delayed on the OI plots, and the discharge and sediment concentration were in average only roughly half as high on the OI as on the NI plots. With increasing discharge the fraction of coarse sediment increased. This relationship did not differ between the two treatments. Thus, due to the lower discharge, the fraction of fine particles in the exported sediment was larger in the runoff from the OI plots than from the NI plots. The later runoff onset and lower discharge rate was related to a higher initial aggregate stability on the OI plots. Terrestrial laser scanning proved to be a very valuable method to map changes in the micro-topography of the soil surfaces. It revealed a much less profound decrease in surface roughness on the OI than on the NI plots. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phosphorus loss to runoff water twenty-four hours after application of liquid swine manure or fertilizer.

PubMed

Tabbara, Hadi

2003-01-01

Phosphorus (P) added to soil from fertilizer or manure application could pose a threat to water quality due to its role in eutrophication of fresh water resources. Incorporating such amendments into the soil is an established best management practice (BMP) for reducing soluble P losses in runoff water, but could also lead to higher erosion. The objective of this study was to test whether incorporation of manure or fertilizer 24 h before an intense rain could also reduce sediment-bound and total phosphorus (TP) losses in runoff. A rainfall simulation study was conducted on field plots (sandy loam with 6-7% slope, little surface residue, recently cultivated) that received two application rates of liquid swine manure or liquid ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer, using either surface-broadcast or incorporated methods of application. Incorporation increased the total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations in runoff but mass losses were not affected. Incorporation also reduced flow-weighted concentrations and losses of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and TP by as much as 30 to 60% depending on source (fertilizer vs. manure) and application rate. Phosphorus is moved below the mixing zone of interaction on incorporation, and thus the effect of the amount and availability of P in this zone is more important than cultivation on subsequent P losses in runoff. Incorporating manure or fertilizer in areas of intense erosive rain, recent extensive tillage, and with little or no surface residue is therefore a best management practice that should be adhered to in order to minimize contamination of surface water. Results also show comparatively lower P losses from manure than fertilizer.

Effect of urban stormwater runoff on ground water beneath recharge basins on Long Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ku, H.F.; Simmons, D.L.

1986-01-01

Urban stormwater runoff was monitored during 1980-82 to investigate the source, type, quantity, and fate of contaminants routed to the more than 3,000 recharge basins on Long Island and to determine whether this runoff might be a significant source of contamination to the groundwater reservoir. Forty-six storms were monitored at five recharge basins in representative land use areas (strip commercial, shopping-mall parking lot, major highway, low-density residential, and medium-density residential). Runoff:precipitation ratios indicate that all storm runoff is derived from precipitation on impervious surfaces in the drainage area, except during storms of high intensity or long duration, when additional runoff can be derived from precipitation on permeable surfaces. Lead was present in highway runoff in concentrations up to 3300 micrograms/L, and chloride was found in parking lot runoff concentrations up to 1,100 mg/L during winter, when salt is used for deicing. In the five composite stormwater samples and nine groundwater grab samples that were analyzed for 113 EPA-designated ' priority pollutants, ' four constituents were detected in concentrations exceeding New York State guidelines of 50 micrograms/L for an individual organic compound in drinking water: p-chloro-m-cresol (79 micrograms/L); 2 ,4-dimethylphenol (96 micrograms/L); 4-nitrophenol (58 micrograms/L); and methylene chloride (230 micrograms/L in either groundwater or stormwater at the highway basin). One stormwater sample and two groundwater samples exceeded New York State guidelines for total organic compounds in drinking water (100 micrograms/L). The presence of these constituents is attributed to contamination from point sources rather than to the quality of runoff from urban areas. The median number of indicator bacteria in stormwater ranged from 0.1 to 10 billion MPN/100 ml. Fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci increased by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude during the warm season. The use of recharge basins to dispose of storm runoff does not appear to have significant adverse effects on groundwater quality in terms of the chemical and microbiological stormwater constituents studied. (Author 's abstract)

First flush characteristics of rainfall runoff from a paddy field in the Taihu Lake watershed, China.

PubMed

Li, Songmin; Wang, Xiaoling; Qiao, Bin; Li, Jiansheng; Tu, Jiamin

2017-03-01

Nonpoint storm runoff remains a major threat to surface water quality in China. As a paddy matures, numerous fertilizers are needed, especially in the rainy seasons; the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in rainfall runoff from farmland is much higher than at other times, and this poses a great threat to water bodies and is the main reason for water eutrophication, especially in high concentration drainages. To date, most studies regarding the characteristics of pollutants in rainfall runoff have mainly been concentrated on urban runoff and watershed runoff; therefore, it is particularly important to investigate the characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus loss in rainfall runoff from paddy fields. To study the characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus loss and whether the first flush effect exists, continuous monitoring of the rainfall runoff process of six rainfall events was conducted in 2013, of which four rainfall events during storm, high, middle, and low intensity rainfalls were analyzed, and runoff and quality parameters, such as suspended solids (SS), total nitrogen (TN), ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 + -N), nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 - -N), total phosphorus (TP), and phosphate (PO 4 3- -P), were analyzed to determine the relationship between runoff and water quality. The paddy field is located north of Wuxi Lake Basin along the Hejia River upstream in Zhoutie town, Yixing city. An analysis of the load distribution during rainfall runoff was conducted. Event mean concentration (EMC) was used to evaluate the pollution situation of the paddy field's rainfall runoff. A curve of the dimensionless normalized cumulative load (L) vs. normalized cumulative flow (F) (L-F curve), the probability of the mass first flush (MFFn), and the pollutants carried by the initial 25% of runoff (FF 25 ) were used to analyze the first flush effect of the paddy field runoff, and different contaminants show different results: the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus fluctuate and follow a similar trend as runoff changes, NO 3 - -N concentration is lower in the early part of runoff and higher in the later, and TP mainly occurs in the particle state in storm runoff and mainly in the dissolved state when the rainfall intensity is smaller. Nitrogen and phosphorus losses from paddy fields are closely related to the average rainfall intensity and the max rainfall intensity, and the runoff loss of nitrogen and phosphorus is more severe when the rainfall intensity is large. Based on an analysis of multiple methodologies, TN and NH 4 + -N show a certain degree of a first flush effect, whereas the first flush effect of TP is not obvious. The first flush effect of SS is obvious in larger intensity rainfall and shows a slight secondary flush effect in smaller rainfall events.

Comparison of the treatment performance of hybrid constructed wetlands treating stormwater runoff.

PubMed

Choi, J Y; Maniquiz-Redillas, M C; Hong, J S; Lee, S Y; Kim, L H

2015-01-01

This study was conducted to compare the treatment performance of two hybrid constructed wetlands (CWs) in treating stormwater runoff. The hybrid CWs were composed of a combination of free water surface (FWS) and horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) CWs. Based on the results, strong correlation exists between potential runoff impacts and stormwater characteristics; however, the low correlations also suggest that not only the monitored parameters contribute to stormwater event mean concentrations (EMC) of pollutants, but other factors should also be considered as well. In the hydraulic and treatment performance of the hybrid CWs, a small surface area to catchment area (SA/CA) ratio, receiving a high concentration of influent EMC, will find it hard to achieve great removal efficiency; also a large SA/CA ratio, receiving low concentration of influent EMC, will find it hard to achieve great removal efficiency. With this, SA/CA ratio and influent characteristics such as EMC or load should be considered among the design factors of CWs. The performance data of the two CWs were used to consider the most cost-effective design of a hybrid CW. The optimum facility capacity (ratio of total runoff volume to storage volume) that is applicable for a target volume reduction and removal efficiency was provided in this study.

[Characteristics of nutrient loss by runoff in sloping arable land of yellow-brown under different rainfall intensities].

PubMed

Chen, Ling; Liu, De-Fu; Song, Lin-Xu; Cui, Yu-Jie; Zhang, Gei

2013-06-01

In order to investigate the loss characteristics of N and P through surface flow and interflow under different rainfall intensities, a field experiment was conducted on the sloping arable land covered by typical yellow-brown soils inXiangxi River watershed by artificial rainfall. The results showed that the discharge of surface flow, total runoff and sediment increased with the increase of rain intensity, while the interflow was negatively correlated with rain intensity under the same total rainfall. TN, DN and DP were all flushed at the very beginning in surface flow underdifferent rainfall intensities; TP fluctuated and kept consistent in surface flow without obvious downtrend. While TN, DN and DP in interflow kept relatively stable in the whole runoff process, TP was high at the early stage, then rapidly decreased with time and kept steady finally. P was directly influenced by rainfall intensity, its concentration in the runoff increased with the increase of the rainfall intensity, the average concentration of N and P both exceeded the threshold of eutrophication of freshwater. The higher the amount of P loss was, the higher the rain intensity. The change of N loss was the opposite. The contribution rate of TN loss carried by surface flow increased from 36.5% to 57.6% with the increase of rainfall intensity, but surface flow was the primary form of P loss which contributed above 90.0%. Thus, it is crucial to control interflow in order to reduce N loss. In addition, measures should be taken to effectively manage soil erosion to mitigate P loss. The proportion of dissolved nitrogen in surface flow elevated with the decrease of rainfall intensity, but in interflow, dissolved form was predominant. P was exported mainly in the form of particulate under different rainfall intensities and runoff conditions.

Effects on run-off water quantity and quality of urban organic wastes applied in a degraded semi-arid ecosystem.

PubMed

Martínez, F; Casermeiro, M A; Morales, D; Cuevas, G; Walter, Ingrid

2003-04-15

Biosolids and composted municipal solid wastes were surface-applied (0 and 80 Mg ha(-1)) to a degraded soil in a semi-arid environment to determine their effects on the quantity and quality of run-off water. Three and 4 years after application, a simulated rainfall was performed (intensity=942.5 ml min(-1) and kinetic energy=3.92 J m(-2)) on 0.078 m(2) plots using a portable rainfall simulator. The run-off from the different treatment plots was collected and analysed. The type of treatment was highly related to infiltration, run-off and sediment production. The biosolid-treated plots showed the minimum value of total run-off, maximum time to the beginning of run-off and maximum run-off ratio (the relationship between total rainfall and run-off). The MSW-treated plots showed values intermediate between biosolid-treated plots and control plots. Soil losses were also closely related to treatment type. Control plots showed the maximum sediment yield, MSW-treated plots showed intermediate values, and biosolid plots the minimum values for washout. The concentrations of NH(4)-N and PO(4)-P in the run-off water were significantly higher in the treated plots than in control plots. The highest PO(4)-P value, 0.73 mg l(-1), was obtained in the soil treated with biosolids; NO(3)-N concentration also increased significantly with respect to the control and MSW treatments. NH(4)-N concentrations of 15.6 and 15.0 mg l(-1) were recorded in the soils treated with biosolids and MSW, respectively, values approximately five times higher than those obtained in run-off water from untreated soil. However, the concentrations of all these constituents were lower than threshold limits cited in water quality standards for agricultural use. With the exception of Cu, all trace metals analysed in the run-off water were below detection limits.

Effects of low-impact-development (LID) practices on streamflow, runoff quantity, and runoff quality in the Ipswich River Basin, Massachusetts-A Summary of field and modeling studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zimmerman, Marc J.; Waldron, Marcus C.; Barbaro, Jeffrey R.; Sorenson, Jason R.

2010-01-01

Low-impact-development (LID) approaches are intended to create, retain, or restore natural hydrologic and water-quality conditions that may be affected by human alterations. Wide-scale implementation of LID techniques may offer the possibility of improving conditions in river basins, such as the Ipswich River Basin in Massachusetts, that have run dry during the summer because of groundwater withdrawals and drought. From 2005 to 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey, in a cooperative funding agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, monitored small-scale installations of LID enhancements designed to diminish the effects of storm runoff on the quantity and quality of surface water and groundwater. Funding for the studies also was contributed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Targeted Watersheds Grant Program through a financial assistance agreement with Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The monitoring studies examined the effects of * replacing an impervious parking-lot surface with a porous surface on groundwater quality, * installing rain gardens and porous pavement in a neighborhood of 3 acres on the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff, and * installing a 3,000-ft2 (square-foot) green roof on the quantity and quality of rainfall-generated roof runoff. In addition to these small-scale installations, the U.S. Geological Survey's Ipswich River Basin model was used to simulate the basin-wide effects on streamflow of several changes: broad-scale implementation of LID techniques, reduced water-supply withdrawals, and water-conservation measures. Water-supply and conservation scenarios for application in model simulations were developed with the assistance of two technical advisory committees that included representatives of State agencies responsible for water resources, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, water suppliers, and non-governmental organizations. From June 2005 to June 2007, groundwater quality was monitored at the Silver Lake town beach parking lot in Wilmington, Massachusetts, prior to and following the replacement of the conventional, impervious-asphalt surface with a porous surface consisting primarily of porous asphalt and porous pavers designed to enhance rainfall infiltration into the groundwater and to minimize runoff to Silver Lake. Concentrations of phosphorus, nitrogen, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, zinc, and total petroleum hydrocarbons in groundwater were monitored. Enhancing infiltration of precipitation did not result in discernible increases in concentrations of these potential groundwater contaminants. Concentrations of dissolved oxygen increased slightly in groundwater profiles following the removal of the impervious asphalt parking-lot surface. In Wilmington, Massachusetts, in a 3-acre neighborhood, stormwater runoff volume and quality were monitored to determine the ability of selected LID enhancements (rain gardens and porous paving stones) to reduce flows and loads of the selected constituents to Silver Lake. Water-quality samples were analyzed for nutrients, metals, total petroleum hydrocarbons, and total-coliform and E. coli bacteria. A decrease in runoff quantity was observed for storms of 0.25 inch or less of precipitation. Water-quality-monitoring results were inconclusive; there were no statistically significant differences in concentrations or loads when the pre- and post-installation-period samples were compared. In a third field study, the characteristics of runoff from a vegetated 'green' roof and a conventional, rubber-membrane roof were compared. The two primary factors affecting the green roof's water-storage capacity were the amount of precipitation and antecedent dry period. Although concentrations of many of the chemicals in roof runoff were higher from the green roof than from the conventional roof, the ability of the green roof to retain w

High-resolution surface connectivity measurements and runoff dynamics in five urban watersheds in Knoxville, TN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Epps, T.

2015-12-01

Impervious surfaces and stormwater drainage networks transmit rainfall quickly to urban stream systems with greater frequency, volume, energy, and pollutant loadings than in predevelopment conditions. This has a well-established negative impact on stream ecology, channel morphology, and water quality. Green infrastructure retrofits for urban drainage systems promote more natural hydrologic pathways by disconnecting concentrated flows. However, they are expensive due to high land costs and physical constraints. If a systematic strategy for siting green infrastructure is sought to restore natural flows throughout an urban catchment, greater knowledge of the drainage patterns and areas contributing frequent surface runoff is necessary. Five diverse urban watersheds in Knoxville, TN, were assessed using high-resolution topography, land cover, and artificial drainage network data to identify how surface connectivity differs among watersheds and contributes to altered flow regimes. Rainfall-runoff patterns were determined from continuous rainfall and streamflow monitoring over the previous ten years. Fine-scale flowpath connectivity of impervious surfaces was measured by both a binary approach and by a method incorporating runoff potential by saturation excess. The effect of the spatial distribution of connected surfaces was investigated by incorporating several distance-weighting schema along established urban drainage flowpaths. Statistical relationships between runoff generation and connectivity were measured to determine the ability of these different measures of connectivity to predict runoff thresholds, frequency, volumes, and peak flows. Initial results suggest that rapid assessment of connected surficial flowpaths can be used to identify known green infrastructure assets and highly connected impervious areas and that the differences in connectivity measured between watersheds reflects differing runoff patterns observed in monitored data.

Rainfall and runoff quantity and quality characteristics of four urban land-use catchments in Fresno, California, October 1981 to April 1983

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oltmann, Richard N.; Shulters, Michael V.

1989-01-01

Rainfall and runoff quantity and quality were monitored for industrial, single-dwelling residential, multiple-dwelling residential, and commercial land-use catchments during the 1981-82 and 1982-83 rain seasons. Storm-composite rainfall and discrete run6ff samples were analyzed for numerous inorganic, biological, physical, and organic constituents. Atmospheric dry-deposition and street-surface particulate samples also were collected and analyzed. With the exception of the industrial catchment, the highest runoff concentrations for most constituents occurred during the initial storm runoff and then decreased throughout the remainder of the storm, independent of hydraulic conditions. Metal concentrations were high during initial runoff, but also increased as flow increased. Constituent concentrations for the industrial catchment fluctuated greatly during storms. Statistical tests showed higher ammonia plus organic nitrogen, ammonia, pH, and phenol concentrations in rainfall at the industrial site than at the single-dwelling residential and laboratory sites. Statistical testing of runoff quality data showed higher concentrations for the industrial catchment than for the two residential and commercial catchments for most constituents. Total recoverable lead was one of the few constituents that had lower concentrations for the industrial catchment than for the other three catchments. The two residential catchments showed no significant difference in runoff concentrations for 50 of the 57 constituents used in the statistical analysis. The commercial catchment runoff concentrations for most constituents generally were similar to the residential catchments. Although constituent concentrations generally were higher for the industrial catchment than for the commercial catchment, constituent storm loads from the commercial catchment were similar to the industrial catchment because of the greater runoff volume from the highly impervious commercial catchment. Between 10 and 50 percent of the constituent runoff loads for the two residential catchments were attributed to the rainfall load, with the percentages generally considerably less for the industrial catchment. Event mean concentrations (EMC) for most constituents for all but the industrial catchment were highest for the first two or three storms of the rain season after which they became almost constant. Constituent event mean concentrations for the industrial catchment generally did not show any pattern throughout a rain season. Multiple-regression predictor equations for event mean concentrations were developed for several constituents for all sites. Average annual constituent unit loads were computed for 18 constituents for each catchment. The organophosphorus compounds, diazinon, malathion, and parathion were the most prevalent pesticides detected in rainfall. Diazinon was detected in all 54 rainfall samples. Parathion and malathion were detected in 49 and 50 samples, respectively. Other pesticides detected in rainfall included chlordane, lindane, methoxychlor, endosulfan, and 2,4-D. Of these, only methoxychlor and endosulfan were not consistently detected in runoff.

Quantitative and qualitative hydrologic balance for a suburban watershed with a separate sewer system (Nantes, France).

PubMed

Ruban, V; Larrarte, F; Berthier, M; Favreau, L; Sauvourel, Y; Letellier, L; Mosisni, M L; Raimbault, G

2005-01-01

A qualitative and quantitative budget at the outlet of the storm-water runoff system of a small suburban watershed is presented together with some data regarding waste-water. 445,000 m3 (34% of the rain-water volume) were drained by the storm-water runoff system and 40,879 m3 by the waste-water system from September 2002 to March 2004. Storm-water runoff is generally not heavily polluted with regard to trace metals but concentrations occasionally exceed the standards for surface water of good quality. On the contrary, pesticides (diuron and glyphosate) have very high concentrations especially in spring and autumn when their use is maximum. As the St Joseph storm-water runoff is finally discharged into the Erdre River, measures to reduce the use of these pollutants should be considered.

Decreasing Phosphorus Loss in Tile-Drained Landscapes Using Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum.

PubMed

King, K W; Williams, M R; Dick, W A; LaBarge, G A

2016-09-01

Elevated phosphorus (P) loading from agricultural nonpoint-source pollution continues to impair inland waterbodies throughout the world. The application of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum to agricultural fields has been suggested to decrease P loading because of its high calcium content and P sorbing potential. A before-after control-impact paired field experiment was used to examine the water quality effects of successive FGD gypsum applications (2.24 Mg ha; 1 ton acre each) to an Ohio field with high soil test P levels (>480 ppm Mehlich-3 P). Analysis of covariance was used to compare event discharge, dissolved reactive P (DRP), and total P (TP) concentrations and loadings in surface runoff and tile discharge between the baseline period (86 precipitation events) and Treatment Period 1 (42 precipitation events) and Treatment Period 2 (84 precipitation events). Results showed that, after the first application of FGD gypsum, event mean DRP and TP concentrations in treatment field tile water were significantly reduced by 21 and 10%, respectively, and DRP concentrations in surface runoff were significantly reduced by 14%; however, no significant reductions were noted in DRP or TP loading. After the second application, DRP and TP loads were significantly reduced in surface runoff (DRP, 41%; TP 40%), tile discharge (DRP, 35%; TP, 15%), and combined (surface + tile) discharge (DRP, 36%; TP, 38%). These findings indicate that surface application of FGD gypsum can be used as a tool to address elevated P concentrations and loadings in drainage waters. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Contemporary Mobilization of Legacy Pb Stores by DOM in a Boreal Peatland.

PubMed

Jeremiason, Jeff D; Baumann, Erin I; Sebestyen, Stephen D; Agather, Alison M; Seelen, Emily A; Carlson-Stehlin, Benjamin J; Funke, Meghan M; Cotner, James B

2018-03-20

We examined how different landscape areas in a catchment containing a northern ombrotrophic peatland and upland mineral soils responded to dramatic decreases in atmospheric deposition of lead (Pb). Pb concentrations in the outflow stream from the peatland measured from 2009-2015 indicated continued mobilization and export of Pb derived from historic inputs to the bog. In contrast, Pb concentrations in surface peat and runoff from upland mineral soils have declined in response to reductions in atmospheric deposition. Relative to the early 1980s, Pb concentrations in the streamflow decreased only ∼50%, while Pb in surface peat and upland subsurface runoff decreased by more than 90%. Water level fluctuations in the slow-accumulating peat have allowed dissolved organic matter (DOM) to continue mobilizing Pb deposited in the peatland decades earlier. Strong correlations between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and Pb concentrations in outflow from the peatland and in bog porewaters demonstrate Pb mobility related to DOM production. Peat stores of Pb in 2016 were less than or equal to those reported in the early 1980s despite the dry mass inventory increasing by 60-80%. Much of the loss in Pb stored in peat can be accounted for by stream runoff from the peatland.

Hydrology, nutrient concentrations, and nutrient yields in nearshore areas of four lakes in northern Wisconsin, 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graczyk, David J.; Hunt, Randall J.; Greb, Steven R.; Buchwald, Cheryl A.; Krohelski, James T.

2003-01-01

The effects of shoreline development on water quality and nutrient yields in nearshore areas of four lakes in northern Wisconsin were investigated from October 1999 through September 2001. The study measured surface runoff and ground-water flows from paired developed (sites containing lawn, rooftops, sidewalks, and driveways) and undeveloped (mature and immature woods) catchments adjacent to four lakes in northern Wisconsin. Water samples from surface runoff and ground water were collected and analyzed for nutrients. Coupled with water volumes, loads and subsequent yields of selected constituents were computed for developed and undeveloped catchments. The median runoff from lawn surfaces ranged from 0.0019 to 0.059 inch over the catchment area. Median surface runoff estimates from the wooded catchments were an order of magnitude less than those from the lawn catchments. The increased water volumes from the lawn catchments resulted in greater nutrient loads and subsequent annual nutrient yields from the developed sites. Soil temperature and soil moisture were measured at two sites with mixed lawn and wooded areas. At both of these sites, the area covered with a lawn commonly was warmer than the wooded area. No consistent differences in soil moisture were found. A ground-water model was constructed to simulate the local flow systems at two of the paired catchments. Model simulations showed that much of the ground water delivered to the lake originated from distant areas that did not contribute runoff directly to the lake. Surface runoff and ground-water nutrient concentrations from the lawn and wooded catchments did not have apparent patterns. Some of the median concentrations from lawns were significantly different (at the 0.05 significance level) from those at wooded catchments. Water wells and piezometers were sampled for chemical analyses three times during the study period. Variability in the shallow ground-water chemistry over time in the lawn samples was larger than samples from the wooded areas and upgradient wells. Median nutrient yields in surface runoff from lawns always were greater than those from the wooded catchments. Runoff volumes were the most important factor in determining whether lawns or wooded catchments contribute more nutrients to the lake. The ground-water system had appreciable nutrient concentrations, and are likely an important pathway for nutrient transport to the lake. The nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen and total phosphorus yields to the ground-water system from a lawn catchment were approximately 3 to 4 times greater than those from the wooded catchment. There was no difference in the yields of dissolved inorganic phosphorus to the ground-water system from the lawn and wooded catchments. Study results demonstrate that choosing the appropriate landscape position for locating lawns in sloped areas (specifically, slopes that do not terminate at the lake or areas with intervening flat or buffer zones between lawn and lake) can help reduce the adverse effect of lawns on the shallow ground water and, ultimately, the lake. Additional information would be needed to extrapolate these results to a large drainage area of a lake.

Steroid hormone runoff from agricultural test plots applied with municipal biosolids

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yang, Yun-Ya; Gray, James L.; Furlong, Edward T.; Davis, Jessica G.; ReVollo, Rhiannon C.; Borch, Thomas

2012-01-01

The potential presence of steroid hormones in runoff from sites where biosolids have been used as agricultural fertilizers is an environmental concern. A study was conducted to assess the potential for runoff of seventeen different hormones and two sterols, including androgens, estrogens, and progestogens from agricultural test plots. The field containing the test plots had been applied with biosolids for the first time immediately prior to this study. Target compounds were isolated by solid-phase extraction (water samples) and pressurized solvent extraction (solid samples), derivatized, and analyzed by gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Runoff samples collected prior to biosolids application had low concentrations of two hormones (estrone -1 and androstenedione -1) and cholesterol (22.5 ± 3.8 μg L-1). In contrast, significantly higher concentrations of multiple estrogens (-1), androgens (-1), and progesterone (-1) were observed in runoff samples taken 1, 8, and 35 days after biosolids application. A significant positive correlation was observed between antecedent rainfall amount and hormone mass loads (runoff). Hormones in runoff were primarily present in the dissolved phase (<0.7-μm GF filter), and, to a lesser extent bound to the suspended-particle phase. Overall, these results indicate that rainfall can mobilize hormones from biosolids-amended agricultural fields, directly to surface waters or redistributed to terrestrial sites away from the point of application via runoff. Although concentrations decrease over time, 35 days is insufficient for complete degradation of hormones in soil at this site.

Characteristics of Nitrogen Loss through Surface-Subsurface Flow on Red Soil Slopes of Southeast China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Haijin; Liu, Zhao; Zuo, Jichao; Wang, Lingyun; Nie, Xiaofei

2017-12-01

Soil nitrogen (N) loss related to surface flow and subsurface flow (including interflow and groundwater flow) from slope lands is a global issue. A lysimetric experiment with three types of land cover (grass cover, GC; litter cover, LC; and bare land, BL) were carried out on a red soil slope land in southeast China. Total Nitrogen (TN) loss through surface flow, interflow and groundwater flow was observed under 28 natural precipitation events from 2015 to 2016. TN concentrations from subsurface flow on BL and LC plots were, on average, 2.7-8.2 and 1.5-4.4 times greater than TN concentrations from surface flow, respectively; the average concentration of TN from subsurface flow on GC was about 36-56% of that recorded from surface flow. Surface flow, interflow and groundwater flow contributed 0-15, 2-9 and 76-96%, respectively, of loss load of TN. Compared with BL, GC and LC intercepted 83-86% of TN loss through surface runoff; GC intercepted 95% of TN loss through subsurface flow while TN loss through subsurface flow on LC is 2.3 times larger than that on BL. In conclusion, subsurface flow especially groundwater flow is the dominant hydrological rout for N loss that is usually underestimated. Grass cover has the high retention of N runoff loss while litter mulch will increase N leaching loss. These findings provide scientific support to control N runoff loss from the red soil slope lands by using suitable vegetation cover and mulching techniques.

Arsenic, metals, and nutrients in runoff from two detention basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barringer, Julia L.; Szabo, Zoltan; Bonin, Jennifer L.; McGee, Craig K.

2011-01-01

Arsenic (As) concentrations in the waters of Raccoon Creek in southern New Jersey commonly exceed the State\\'s Surface Water Quality Standard (SWQS) for freshwater of 0.017 microgram per liter (mu or ug/L). In order to assess contributions of As from residential runoff to the creek, samples of runoff water were collected from a detention basin in each of two residential developments underlain by different geologic formations and at the outlets of those basins. Samples of streamwater also were collected from Raccoon Creek adjacent to the developments. The samples were analyzed to determine concentrations of As, selected metals, organic carbon, and nutrients. Soil samples in and downgradient from the basins also were collected and analyzed. Concentrations of As in unfiltered water samples of runoff from the basin underlain by glauconitic clays generally were higher (up to 4.35 mu or ug/L) than in runoff from the basin underlain by predominantly quartz sands and silts (up to 2.68 mu or ug/L). Chromium (Cr) concentrations also were higher in runoff from the basin underlain by glauconitic clays than in runoff from the basin underlain by quartz sand and silt. In addition, Cr concentrations were higher in the glauconitic soils than in the quartz-rich soils. Metals such as aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), and manganese (Mn) in the runoff and in the streamwater were mostly in particulate form. Arsenic, most metals, and phosphorus (P) however, were mostly in dissolved form in runoff but in particulate form in the streamwater. Total organic carbon concentrations in the runoff ranged from about 10 to nearly 16 milligrams per liter (mg/L). Given such levels of organic carbon and strong correlations between concentrations of some metals and organic carbon, it may be that many of the metals were complexed with dissolved organic carbon and transported in that form in the runoff. Although underlying geologic materials and soils appear to be major contributors of As to the streamwater, As also could have been contributed from lead arsenate pesticide residues. The residential development underlain by quartz-rich sediments formerly had been an orchard where such pesticides may have been used. The substantial inputs of As to runoff at this site may be attributable to this former land use, although Pb concentrations were about the same in runoff from both sites. The streamwater at both sites, however, contained Pb concentrations well above those in runoff, indicating that there are additional inputs of Pb, perhaps from roadside soils, upstream from the two sampling sites in this study. Positive relations between concentrations of As and some metals with dissolved organic carbon in runoff and streamwater indicate that complexation with organic carbon may provide a mechanism by which these constituents can be transported. Sorption of As, Pb, and P to Fe hydroxides may be indicated by the observed positive relation of particulate As, Pb, and P to particulate Fe, however, representing an additional mechanism for transport of these constituents.

Identification of soil P fractions that are associated with P loss from surface runoff under various cropping systems and fertilizer rates on sloped farmland

PubMed Central

Li, Xinghua; Wang, Baona; Yang, Tewu; Zhu, Duanwei; Nie, Zhongnan; Xu, Junchi

2017-01-01

Soil phosphorus (P) fractions and runoff P concentration were measured to understand the fate of soil P entering surface runoff water during summer cropping season of different double cropping systems under two fertilizer regimes. The dominant form of runoff P was particulate P (PP). Runoff total P (TP) was higher at the vegetative growth stage and lower at the crop reproductive stage. TP and PP were derived mainly from soil Olsen-P, Al-P and Fe-P and amounts increased with sediment content in runoff water. Runoff P discharge was closely related to the changes in soil P forms. Soil Olsen-P, mainly consisting of some Ca2-P and Al-P, was increased by elevating fertilizer rate. Along with crop growth, there were active interconversions among Olsen-P, Org-P, Fe-P and O-Al-P in the soil, and some available P converted into Ca10-P, with O-Fe-P possibly being a transitional form for this conversion. The oilseed rape/corn system had less runoff TP at the early stage, and wheat/sweet potato system had a lower runoff P at the late stage. Intercropping corn with sweet potato in the field with oilseed rape as a previous crop may be helpful for alleviating runoff P load during the summer in this region. PMID:28650990

Identification of soil P fractions that are associated with P loss from surface runoff under various cropping systems and fertilizer rates on sloped farmland.

PubMed

Li, Xinghua; Wang, Baona; Yang, Tewu; Zhu, Duanwei; Nie, Zhongnan; Xu, Junchi

2017-01-01

Soil phosphorus (P) fractions and runoff P concentration were measured to understand the fate of soil P entering surface runoff water during summer cropping season of different double cropping systems under two fertilizer regimes. The dominant form of runoff P was particulate P (PP). Runoff total P (TP) was higher at the vegetative growth stage and lower at the crop reproductive stage. TP and PP were derived mainly from soil Olsen-P, Al-P and Fe-P and amounts increased with sediment content in runoff water. Runoff P discharge was closely related to the changes in soil P forms. Soil Olsen-P, mainly consisting of some Ca2-P and Al-P, was increased by elevating fertilizer rate. Along with crop growth, there were active interconversions among Olsen-P, Org-P, Fe-P and O-Al-P in the soil, and some available P converted into Ca10-P, with O-Fe-P possibly being a transitional form for this conversion. The oilseed rape/corn system had less runoff TP at the early stage, and wheat/sweet potato system had a lower runoff P at the late stage. Intercropping corn with sweet potato in the field with oilseed rape as a previous crop may be helpful for alleviating runoff P load during the summer in this region.

Nutrient losses from manure and fertilizer applications as impacted by time to first runoff event.

PubMed

Smith, D R; Owens, P R; Leytem, A B; Warnemuende, E A

2007-05-01

Nutrient losses to surface waters following fertilization contribute to eutrophication. This study was conducted to compare the impacts of fertilization with inorganic fertilizer, swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) manure or poultry (Gallus domesticus) litter on runoff water quality, and how the duration between application and the first runoff event affects resulting water quality. Fertilizers were applied at 35 kg P ha-1, and the duration between application and the first runoff event varied between 1 and 29 days. Swine manure was the greatest risk to water quality 1 day after fertilization due to elevated phosphorus (8.4 mg P L-1) and ammonium (10.3 mg NH4-N L-1) concentrations; however, this risk decreased rapidly. Phosphorus concentrations were 2.6 mg L-1 29 days after fertilization with inorganic fertilizer. This research demonstrates that manures might be more environmentally sustainable than inorganic fertilizers, provided runoff events do not occur soon after application.

The Influence of Runoff and Surface Hydrology on Titan's Weather and Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faulk, S.; Lora, J. M.; Mitchell, J.; Moon, S.

2017-12-01

Titan's surface liquid distribution has been shown by general circulation models (GCMs) to greatly influence the hydrological cycle, producing characteristic weather and seasonal climate patterns. Simulations from the Titan Atmospheric Model (TAM) with imposed polar methane "wetlands" reservoirs realistically produce observed cloud features and temperature profiles of Titan's atmosphere, whereas "aquaplanet" simulations with a global methane ocean are not as successful. In addition, wetlands simulations, unlike aquaplanet simulations, demonstrate strong correlations between extreme rainfall behavior and observed geomorphic features, indicating the influential role of precipitation in shaping Titan's surface. The wetlands configuration is, in part, motivated by Titan's large-scale topography featuring low-latitude highlands and high-latitude lowlands, with the implication being that methane may concentrate in the high-latitude lowlands by way of runoff and subsurface flow of a global or regional methane table. However, the extent to which topography controls the surface liquid distribution and thus impacts the global hydrological cycle by driving surface and subsurface flow is unclear. Here we present TAM simulations wherein the imposed wetlands reservoirs are replaced by a surface runoff scheme that allows surface liquid to self-consistently redistribute under the influence of topography. We discuss the impact of surface runoff on the surface liquid distribution over seasonal timescales and compare the resulting hydrological cycle to observed cloud and surface features, as well as to the hydrological cycles of the TAM wetlands and aquaplanet simulations. While still idealized, this more realistic representation of Titan's hydrology provides new insight into the complex interaction between Titan's atmosphere and surface, demonstrates the influence of surface runoff on Titan's global climate, and lays the groundwork for further surface hydrology developments in Titan GCMs, including infiltration and subsurface flow.

Influence of aeration implements, phosphorus fertilizers, and soil taxa on phosphorus losses from grasslands.

PubMed

Franklin, D H; Butler, D M; Cabrera, M L; Calvert, V H; West, L T; Rema, J A

2011-01-01

Attenuation of rainfall within the solum may help to move contaminants and nutrients into the soil to be better sequestered or utilized by crops. Surface application of phosphorus (P) amendments to grasslands may lead to elevated concentrations of P in surface runoff and eutrophication of surface waters. Aeration of grasslands has been proposed as a treatment to reduce losses of applied P. Here, results from two small-plot aeration studies and two field-scale, paired-watershed studies are supplemented with previously unpublished soil P data and synthesized. The overall objective of these studies was to determine the impact of aeration on soil P, runoff volume, and runoff P losses from mixed tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.]-bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) grasslands fertilized with P. Small-scale rainfall simulations were conducted on two soil taxa using three types of aeration implements: spikes, disks, and cores. The-field scale study was conducted on four soil taxa with slit and knife aeration. Small-plot studies showed that core aeration reduced loads of total P and dissolved reactive P (DRP) in runoff from plots fertilized with broiler litter and that aeration was effective in reducing P export when it increased soil P in the upper 5 cm. In the field-scale study, slit aeration reduced DRP losses by 35% in fields with well-drained soils but not in poorly drained soils. Flow-weighted concentrations of DRP in aerated fields were related to water-soluble P applied in amendments and soil test P in the upper 5 cm. These studies show that the overall effectiveness of mechanical soil aeration on runoff volume and P losses is controlled by the interaction of soil characteristics such as internal drainage and compaction, soil P, type of surface-applied manure, and type of aeration implement.

Herbicides and transformation products in surface waters of the Midwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Battaglin, W.A.; Thurman, E.M.; Kalkhoff, S.J.; Porter, S.D.

2003-01-01

Most herbicides applied to crops are adsorbed by plants or transformed (degraded) in the soil, but small fractions are lost from fields and either move to streams in overland runoff, near surface flow, or subsurface drains, or they infiltrate slowly to ground water. Herbicide transformation products (TPs) can be more or less mobile and more or less toxic in the environment than their source herbicides. To obtain information on the concentrations of selected herbicides and TPs in surface waters of the Midwestern United States, 151 water samples were collected from 71 streams and five reservoir outflows in 1998. These samples were analyzed for 13 herbicides and 10 herbicide TPs. Herbicide TPs were found to occur as frequently or more frequently than source herbicides and at concentrations that were often larger than their source herbicides. Most samples contained a mixture of more than 10 different herbicides or TPs. The ratios of TPs to herbicide concentrations can be used to determine the source of herbicides in streams. Results of a two-component mixing model suggest that on average 90 percent or more of the herbicide mass in Midwestern streams during early summer runoff events originates from the runoff and 10 percent or less comes from increased ground water discharge.

Evaluation of agricultural best-management practices in the Conestoga River headwaters, Pennsylvania; effects of nutrient management on quality of surface runoff at a small carbonate-rock site near Ephrate, Pennsylvania, 1984-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hall, D.W.; Lietman, P.L.; Koerkle, E.J.

1997-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection conducted a study from 1984 to 1990 to determine theeffects of the implementation and practice of nutrient management [an agricultural best-management practice (BMP)] on the quality of surface runoff and ground water at a 55-acre crop and livestock farm in carbonate terrain nearEphrata, Pa. Implementation of nutrient management at Field-Site 2 resulted in application decreases of 33 percent for nitrogen and 29 percent for phosphorus. There wereno significant changes in nitrogen or phosphorusloads for a given amount of runoff from the pre-BMP to the post-BMP periods. However, less than 2 percent of the applied nutrients weredischarged with runoff throughout the study period.After the implementation of nutrient management, statistically significant decreases in concentrations of nitrate in ground-water samples occurred at threeof the four wells monitored throughout the pre- and post-BMP periods. The largest decreases in nitrate concentrations occurred at wells where samples hadthe largest nitrate concentrations prior to nutrient management. Changes in nitrogen applications to the contributing areas of five wells were correlated with nitrate concentrations of the well water. The correlations between the timing and amount of applied nitrogen and changes in ground-water quality met the four conditions that are characteristic of a cause-effect relation: an association, consistency, responsiveness, and a mechanism. Changes in ground-water nitrate concentrations lagged behind changes in loading of nitrogen fertilizers (primarily manure) by approximately 4 to 19 months.

Increasing arsenic concentrations in runoff from 12 small forested catchments (Czech Republic, Central Europe): patterns and controls.

PubMed

Novak, Martin; Erbanova, Lucie; Fottova, Daniela; Voldrichova, Petra; Prechova, Eva; Blaha, Vladimir; Veselovsky, Frantisek; Krachler, Michael

2010-08-01

The 40-year long period of heavy industrialization in Central Europe (1950-1990) was accompanied by burning of arsenic-rich lignite in thermal power plants, and accumulation of anthropogenic arsenic in forest soils. There are fears that retreating acidification may lead to arsenic mobilization into drinking water, caused by competitive ligand exchange. We present monthly arsenic concentrations in surface runoff from 12 headwater catchments in the Czech Republic for a period of 13 years (1996-2008). The studied area was characterized by a north-south gradient of decreasing pollution. Acidification, caused mainly by SOx and NOx emissions from power plants, has been retreating since 1987. Between 1996 and 2003, maximum arsenic concentrations in runoff did not change, and were < 1 ppb in the rural south and < 2 ppb in the industrial north. During the subsequent two years, 2004-2005, maximum arsenic concentrations in runoff increased, reaching 60% of the drinking water limit (10 ppb). Starting in 2006, maximum arsenic concentrations returned to lower values at most sites. We discuss three possible causes of the recent arsenic concentration maximum in runoff. We rule out retreating acidification and a pulse of high industrial emission rates as possible controls. The pH of runoff has not changed since 1996, and is still too low (<6.5) at most sites for an As-OH(-) ligand exchange to become significant. Elevated arsenic concentrations in runoff in 2004-2005 may reflect climate change through changing hydrological conditions at some, but not all sites. Dry conditions may result in elevated production of DOC and sulfur oxidation in the soil. Subsequent wet conditions may be accompanied by acidification leading to faster dissolution of arsenic-bearing sulfides, dissolution of arsenic-bearing Fe-oxyhydroxides, and elevated transport of arsenic sorbed on organic matter. Anaerobic domains exist in normally well-aerated upland soils for hours-to-days following precipitation events. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of Cattle Trails on Runoff Quantity and Quality.

PubMed

Miller, Jim J; Curtis, Tony; Chanasyk, David S; Willms, Walter D

2017-03-01

Cattle trails in grazed pastures close to rivers may adversely affect surface water quality of the adjacent river by directing runoff to it. The objective of this 3-yr study (2013-2015) in southern Alberta, Canada, was to determine if cattle trails significantly increased the risk of runoff and contaminants (sediment, nutrients) compared with the adjacent grazed pasture (control). A portable rainfall simulator was used to generate artificial rainfall (140 mm h) and runoff. The runoff properties measured were time to runoff and initial abstraction (infiltration), total runoff depth and average runoff rates, as well as concentrations and mass loads of sediment, N, and P fractions. Cattle trails significantly ( ≤ 0.10) decreased time to runoff and initial abstraction (26-32%) in the 2 yr measured and increased total runoff depth, runoff coefficients, and average runoff rates (21-51%) in 2 of 3 yr. Concentrations of sediment, N, and P fractions in runoff were not significantly greater for cattle trails than for control areas. However, mass loads of total suspended solids (57-85% increase), NH-N (31-90%), and dissolved reactive P (DRP) (30-92%) were significantly greater because of increased runoff volumes. Overall, runoff quantity and loads of sediment, NH-N, and DRP were greater for cattle trails compared with the adjacent grazed pasture, and hydrologic connection with cattle-access sites on the riverbank suggests that this could adversely affect water quality in the adjacent river. Extrapolation of the study results should be tempered by the specific conditions represented by this rainfall simulation study. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

[Total pollution features of urban runoff outlet for urban river].

PubMed

Luo, Hong-Bing; Luo, Lin; Huang, Gu; He, Qiang; Liu, Ping

2009-11-01

The urban stormwater runoff discharged to urban river, especially to rainfall source river, cannot be ignored. In this study, the Futian River watershed in Shenzhen city in a typical southern city of China is taken as the research object. In order to guide the pollution control for urban river, the eighteen rainfall events were monitored, and the total pollution features of the urban runoff outlet for this urban river were analyzed and discussed by using the process of pollutographs, the identifying to first flush, event mean concentration (EMC), etc. Results show that the concentrations of COD, SS, TN, TP and BOD5 are ten times more than the grade V of the environmental quality standards for surface water during the runoff time; the pollution caused by heavy metals (Cr, Ge, Cu, Hg and As) in runoff at a typical rainfall event is serious; the average and range of pollutant concentration at this runoff outlet in study area are evidently higher than at Shapingba in Chongqing city of China and at Silerwood in Canada, but are lower than at Shilipu in Wuhan city of China. The first flushes of COD, SS, BOD5, especially COD and SS, are evident, but the TN and TP are not. The average EMC of COD, TN, TP and BOD5 are 224.14, 571.15, 5.223, 2.04, 143.5 mg/L, respectively. To some extent, the EMC of COD is about two times of the value of the near cities, Macao and Zhuhai. The EMC of TN and TP are obviously higher than Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. To compared with foreign counties, the EMC of the study area in Shenzhen is obviously much higher than the cities of Korean, USA and Canada. So the total pollution caused by the urban surface runoff in study area is serious and necessary to be treated.

Rainfall-induced runoff from exposed streambed sediments: an important source of water pollution.

PubMed

Frey, S K; Gottschall, N; Wilkes, G; Grégoire, D S; Topp, E; Pintar, K D M; Sunohara, M; Marti, R; Lapen, D R

2015-01-01

When surface water levels decline, exposed streambed sediments can be mobilized and washed into the water course when subjected to erosive rainfall. In this study, rainfall simulations were conducted over exposed sediments along stream banks at four distinct locations in an agriculturally dominated river basin with the objective of quantifying the potential for contaminant loading from these often overlooked runoff source areas. At each location, simulations were performed at three different sites. Nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, fecal indicator bacteria, pathogenic bacteria, and microbial source tracking (MST) markers were examined in both prerainfall sediments and rainfall-induced runoff water. Runoff generation and sediment mobilization occurred quickly (10-150 s) after rainfall initiation. Temporal trends in runoff concentrations were highly variable within and between locations. Total runoff event loads were considered large for many pollutants considered. For instance, the maximum observed total phosphorus runoff load was on the order of 1.5 kg ha. Results also demonstrate that runoff from exposed sediments can be a source of pathogenic bacteria. spp. and spp. were present in runoff from one and three locations, respectively. Ruminant MST markers were also present in runoff from two locations, one of which hosted pasturing cattle with stream access. Overall, this study demonstrated that rainfall-induced runoff from exposed streambed sediments can be an important source of surface water pollution. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Irrigation Water and Nitrate Loss Characterization in South Florida Nurseries: Cumulative Volumes, Runoff Rates, NO3-N Concentrations and Loadings, and Implications for Management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Enrichment of surface water with nitrate-nitrogen is a significant problem throughout the world. In support of developing a method for removing nitrate from water using denitrification, this project characterized runoff events at two nurseries in South Florida to provide information needed for desi...

A three-component hydrograph separation based on geochemical tracers in a tropical mountainous headwater catchment in northern Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hugenschmidt, C.; Ingwersen, J.; Sangchan, W.; Sukvanachaikul, Y.; Duffner, A.; Uhlenbrook, S.; Streck, T.

2014-02-01

Land-use change in the mountainous parts of northern Thailand is reflected by an increased application of agrochemicals, which may be lost to surface and groundwater. The close relation between flow paths and contaminant transport within hydrological systems requires recognizing and understanding the dominant hydrological processes. To date, the vast majority of studies on runoff generation have been conducted in temperate regions. Tropical regions suffer from a general lack of data, and little is known about runoff generation processes. To fill this knowledge gap, a three-component hydrograph separation based on geochemical tracers was carried out in a steep, remote and monsoon-dominated study site (7 km2) in northern Thailand. Silica and electrical conductivity (EC) were identified as useful tracers and were applied to calculate the fractions of groundwater (similar to pre-event water), shallow subsurface flow and surface runoff on stormflow. K+ was a useful indicator for surface runoff dynamics, and Ca2+ provided insights into groundwater behaviour. Nevertheless, neither measure was applicable for the quantification of runoff components. Cl- and further parameters (e.g. Na+, K+, and Mg2+) were also not helpful for flow path identification, nor were their concentrations distinguishable among the components. Groundwater contributed the largest fractions to stormflow (62-80%) throughout all events, followed by shallow subsurface flow (17-36%) and surface runoff (2-13%). Our results provide important insights into the dynamics of the runoff processes in the study area and may be used to assess the transport pattern of contaminants (i.e. agrochemicals) here.

Concentrations, loads, and yields of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment and bacteria concentrations in the Wister Lake Basin, Oklahoma and Arkansas, 2011-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buck, Stephanie D.

2014-01-01

The Poteau Valley Improvement Authority uses Wister Lake in southeastern Oklahoma as a public water supply. Total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediments from agricultural runoff and discharges from wastewater treatment plants and other sources have degraded water quality in the lake. As lake-water quality has degraded, water-treatment cost, chemical usage, and sludge production have increased for the Poteau Valley Improvement Authority. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Poteau Valley Improvement Authority, investigated and summarized concentrations of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, suspended sediment, and bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus sp.) in surface water flowing to Wister Lake. Estimates of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment loads, yields, and flow-weighted mean concentrations of total phosphorus and total nitrogen concentrations were made for the Wister Lake Basin for a 3-year period from October 2010 through September 2013. Data from water samples collected at fixed time increments during base-flow conditions and during runoff conditions at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla. (USGS station 07247015), the Poteau River near Heavener, Okla. (USGS station 07247350), and the Fourche Maline near Leflore, Okla. (USGS station 07247650), water-quality stations were used to evaluate water quality over the range of streamflows in the basin. These data also were collected to estimate annual constituent loads and yields by using regression models. At the Poteau River stations, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment concentrations in surface-water samples were significantly larger in samples collected during runoff conditions than in samples collected during base-flow conditions. At the Fourche Maline station, in contrast, concentrations of these constituents in water samples collected during runoff conditions were not significantly larger than concentrations during base-flow conditions. Flow-weighted mean total phosphorus concentrations at all three stations from 2011 to 2013 were several times larger than the Oklahoma State Standard for Scenic Rivers (0.037 milligrams per liter [mg/L]), with the largest flow-weighted phosphorus concentrations typically being measured at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla., station. Flow-weighted mean total nitrogen concentrations did not vary substantially between the Poteau River stations and the Fourche Maline near Leflore, Okla., station. At all of the sampled water-quality stations, bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus sp.) concentrations were substantially larger in water samples collected during runoff conditions than in water samples collected during base-flow conditions from 2011 to 2013. Estimated annual loads of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment in the Poteau River stations during runoff conditions ranged from 82 to 98 percent of the total annual loads of those constituents. Estimated annual loads of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment in the Fourche Maline during runoff conditions ranged from 86 to nearly 100 percent of the total annual loads. Estimated seasonal total phosphorus loads generally were smallest during base-flow and runoff conditions in autumn. Estimated seasonal total phosphorus loads during base-flow conditions tended to be largest in winter and during runoff conditions tended to be largest in the spring. Estimated seasonal total nitrogen loads tended to be smallest in autumn during base-flow and runoff conditions and largest in winter during runoff conditions. Estimated seasonal suspended sediment loads tended to be smallest during base-flow conditions in the summer and smallest during runoff conditions in the autumn. The largest estimated seasonal suspended sediment loads during runoff conditions typically were in the spring. The estimated mean annual total phosphorus yield was largest at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla., water-quality station. The estimated mean annual total phosphorus yield was largest during base flow at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla., water-quality station and at both of the Poteau River water-quality stations during runoff conditions. The estimated mean annual total nitrogen yields were largest at the Poteau River water-quality stations. Estimated mean annual total nitrogen yields were largest during base-flow and runoff conditions at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla., water-quality station. The estimated mean annual suspended sediment yield was largest at the Poteau River near Heavener, Okla., water-quality station during base-flow and runoff conditions. Flow-weighted mean concentrations indicated that total phosphorus inputs from the Poteau River Basin in the Wister Lake Basin were larger than from the Fourche Maline Basin. Flow-weighted mean concentrations of total nitrogen did not vary spatially in a consistent manner. The Poteau River and the Fourche Maline contributed estimated annual total phosphorus loads of 137 to 278 tons per year (tons/yr) to Wister Lake. Between 89 and 95 percent of the annual total phosphorus loads were transported to Wister Lake during runoff conditions. The Poteau River and the Fourche Maline contributed estimated annual total nitrogen loads of 657 to 1,294 tons/yr, with 86 to 94 percent of the annual total nitrogen loads being transported to Wister Lake during runoff conditions. The Poteau River and the Fourche Maline contributed estimated annual total suspended sediment loads of 110,919 to 234,637 tons/yr, with 94 to 99 percent of the annual suspended sediment loads being transported to Wister Lake during runoff conditions. Most of the total phosphorus and suspended sediment were delivered to Wister Lake during runoff conditions in the spring. The majority of the total nitrogen was delivered to Wister Lake during runoff conditions in winter.

Effect of vegetation construction on runoff and sediment yield and runoff erosion ability on slope surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chun Xia; Xiao, PeiQing; Li, Li; Jiao, Peng

2018-06-01

Land consolidation measures affected the underlying surface erosion environment during the early stage of vegetation construction, and then had an impact on rainfall infiltration, erosion and sediment yield. This paper adopted the field simulated rainfall experiments to analyze the function that pockets site preparation measures affected on rainfall infiltration, runoff sediment yield and runoff erosion ability. The results showed that, the measures can delay the rainfall runoff formation time of the slope by 3'17" and 1'04" respectively. Compared with the same condition of the bare land and natural grassland. The rainfall infiltration coefficient each increased by 76.47% and 14.49%, and infiltration rate increased by 0.26 mm/min and 0.11mm/min respectively; The amount of runoff and sediment yield were reduced because of the pockets site preparation. The amount of runoff reducing rate were 33.51% and 30.49%, and sediment reduction rate were 81.35% and 65.66%, The sediment concentration was decreased by 71.99% and 50.58%; Runoff velocity of bare slope and natural grassland slope decreased by 38.12% and 34.59% respectively after pockets site preparation . The runoff erosion rate decreased by 67.92% and 79.68% respectively. The results will have a great significance for recognizing the effect of water and sediment reduction about vegetation and the existence of its plowing measures at the early period of restoration.

The emission potential of different land use patterns for the occurrence of coliphages in surface water.

PubMed

Franke, Christiane; Rechenburg, Andrea; Baumanns, Susanne; Willkomm, Marlene; Christoffels, Ekkehard; Exner, Martin; Kistemann, Thomas

2009-05-01

Different land use patterns were investigated for their potential as non-point sources of coliphage emissions into surface waters. Water samples were taken regularly at five locations in the upper reaches of the river Swist, Germany. Samples of surface and subsurface run-off were taken within the same catchment area after rainfall events using a newly developed device that made it possible to collect current concentrations of the effluent compounds. The water quality was examined for the occurrence of somatic coliphages and F(+)-specific RNA-bacteriophages as well as for various bacteria over the period of a hydrological year. The potential of various bacteria as indicators for the occurrence of phages was evaluated using statistical correlations. The load of coliphages varied depending on the land use type, but it did not differ as much as the bacterial parameters. River sections in intensively used areas turned out to be more contaminated than in less intensively used regions. The concentrations of phages from surface and subsurface run-off in most samples were quite low for all land use types and did not show conspicuous variations of surface and subsurface run-off within one land use type. Therefore, high concentrations of phages in river water cannot be explained only by non-point effluent from open ground. Following consideration of the statistical results, conventional indicator bacteria seem not to be reliable indicator organisms for coliphages and subsequently for human pathogen viruses. The detected concentrations of coliphages in several water samples of river sections surrounded by intensively used areas underpin an existing health risk in the use of river water for e.g. recreational activities or irrigation.

Land application of sugar beet by-products: effects on runoff and percolating water quality.

PubMed

Kumar, Kuldip; Rosen, Carl J; Gupta, Satish C; McNearney, Matthew

2009-01-01

Water quality concerns, including greater potential for nutrient transport to surface waters resulting in eutrophication and nutrient leaching to ground water, exist when agricultural or food processing industry wastes and by-products are land applied. Plot- and field-scale studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of sugar beet by-products on NO3-N and P losses and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in runoff and NO3-N concentrations in percolating waters. In the runoff plot study, treatments in the first year included two rates (224 and 448 Mg ha(-1) fresh weight) of pulp and spoiled beets and a nonfertilized control. In the second year, no by-products were applied on the treated plots, the control treatment was fertilized with N fertilizer, and an additional treatment was added as a nonfertilized control in buffer areas. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was grown in the year of by-product application and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in the following year. In the percolation field study, the treatments were the control, pulp (224 Mg ha(-)(1)), and spoiled beets (224 Mg ha(-1)). Results from the runoff plot showed that both by-products caused immobilization of soil inorganic N and thus reduced NO3-N losses in runoff and soil waters during the first growing season. There was some risk of NO3-N exceeding the drinking water limit of 10 mg L(-1), especially between the period of wheat harvest and soil freezing in fall when pulp was applied at 448 Mg ha(-1). The field-scale study showed that by-product application at 224 Mg ha(-1) did not result in increased ground water NO3-N concentrations. Application of spoiled beets at both rates caused significantly higher BODs in runoff in the first year of application. The concentrations of total and soluble reactive P (SRP) were also higher from both rates of spoiled beet application and from the higher application rate of pulp during the 2-yr study period. These high BODs and total P and SRP concentrations in runoff waters from land application of sugar beet by-product suggest that application rates should not be higher than 224 Mg ha(-1). Best management practices that prevent runoff from entering surface waters directly from these fields are warranted.

Antibiotic losses from unprotected manure stockpiles.

PubMed

Dolliver, Holly A S; Gupta, Satish C

2008-01-01

Manure management is a major concern in livestock production systems. Although historically the primary concerns have been nutrients and pathogens, manure is also a source of emerging contaminants, such as antibiotics, to the environment. There is a growing concern that antibiotics in manure are reaching surface and ground waters and contributing to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment. One such pathway is through leaching and runoff from manure stockpiles. In this study, we quantified chlortetracycline, monensin, and tylosin losses in runoff from beef manure stockpiles during two separate but consecutive experiments representing different weather conditions (i.e., temperature and precipitation amount and form). Concentrations of chlortetracycline, monensin, and tylosin in runoff were positively correlated with initial concentrations of antibiotics in manure. The highest concentrations of chlortetracycline, monensin, and tylosin in runoff were 210, 3175, and 2544 microg L(-1), respectively. Relative antibiotic losses were primarily a function of water losses. In the experiment that had higher runoff water losses, antibiotic losses ranged from 1.2 to 1.8% of total extractable antibiotics in manure. In the experiment with lower runoff water losses, antibiotic losses varied from 0.2 to 0.6% of the total extractable antibiotics in manure. Manure analysis over time suggests that in situ degradation is an important mechanism for antibiotic losses. Degradation losses during manure stockpiling may exceed cumulative losses from runoff events. Storing manure in protected (i.e., covered) facilities could reduce the risk of aquatic contamination associated with manure stockpiling and other outdoor manure management practices.

Characterization and first flush analysis in road and roof runoff in Shenyang, China.

PubMed

Li, Chunlin; Liu, Miao; Hu, Yuanman; Gong, Jiping; Sun, Fengyun; Xu, Yanyan

2014-01-01

As urbanization increases, urban runoff is an increasingly important component of total urban non-point source pollution. In this study, the properties of urban runoff were examined in Shenyang, in northeastern China. Runoff samples from a tiled roof, a concrete roof and a main road were analyzed for key pollutants (total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD), Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn). The event mean concentration, site mean concentration, M(V) curves (dimensionless cumulative curve of pollutant load with runoff volume), and mass first flush ratio (MFF30) were used to analyze the characteristics of pollutant discharge and first flush (FF) effect. For all events, the pollutant concentration peaks occurred in the first half-hour after the runoff appeared and preceded the flow peaks. TN is the main pollutant in roof runoff. TSS, TN, TP, Pb, and Cr are the main pollutants in road runoff in Shenyang. There was a significant correlation between TSS and other pollutants except TN in runoff, which illustrated that TSS was an important carrier of organic matter and heavy metals. TN had strong positive correlations with total rainfall (Pearson's r = 0.927), average rainfall (Pearson's r = 0.995), and maximum rainfall intensity (Pearson's r = 0.991). TP had a strong correlation with rainfall intensity (Pearson's r = 0.940). A significant positive correlation between COD and rainfall duration (Pearson's r = 0.902, significance level = 0.05) was found. The order of FF intensity in different surfaces was concrete roof > tile roof > road. Rainfall duration and the length of the antecedent dry period were positively correlated with the FF. TN tended to exhibit strong flush for some events. Heavy metals showed a substantially stronger FF than other pollutant.

Effects of acid deposition on dissolution of carbonate stone during summer storms in the Adirondack Mountains, New York, 1987-89

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schuster, Paul F.; Reddy, Michael M.; Sherwood, S.I.

1994-01-01

This study is part of a long-term research program designed to identify and quantify acid rain damage to carbonate stone. Acidic deposition accelerates the dissolution of carbonate-stone monuments and building materials. Sequential sampling of runoff from carbonate-stone (marble) and glass (reference) microcatchments in the Adirondack Mountains in New York State provided a detailed record of the episodic fluctuations in rain rate and runoff chemistry during individual summer storms. Rain rate and chemical concentrations from carbonate-stone and glass runoff fluctuated three to tenfold during storms. Net calcium-ion concentrations from the carbonatestone runoff, a measure of stone dissolution, typically fluctuated twofold during these storms. High net sulfate and net calcium concentrations in the first effective runoff at the start of a storm indicated that atmospheric pollutants deposited on the stone surface during dry periods formed calcium sulfate minerals, an important process in carbonate stone dissolution. Dissolution of the carbonate stone generally increased up to twofold during coincident episodes of low rain rate (less than 5 millimeters per hour) and decreased rainfall (glass runoff) pH (less than 4.0); episodes of high rain rate (cloudbursts) were coincident with a rapid increase in rainfall pH and also a rapid decrease in the dissolution of carbonate-stone. During a storm, it seems the most important factors causing increased dissolution of carbonate stone are coincident periods of low rain rate and decreased rainfall pH. Dissolution of the carbonate stone decreased slightly as the rain rate exceeded about 5 millimeters per hour, probably in response to rapidly increasing rainfall pH during episodes of high rain rate and shorter contact time between the runoff and the stone surface. High runoff rates resulting from cloudbursts remove calcium sulfate minerals formed during dry periods prior to storms and also remove dissolution products formed in large measure by chemical weathering as a result of episodes of low rain rate and decreased rainfall pH during a storm.

Detecting surface runoff location in a small catchment using distributed and simple observation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dehotin, Judicaël; Breil, Pascal; Braud, Isabelle; de Lavenne, Alban; Lagouy, Mickaël; Sarrazin, Benoît

2015-06-01

Surface runoff is one of the hydrological processes involved in floods, pollution transfer, soil erosion and mudslide. Many models allow the simulation and the mapping of surface runoff and erosion hazards. Field observations of this hydrological process are not common although they are crucial to evaluate surface runoff models and to investigate or assess different kinds of hazards linked to this process. In this study, a simple field monitoring network is implemented to assess the relevance of a surface runoff susceptibility mapping method. The network is based on spatially distributed observations (nine different locations in the catchment) of soil water content and rainfall events. These data are analyzed to determine if surface runoff occurs. Two surface runoff mechanisms are considered: surface runoff by saturation of the soil surface horizon and surface runoff by infiltration excess (also called hortonian runoff). The monitoring strategy includes continuous records of soil surface water content and rainfall with a 5 min time step. Soil infiltration capacity time series are calculated using field soil water content and in situ measurements of soil hydraulic conductivity. Comparison of soil infiltration capacity and rainfall intensity time series allows detecting the occurrence of surface runoff by infiltration-excess. Comparison of surface soil water content with saturated water content values allows detecting the occurrence of surface runoff by saturation of the soil surface horizon. Automatic records were complemented with direct field observations of surface runoff in the experimental catchment after each significant rainfall event. The presented observation method allows the identification of fast and short-lived surface runoff processes at a small spatial and temporal resolution in natural conditions. The results also highlight the relationship between surface runoff and factors usually integrated in surface runoff mapping such as topography, rainfall parameters, soil or land cover. This study opens interesting prospects for the use of spatially distributed measurement for surface runoff detection, spatially distributed hydrological models implementation and validation at a reasonable cost.

The Effects Of Urban Landscape Patterns On Rainfall-Runoff Processes At Small Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, L.

2016-12-01

Many studies have indicated that urban landscape change may alter rainfall-runoff processes. However, how urban landscape pattern affect this process is little addressed. In this study, the hydrological effects of landscape pattern on rainfall-runoff processes at small-scale was explored. Twelve residential blocks with independent drainage systems in Beijing were selected as case study areas. Impervious metrics of these blocks, i.e., total impervious area (TIA) and directly connected impervious area (DCIA), were identified. A drainage index describing catchment general drainage load and the overland flow distance, Ad, was estimated and used as one of the landscape spatial metrics. Three scenarios were designed to test the potential influence of impervious surface pattern on runoff processes. Runoff variables including total and peak runoff depth (Qt and Qp) were simulated under different rainfall conditions by Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). The relationship between landscape patterns and runoff variables were analyzed, and further among the three scenarios. The results demonstrated that, in small urban blocks, spatial patterns have inherent influences on rainfall-runoff processes. Specifically, (1) Imperviousness acts as effective indicators in predicting both Qt and Qp. As rainfall intensity increases, the major affecting factor changes from DCIA to TIA for both Qt and Qp; (2) Increasing the size of drainage area dominated by each drainage inlet will benefit the block peak flow mitigation; (3) Different spatial concentrations of impervious surfaces have inherent influences on Qp, when impervious surfaces located away from the outlet can reduce the peak flow discharge. These findings may provide insights into the role of urban landscape patterns in driving rainfall-runoff responses in urbanization, which is essential for urban planning and stormwater management.

The geomicrobiology of the Greenland Ice Sheet: impact on DOC export (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadham, J. L.; Stibal, M.; Lawson, E. C.; Barnett, M. J.; Hasan, F.; Telling, J.; Anesio, A.; Lis, G.; Cullen, D.; Butler, C.; Tranter, M.; Nienow, P. W.

2010-12-01

The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is the largest mass of ice in the northern hemisphere, and contributes ~370 km3 in runoff annually to the Arctic Ocean. While recent work has highlighted runoff increases of up to 100% from the GrIS over the next century, very little is known about the associated impacts upon rates of sediment-bound and dissolved organic carbon export from the ice sheet to the coastal ocean. This is relevant given recent work that has suggested that the high proportion of labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) present in glacial runoff may be important in sustaining the productivity of ecosystems downstream. Here we report the phylogenetic and functional diversity of micro-organisms inhabiting the surface and basal regions of the Greenland Ice Sheet (at Leverett Glacier, SW Greenland), and whose activity influences the biogeochemical composition of runoff. Real time PCR data on runoff, together with 16S-rRNA bacterial clone libraries on sediments, demonstrate a subglacial microbial community that contrasts phylogenetically and functionally with the ice sheet surface ecosystem. We envisage that large sectors of the subglacial environment are microbially active, with overridden paleosols and in-washed surface organic matter providing a carbon substrate for a range of metabolic pathways. This includes methanogenesis which proceeds at rates similar to deep ocean sediments and via a CO2/H2 pathway. These subglacial microbial communities serve to chemically modify the DOC composition of meltwater inputs from the ice sheet surface and modulate the reactivity of bulk DOC exported in runoff. Evidence for subglacial microbial influences on DOC in runoff includes elevated concentrations of dissolved carbohydrates (e.g. glucose and fructose of up to 1 μmol/L), which are preferentially exported during subglacial outburst events. We examine the temporal changes in DOC export in runoff from the ice sheet over a full melt season, and consider how changes in total runoff over the coming century may perturb this contribution.

Effect of surface incorporation of broiler litter applied to no-till cotton on runoff quality.

PubMed

Adeli, A; Shankle, M W; Tewolde, H; Brooks, J P; Sistani, K R; McLaughlin, M R; Rowe, D E

2011-01-01

Surface application of broiler litter to no-till cotton could lead to degradation of water quality. Incorporation of broiler litter into the top surface soil (0.05 m) could alleviate this risk. A 2-yr field study was conducted on a silt loam upland soil to determine the effect of incorporation of broiler litter into the soil surface on nutrient and bacterial transport in runoff. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four treatments and three replications. Treatments were (i) unfertilized control; (ii) surface-appliedbroiler litter at 7.8 Mg ha(-1) without incorporation; (iii) surface-applied broiler litter at 7.8 Mg ha(-1) with immediate incorporation; and (iv) inorganic fertilizer N (urea ammonium nitrate, 32% N) and inorganic fertilizer P (triple superphosphate) at the recommended rate. Phosphorus was surface appliedat 25 kg ha(-1) and N was injected at 101 kg ha(-1) into the soil using a commercial liquid fertilizer applicator. Runoff was collected from small runoff plots (2.4 m by 1.6 m) established at the bottom side of main plots (13.7 m by 6.0 m). Incorporation of broiler litter reduced total N (TN), NO3-N, water soluble P (WSP), and total P (TP) concentrations in runoffby 35, 25, 61, and 64%, respectively, and litter-associated bacteria by two to three orders of magnitude compared with unincorporated treatment. No significant difference in total suspended solids (TSS) in runoffwas obtained between incorporated and unincorporated treatments. Incorporation of broiler litter into the surface soil in the no-till system immediately after application minimized the potential risk for surface nutrient losses and bacteria transport in runoff.

Relations of surface-water quality to streamflow in the Hackensack, Passaic, Elizabeth, and Rahway River basins, New Jersey, water years 1976-93

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buxton, Debra E.; Hunchak-Kariouk, Kathryn; Hickman, R. Edward

1998-01-01

Relations of water quality to streamflow were determined for 18 water-quality constituents at 19 surface-water-quality stations within the drainage basins of the Hackensack, Passaic, Elizabeth, and Rahway Rivers in New Jersey for water years 1976-93. Surface-waterquality and streamflow data were evaluated for trends (through time) in constituent concentrations during high and low flows, and relations between constituent concentration and streamflow, and constituent load and streamflow, were determined. Median concentrations were calculated for the entire period of study (water years 1976-93) and for the last 5 years of the period of study (water years 1989-93) to determine whether any large variation in concentration exists between the two periods. Medians also were used to determine the seasonal Kendall’s tau statistic, which was then used to evaluate trends in concentrations during high and low flows.Trends in constituent concentrations during high and low flows were evaluated to determine whether the distribution of the observations changes over time for intermittent (nonpoint storm runoff) or constant (point sources and ground water) sources, respectively. Highand low-flow concentration trends were determined for some constituents at 11 of the 19 waterquality stations; 8 stations have insufficient data to determine trends. Seasonal effects on the relations of concentration to streamflow are evident for 16 of the 18 constituents. Negative slopes of relations of concentration to streamflow, which indicate a decrease in concentration at high flows, predominate over positive slopes because of dilution of instream concentrations from storm runoff.The slopes of the regression lines of load to streamflow were determined in order to show the relative contributions to the instream load from constant (point sources and ground water) and intermittent sources (storm runoff). Greater slope values suggest larger contributions from storm runoff to instream load, which most likely indicate an increased relative importance of nonpoint sources. Load-to-streamflow relations along a stream reach that tend to increase in a downstream direction indicate the increased relative importance of contributions from storm runoff. Likewise, load-to-streamflow relations along a stream reach that tend to decrease in a downstream direction indicate the increased relative importance of point sources and ground-water discharge. For most of the 18 constituents, load-to-streamflow relations at stations along a river reach remain constant or decrease in a downstream direction. The slopes increase in the downstream direction for some or all of the nutrient species at the Ramapo, lower Passaic, and Rahway Rivers; for dissolved solids, dissolved sodium, and dissolved chloride at the lower Passaic River; and for alkalinity and hardness at the Rahway River.

Pesticide leaching via subsurface drains in different hydrologic situations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zajíček, Antonín; Fučík, Petr; Liška, Marek; Dobiáš, Jakub

2017-04-01

esticides and their degradates in tile drainage waters were studied in two small, predominantly agricultural, tile-drained subcatchments in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, Czech Republic. The goal was to evaluate their occurence and the dymamics of their concentrations in drainage waters in different hydrologic situations using discharge and concentration monitoring together with 18O and 2H isotope analysis for Mean Residence Time (MRT) estimation and hydrograph separations during rainfall - runoff (R-R) events. The drainage and stream discharges were measured continuously at the closing outlets of three drainage groups and one small stream. During periods of prevailing base and interflow, samples were collected manually in two-week intervals for isotope analysis and during the spraying period (March to October) also for pesticide analysis. During R-R events, samples were taken by automatic samplers in intervals varying from 20 min (summer) to 1 hour (winter). To enable isotopic analysis, precipitation was sampled both manually at two-week intervals and also using an automatic rainfall sampler which collected samples of precipitation during the R-R events at 20-min. intervals. The isotopic analysis showed, that MRT of drainage base flow and interflow varies from 2,2 to 3,3 years, while MRT of base flow and interflow in surface stream is several months. During R-R events, the proportion of event water varied from 0 to 60 % in both drainage and surface runoff. The occurrence of pesticides and their degradates in drainage waters is strongly dependent on the hydrologic situation. While degradates were permanently present in drainage waters in high but varying concentrations according to instantaneous runoff composition, parent matters were detected almost exclusively during R-R events. In periods with prevailing base flow and interflow (grab samples), especially ESA forms of chloracetanilide degradates occured in high concentrations in all samples. Average sum of degradates varried between 1 730 - 5 760 ng/l. During R-R events, pesticide concentration varried according to runoff composition and time between sprayng and event. Event with no protortiom of event water in drainage runoff were typical by incereas in degradates concentrations (up to 20 000ng/l) and none or low occurence of parent matters. Events with significant event water proportion in drainage runoff were characterised by decrease in degradates concentrations and (when event happened soon affter spraying) by presence of paternal pesticides in drinage runoff. Instanteous concentrations of paren matters can be extremely high in that causes, up to 23 000 ng/l in drainage waters and up to 40 000 ng/l in small stream. Above results suggest that drainage systems could act as significant source of pesticide leaching. When parent compounds leaches via tile drainage systems, there are some border conditions that must exist together such as the occurence of R-R event soon after the pests application and the presence of event water (or water with short residence time in the catchment) in the drainage runoff.

Surface roughness and runoff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szabó, Judit Alexandra; Szabó, Boglárka; Centeri, Csaba; Józsa, Sándor; Szalai, Zoltán; Jakab, Gergely

2017-04-01

Soil surface conditions changes dynamically during a precipitation event. The changes involve compaction, aggregate detachment and of course transportation by runoff or drop erosion. Those processes together have an effect on the transport process of the soil particles and aggregates, and influences the roughness of the soil surface as well. How does surface roughness have an effect on the aggregate and particle size distribution of the sediment? How does the sediment connectivity change from precipitation event to precipitation event? Beside the previous questions on of the main aim of the present research is to apply rainfall simulators for the built-up of a complex approach, rather than to concentrate only on one of two factors. Hence four types of sample were collected during the simulation experiment sequences: 1) photos were taken about the surface before and after the rain, in order to build digital surface models; 2) all the runoff and eroded sediment was collected; 3) soil loss due to drop erosion was also sampled separately; and 4) undisturbed crust samples were collected for thin section analyses. Though the runoff ratio was smaller than what, the preliminary results suggest that the sediment connectivity covered bigger area on crusty surface, than on a rough one. These ambiguous data may be connected to the soil crust development. J. A. Szabó wish to acknowledge the support of NTP-NFTÖ-16-0203. G. Jakab wish to acknowledge the support of János Bolyai Fellowship.

Long-term effects of drinking-water treatment residuals on dissolved phosphorus export from vegetated buffer strips.

PubMed

Habibiandehkordi, Reza; Quinton, John N; Surridge, Ben W J

2015-04-01

The export of dissolved phosphorus (P) in surface runoff from agricultural land can lead to water quality degradation. Surface application of aluminium (Al)-based water treatment residuals (Al-WTRs) to vegetated buffer strip (VBS) soils can enhance P removal from surface runoff during single runoff events. However, the longer-term effects on P removal in VBSs following application of products such as Al-WTR remain uncertain. We used field experimental plots to examine the long-term effects of applying a freshly generated Al-WTR to VBSs on dissolved P export during multiple runoff events, occurring between 1 day and 42 weeks after the application of Al-WTR. Vegetated buffer strip plots amended with Al-WTR significantly reduced soluble reactive P and total dissolved P concentrations in surface runoff compared to both unamended VBS plots and control plots. However, the effectiveness of Al-WTR decreased over time, by approximately 70% after 42 weeks compared to a day following Al-WTR application. Reduced performance did not appear to be due to drying of Al-WTR in the field. Instead, the development of preferential flow paths as well as burying of Al-WTR with freshly deposited sediments may explain these observations. Better understanding of the processes controlling long-term P removal by Al-WTR is required for effective management of VBSs.

[Research of the Stormwater Runoff and Pollution Characteristics in Rural Area of Yuhang District, Hangzhou].

PubMed

Duan, Sheng-hui; Zhao, Yu; Shan, Bao-qing; Tang, Wen-zhong; Zhang, Wen-qiang; Zhang, Shu-zhen; Lang, Chao

2015-10-01

In order to investigate the pollution characteristics of stormwater runoff in the southern developed rural region, the runoff samples were collected from four different underlying surfaces during three storm events in Caoqiao and Pujia Tou, which are two typical villages and are located in Yuhang District of Hangzhou. The content of nutrition (nitrogen and phosphorus) and heavy metals (Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Cd, As, Pb) in the simples were analyzed, and the difference of EMC ( event mean concentration) and pollution load of the contaminants in the runoff on different underlying surfaces were compared. The results showed that the EMC of TSS, COD, NH4(+)-N, TP and TN were 16.19, 21.01, 0.74, 1.39 and 2.39 mg x L(-1) in the Caoqiao, respectively; as to Pujia Tou, they were 3.10, 15.69, 0.90, 0.78 and 3.58 mg x L(-1), respectively. The content of heavy metals was all lower than the national surface water quality of two type water in the runoff. Compared with the quality standards for surface water, the EMC of TP was 9 times and 3. 5 times higher and TN was 1. 8 times and 1. 2 times higher in two areas. Besides, the pollution loads of TSS and COD were the highest in farmland.

Assessing the biological impact of exposure to environmental surface waters with cell-based lipidomics

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental surface waters often contain a variety of chemical contaminants from different sources including wastewater treatment plants, concentrated animal feeding operations, agricultural runoff and other human-related activities. Exposure to these contaminants may pose a th...

Surface-water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin; data on agricultural organic compounds, nutrients, and sediment in water, 1988-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sullivan, D.J.; Terrio, P.J.

1994-01-01

This report describes the sampling design and methods and presents data collected to determine the distribution of agricultural organic compounds, nutrients, and sediment in selected areas of the upper Illinois River Basin as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment program. Four stations in small watersheds (two urban, two agricultural) were sampled in 1988 and 1989. Seventeen stations in an agricultural subbasin were sampled in 1990. Samples were collected before, during, and after runoff events from late spring to midsummer to determine concentrations of agricultural organic compounds in surface waters resulting from storm runoff, as well as background concentrations. Over 200 water samples were analyzed for agricultural organic compound, nutrient, and suspended-sediment concentrations. The agricultural organic compounds included triazine and chlorophenoxy-acid herbicides, and organo-phosphorus insecticides.

Performances of metal concentrations from three permeable pavement infiltrates.

PubMed

Liu, Jiayu; Borst, Michael

2018-06-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency constructed a 4000-m 2 parking lot in Edison, New Jersey in 2009. The parking lot is surfaced with three permeable pavements [permeable interlocking concrete pavers (PICP), pervious concrete (PC), and porous asphalt (PA)]. Samples of each permeable pavement infiltrate, surface runoff from traditional asphalt, and rainwater were analyzed in duplicate for 22 metals (total and dissolved) for 6 years. In more than 99% of the samples, the concentration of barium, chromium, copper, manganese, nickel and zinc, and in 60%-90% of the samples, the concentration of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and antimony in infiltrates from all three permeable pavements met both the groundwater effluent limitations (GEL) and maximum contaminant levels (MCL). The concentration of aluminum (50%) and iron (93%) in PICP infiltrates samples exceed the GELs; however, the concentration in more than 90% samples PA and PC infiltrates met the GELs. No measurable difference in metal concentrations was found from the five sources for arsenic, cadmium, lead, antimony, and tin. Large concentrations of eleven metals, including manganese, copper, aluminum, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, silica, strontium and vanadium, were detected in surface runoff than the rainwater. Chromium, copper, manganese, nickel, aluminum, zinc, iron and magnesium concentrations in PICP infiltrates; calcium, barium, and strontium concentrations in PA infiltrates; sodium, potassium and vanadium concentrations in PC infiltrates were statistically larger than the other two permeable pavement infiltrates. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Assessment of concentrated flow through riparian buffers

Treesearch

M.G. Dosskey; M.J. Helmers; D.E. Eisenhauer; T.G. Franti; K.D. Hoagland

2002-01-01

Concentrated flow of surface runoff from agricultural fields may limit the capability of riparian buffers to remove pollutants. This study was conducted on four farms in southeastern Nebraska to develop a method for assessing the extent of concentrated flow in riparian buffers and for evaluating the impact that it has on sediment-trapping efficiency. Field methods...

Distributions of typical contaminant species in urban short-term storm runoff and their fates during rain events: a case of Xiamen City.

PubMed

Wei, Qunshan; Zhu, Gefu; Wu, Peng; Cui, Li; Zhang, Kaisong; Zhou, Jingjing; Zhang, Wenru

2010-01-01

The pollutants in urban storm runoff, which lead to an non-point source contamination of water environment around cities, are of great concerns. The distributions of typical contaminants and the variations of their species in short term storm runoff from different land surfaces in Xiamen City were investigated. The concentrations of various contaminants, including organic matter, nutrients (i.e., N and P) and heavy metals, were significantly higher in parking lot and road runoff than those in roof and lawn runoff. The early runoff samples from traffic road and parking lot contained much high total nitrogen (TN 6-19 mg/L) and total phosphorus (TP 1-3 mg/L). A large proportion (around 60%) of TN existed as total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) species in most runoff. The percentage of TDN and the percentage of total dissolved phosphorus remained relatively stable during the rain events and did not decrease as dramatically as TN and TP. In addition, only parking lot and road runoff were contaminated by heavy metals, and both Pb (25-120 microg/L) and Zn (0.1-1.2 mg/L) were major heavy metals contaminating both runoff. Soluble Pb and Zn were predominantly existed as labile complex species (50%-99%), which may be adsorbed onto the surfaces of suspended particles and could be easily released out when pH decreased. This would have the great impact to the environment.

Responses of hydrochemical inorganic ions in the rainfall-runoff processes of the experimental catchments and its significance for tracing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gu, W.-Z.; Lu, J.-J.; Zhao, X.; Peters, N.E.

2007-01-01

Aimed at the rainfall-runoff tracing using inorganic ions, the experimental study is conducted in the Chuzhou Hydrology Laboratory with special designed experimental catchments, lysimeters, etc. The various runoff components including the surface runoff, interflow from the unsaturated zone and the groundwater flow from saturated zone were monitored hydrometrically. Hydrochemical inorganic ions including Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO42-, HCO3- + CO32-, NO3-, F-, NH4-, PO42-, SiO2 and, pH, EC, 18O were measured within a one month period for all processes of rainfall, various runoff components and groundwater within the catchment from 17 boreholes distributed in the Hydrohill Catchment, few soil water samples were also included. The results show that: (a) all the runoff components are distinctly identifiable from both the relationships of Ca2+ versus Cl-/SO42-, EC versus Na+/(Na+ + Ca2+) and, from most inorganic ions individually; (b) the variation of inorganic ions in surface runoff is the biggest than that in other flow components; (c) most ions has its lowermost concentration in rainfall process but it increases as the generation depths of runoff components increased; (d) quantitatively, ion processes of rainfall and groundwater flow display as two end members of that of other runoff components; and (e) the 18O processes of rainfall and runoff components show some correlation with that of inorganic ions. The results also show that the rainfall input is not always the main source of inorganic ions of various runoff outputs due to the process of infiltration and dissolution resulted from the pre-event processes. The amount and sources of Cl- of runoff components with various generation mechanisms challenge the current method of groundwater recharge estimation using Cl-.

Surface runoff and transport of sulfonamide antibiotics and tracers on manured grassland.

PubMed

Burkhardt, Michael; Stamm, Christian; Waul, Christopher; Singer, Heinz; Müller, Stephan

2005-01-01

Despite their common use in animal production the environmental fate of the veterinary sulfonamide antibiotics after excretion is only poorly understood. We performed irrigation experiments to investigate the transport of these substances with surface runoff on grassland. Liquid manure from pigs treated with sulfadimidine was spiked with sulfadiazine, sulfathiazole, the herbicide atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-triazine), and the conservative tracer bromide and spread onto eight plots. Four plots received the same amounts of the spiked substances in aqueous solution (controls). Apart from the application matrix we varied the time between application and irrigation. Manure increased the runoff volume up to six times compared with the controls. It seemed that manure enhanced the runoff by sealing the soil surface. On manured plots the relative antibiotic concentrations in runoff were higher than on the controls, reaching an average of 0.3% (sulfadiazine), 0.8% (sulfathiazole), and 1.4% (sulfadimidine) of the input concentrations after a 1-d contact time. The corresponding values on the controls were 0.16% for sulfadiazine and 0.08% for sulfathiazole. After 3 d, the maximum values on the manured plots were even higher, whereas they had fallen below the limit of quantification on the controls. As a consequence, the sulfonamide losses were 10 to 40 times larger on the manured plots. The relative mobility of the sulfonamides on the control plots followed the trend expected from their chromatographic separation but the opposite was found on the manured plots. Hence it is important to consider explicitly the physical and chemical effects of manure when assessing the environmental fate of sulfonamides.

Uncertainty in monitoring E. coli concentrations in streams and stormwater runoff

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Microbial contamination in surface waters is a substantial public health concern throughout the world. Contamination is typically identified by, and restoration plans predicated upon, fecal indicator bacteria such as E. coli. Thus, monitoring of E. coli concentrations is critical to evaluate curre...

Water Quality of a Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Watershed, Monteverde, Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhodes, A. L.; Guswa, A. J.; Dallas, S.; Kim, E. M.; Katchpole, S.; Newell, S. E.; Pufall, A.

2004-05-01

The Rio Guacimal originates in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, located on the leeward side of the continental divide through Costa Rica. Agriculture and ecotourism has spurred growth adjacent to the preserve. Continued development coupled with changes in precipitation patterns could stress the quality and quantity of water. This study characterizes water chemistry and surface water hydrology of a 21 km2 headwater catchment to evaluate effects of current and projected land use on water quality. Stream samples have been collected from up to 11 sites since March 2000. Two sites located on tributaries in remote, forested areas serve as references for sites located downstream of agricultural and residential areas. Waters were analyzed for specific conductance, pH, DO, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), Ca, Mg, Na, NH4, SO4, NO3, Cl, PO4 and dissolved silica. In the upland, forested streams, chemical loading is dominated by mineral weathering and cation exchange reactions. Silica, ANC and base cation concentrations all exceed sum of acid anions. During the dry season, concentrations of all dissolved constituents increase synchronously, but at different magnitudes (SO4 and Cl by 15 μ eq/L; silica by 250 μ mol/L; sum of base cations and ANC by 120 μ eq/L), suggesting that increased baseflow has a greater effect on temporal changes of chemical loads in high-elevation, forested streams than does evapotranspiration. Chemical loads of streams receiving runoff from populated areas are 2-5x more concentrated than the upland sites. Highest concentrations occur in Queb. Sucia (QS), which receives grey-water runoff from residential areas. Acidic runoff decreases the ANC of QS by 90-200 μ eq/L; however high alkalinity (ANC=400-1000 μ eq/L) prevents acidification. Acid anions in streams receiving grey-water runoff throughout the year are most concentrated during the dry season when dilution from precipitation is least. Conversely, a site that receives nonpoint source pollution from agricultural areas has its highest concentrations of acid anions during the wet season when surface runoff is the dominant flowpath.

Combination of geochemical and hydrobiological tracers for the analysis of runoff generating processes in a lowland catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faber, Claas; Wu, Naicheng; Ulrich, Uta; Fohrer, Nicola

2015-04-01

Since lowlands are characterised by flat topography and low hydraulic gradients, groundwater inflow has a large influence to streamflow generation in such catchments. In catchments with intense agricultural land use, artificial drainages are often another major contributor to streamflow. They shorten the soil passage and thus change the matter retention potential as well as runoff dynamics of a catchment. Contribution of surface runoff to streamflow is usually less important in volume. However, due to high concentrations of agrochemicals, surface runoff can constitute an important entry pathway into water bodies, especially if strong precipitation events coincide with fertilizer or pesticide application. The DFG funded project "Separating surface runoff from tile drainage flow in agricultural lowland catchments based on diatoms to improve modelled runoff components and phosphorous transport" investigates prevalent processes in this context in a 50 km² lowland catchment (Kielstau, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany) with the goal of improving existing models. End Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA) is used in the project to determine the relative importance of groundwater, tile drainage and surface runoff to streamflow at daily time steps. It became apparent that geochemical tracers are suitable for distinguishing surface runoff, but are weak for the separation of tile drainage and groundwater influence. We attribute this to the strong and complex interaction between soil water and shallow groundwater tables in the catchment. Recent studies (e.g. Pfister et al. 2011, Tauro et al. 2013) show the potential of diatoms as indicators for hydrological processes. Since we found diatoms to be suitable for the separation of tile drainage and stream samples (Wu et al., unpublished data) in our catchment, we are able to include diatom derived indices (e.g. density, species moisture indices, diversity indices) as traces in EMMA. Our results show that the inclusion of diatom data in the EMMA dataset improves the ability to distinguish tile drainage, groundwater and surface runoff influence to streamflow in our agriculturally dominated lowland catchment. Keywords: tile drainage, surface runoff, groundwater, hydrograph separation, EMMA, dia-toms, water quality, lowland catchments References: Pfister L, Wetzel CE, Martínez-Carreras N, Frentress J, Ector L, Hoffmann L, McDonnell JJ. 2011. Do diatoms run downhill? Using biodiversity of terrestrial and aquatic diatoms to identify hydrological connectivity between aquatic zones in Luxembourg. AGU Fall Meeting. Tauro F, Martínez-Carreras N, Wetzel CE, Hissler C, Barnich F, Frentress J, Ector L, Hoff-mann L, McDonnell JJ, Pfister L. 2013. Fluorescent diatoms as hydrological tracers: a proof of concept percolation experiment. EGU abstract, EGU2013-7687-4.

Evaluation of an Infiltration Model with Microchannels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Serrana, M.; Gulliver, J. S.; Nieber, J. L.

2015-12-01

This research goal is to develop and demonstrate the means by which roadside drainage ditches and filter strips can be assigned the appropriate volume reduction credits by infiltration. These vegetated surfaces convey stormwater, infiltrate runoff, and filter and/or settle solids, and are often placed along roads and other impermeable surfaces. Infiltration rates are typically calculated by assuming that water flows as sheet flow over the slope. However, for most intensities water flow occurs in narrow and shallow micro-channels and concentrates in depressions. This channelization reduces the fraction of the soil surface covered with the water coming from the road. The non-uniform distribution of water along a hillslope directly affects infiltration. First, laboratory and field experiments have been conducted to characterize the spatial pattern of flow for stormwater runoff entering onto the surface of a sloped surface in a drainage ditch. In the laboratory experiments different micro-topographies were tested over bare sandy loam soil: a smooth surface, and three and five parallel rills. All the surfaces experienced erosion; the initially smooth surface developed a system of channels over time that increased runoff generation. On average, the initially smooth surfaces infiltrated 10% more volume than the initially rilled surfaces. The field experiments were performed in the side slope of established roadside drainage ditches. Three rates of runoff from a road surface into the swale slope were tested, representing runoff from 1, 2, and 10-year storm events. The average percentage of input runoff water infiltrated in the 32 experiments was 67%, with a 21% standard deviation. Multiple measurements of saturated hydraulic conductivity were conducted to account for its spatial variability. Second, a rate-based coupled infiltration and overland model has been designed that calculates stormwater infiltration efficiency of swales. The Green-Ampt-Mein-Larson assumptions were implemented to calculate infiltration along with a kinematic wave model for overland flow that accounts for short-circuiting of flow. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis on the parameters implemented in the model has been performed. Finally, the field experiments results have been used to quantify the validity of the coupled model.

Spatio-temporal patterns in land use and management affecting surface runoff response of agricultural catchments - a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiener, P.; Auerswald, K.; van Oost, K.

2009-04-01

In many landscapes, land use creates a complex pattern in addition to the patterns resulting from soil, topography and rain. Despite the static layout of fields, a spatio-temporally highly variable situation regarding the surface runoff and erosion processes results from the asynchronous seasonal variation associated with different land uses. While the behaviour of individual land-uses and their seasonal variation is analyzed in many studies, the spatio-temporal interaction related to this pattern is rarely studied despite its crucial influence on hydrological and geomorphic response of catchments. The difficulty in studying such interactions mainly results from the fact that it is impossible to set up a replicated experiment on the landscape scale. The purpose of this review is to present the advances made thus far in quantifying the effects of patchiness of land use and management on surface runoff response in agricultural catchments. We will focus on the effects of spatio-temporal patterns in land use patches on hydraulic connectivity between patches and within catchments. This will include the temporal patterns in land management affecting infiltration, surface roughness and hence runoff concentration within single fields or land use patches insofar as these effects must be known to evaluate the combined effect of patch behaviour in space and time on catchment connectivity and surface runoff. Surface runoff effects of patchiness and connectivity between patches or within a catchment, can either be addressed by modelling studies or by comprehensive catchment field measurements, e.g. paired-watershed experiments or landscape scale studies on different scales. This limits our review to studies at the scale of small catchments < 10 km², where the time constant of the network (i.e. travel time through it) is smaller than the infiltration phase. Despite this limitation, these small catchments are important as they constitute 2/3 of the total surface of large water drainage networks.

Subsurface application of poultry litter and its influence on nutrient losses in runoff water from permanent pastures.

PubMed

Watts, D B; Way, T R; Torbert, H A

2011-01-01

Environmental pressure to reduce nutrient losses from agricultural fields has increased in recent years. To abate this nutrient loss to the environment, better management practices and new technologies need to be developed. Thus, research was conducted to evaluate if subsurface banding poultry litter (PL) would reduce nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loss in surface water runoff using a four-row prototype implement. Rainfall simulations were conducted to create a 40-min runoff event in an established bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) pasture on soil types common to the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions. The Coastal Plain soil type was a Marvyn loamy sand (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults) and the Piedmont soil type was a Hard Labor loamy sand (fine, kaolinitic, thermic Oxyaquic Kanhapludults). Treatments consisted of surface- and subsurface-applied PL at a rate of 9 Mg ha(-1), surface broadcast-applied commercial fertilizer (CF; urea and triple superphosphate blend) at the equivalent N (330 kg N ha(-1)) and P (315 kg N ha(-1)) content of PL, and a nonfertilized control. The greatest loss for inorganic N, total N, dissolved reactive P (DRP), and total P occurred with the surface broadcast treatments, with CF contributing to the greatest loss. Nutrient losses from the subsurface banded treatment reduced N and P in surface water runoff to levels of the control. Subsurface banding of PL reduced concentrations of inorganic N 91%, total N 90%, DRP 86%, and total P 86% in runoff water compared with surface broadcasted PL. These results show that subsurface band-applied PL can greatly reduce the impact of N and P loss to the environment compared with conventional surface-applied PL and CF practices.

Simulating pesticide transport in urbanized catchments: a new spatially-distributed dynamic pesticide runoff model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Ting; Seuntjens, Piet; van Griensven, Ann; Bronders, Jan

2016-04-01

Urban areas can significantly contribute to pesticide contamination in surface water. However, pesticide behaviours in urban areas, particularly on hard surfaces, are far less studied than those in agricultural areas. Pesticide application on hard surfaces (e.g. roadsides and walkways) is of particular concern due to the high imperviousness and therefore high pesticide runoff potential. Experimental studies have shown that pesticide behaviours on and interactions with hard surfaces are important factors controlling the pesticide runoff potential, and therefore the magnitude and timing of peak concentrations in surface water. We conceptualized pesticide behaviours on hard surfaces and incorporated the conceptualization into a new pesticide runoff model. The pesticide runoff model was implemented in a catchment hydrological model WetSpa-Python (Water and Energy Transfer between Soil, Plants and Atmosphere, Python version). The conceptualization for pesticide processes on hard surfaces accounts for the differences in pesticide behaviour on different hard surfaces. Four parameters are used to describe the partitioning and wash-off of each pesticide on hard surfaces. We tested the conceptualization using experimental dataset for five pesticides on two types of hard surfaces, namely concrete and asphalt. The conceptualization gave good performance in accounting for the wash-off pattern for the modelled pesticides and surfaces, according to quantitative evaluations using the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency and percent bias. The resulting pesticide runoff model WetSpa-PST (WetSpa for PeSTicides) can simulate pesticides and their metabolites at the catchment scale. Overall, it includes four groups of pesticide processes, namely pesticide application, pesticide interception by plant foliage, pesticide processes on land surfaces (including partitioning, degradation and wash-off on hard surface; partitioning, dissipation, infiltration and runoff in soil) and pesticide processes in depression storage (including degradation, infiltration and runoff). Processes on hard surfaces employs the conceptualization described in the paragraph above. The WetSpa-PST model can account for various spatial details of the urban features in a catchment, such as asphalt, concrete and roof areas. The distributed feature also allows users to input detailed pesticide application data of both non-point and point origins. Thanks to the Python modelling framework prototype used in the WetSpa-Python model, processes in the WetSpa-PST model can be simulated at different time steps depending on data availability and the characteristic temporal scale of each process. This helps to increase the computational accuracy during heavy rainfall events, especially for the associated fast transport of pesticides into surface water. Overall, the WetSpa-PST model has good potential in predicting effects of management options on pesticide releases from heavily urbanized catchments.

An at-grade stabilization structure impact on runoff and suspended sediment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Minks, Kyle R.; Lowery, Birl; Madison, Fred W.; Ruark, Matthew; Frame, Dennis R.; Stuntebeck, Todd D.; Komiskey, Matthew J.

2012-01-01

In recent years, agricultural runoff has received more attention as a major contributor to surface water pollution. This is especially true for the unglaciated area of Wisconsin, given this area's steep topography, which makes it highly susceptible to runoff and soil loss. We evaluated the ability of an at-grade stabilization structure (AGSS), designed as a conservation practice to reduce the amount of overland runoff and suspended sediment transported to the surface waters of an agricultural watershed. Eight years of storm and baseflow data collected by the US Geological Survey–Wisconsin Water Science Center on a farm in west central Wisconsin were analyzed for changes in precipitation, storm runoff volume, and suspended sediment concentration before and after installation of an AGSS. The agricultural research site was designed as a paired watershed study in which monitoring stations were installed on the perennial streams draining both control and treatment watersheds. Linear mixed effects model analyses were conducted to determine if any statistically significant changes occurred in the water quality parameters before and after the AGSS was installed. Results indicated no significant changes (p = 0.51) in average event precipitation and runoff volumes before and after installation of the AGSS in either the treatment (NW) or control (SW) watersheds. However, the AGSS did significantly reduce the average suspended sediment concentration in the event runoff water (p = 0.02) in the NW from 972 to 263 mg L–1. In addition, particle size analyses, using light diffraction techniques, were conducted on soil samples taken from within the AGSS and adjacent valley and ridge top to determine if suspended sediments were being retained within the structure. Statistical analysis revealed a significantly (p < 0.001) larger proportion of clay inside the AGSS (37%) than outside (30%). These results indicate that the AGSS was successful in reducing the amount of suspended sediment transported to nearby surface waters. The cost of an AGSS can range from US$3,500 to US$8,000, depending on size. Thus, these structures provide a cheap and effective means of improving water quality in highly erosive landscapes.

EFFECTS OF ATRAZINE ON THE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS IN THE MARINE FISH, CUNNER(TAUTOGOLABRUS ADSPERSUS)

EPA Science Inventory

Atrazine, the most widely used herbicide in the world, leaches into ground water and surface runoff after agricultural and forestry applications. It has been detected in concentrations in the ppb range in ground water, surface waters, rivers, streams, and precipitation. Atrazin...

Antimicrobial compounds (triclosan and triclocarban) in sewage sludges, and their presence in runoff following land application.

PubMed

Healy, M G; Fenton, O; Cormican, M; Peyton, D P; Ordsmith, N; Kimber, K; Morrison, L

2017-08-01

The reuse of treated municipal sewage ('biosolids') on land is an effective method to divert waste away from landfill and to use an alternative, low cost method of fertilisation. While legislation has mainly focused on the control of nutrient and metal application rates to land, other potentially harmful emerging contaminants (ECs) may be present in biosolids. Up to 80% of municipal sewage sludge is reused in agriculture in Ireland, which is currently the highest rate of reuse in Europe. However, unlike other countries, no study has been conducted on the presence of ECs across a range of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in this country. This study evaluated the concentrations of two ECs in sewage sludge, the antimicrobials triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC), and their presence in surface runoff following land application in controlled rainfall simulation studies. In 16 WWTPs, concentrations of TCS and TCC were 0.61 and 0.08µgg -1 , which is at the lower end of concentrations measured in other countries. The concentrations in runoff post land application were also mainly below the limits of detection (90ngL -1 for TCS, 6ngL -1 for TCC), indicating that runoff is not a significant pathway of entry into the environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Uncertainty in monitoring E. coli concentrations in streams and stormwater runoff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmel, R. D.; Hathaway, J. M.; Wagner, K. L.; Wolfe, J. E.; Karthikeyan, R.; Francesconi, W.; McCarthy, D. T.

2016-03-01

Microbial contamination of surface waters, a substantial public health concern throughout the world, is typically identified by fecal indicator bacteria such as Escherichia coli. Thus, monitoring E. coli concentrations is critical to evaluate current conditions, determine restoration effectiveness, and inform model development and calibration. An often overlooked component of these monitoring and modeling activities is understanding the inherent random and systematic uncertainty present in measured data. In this research, a review and subsequent analysis was performed to identify, document, and analyze measurement uncertainty of E. coli data collected in stream flow and stormwater runoff as individual discrete samples or throughout a single runoff event. Data on the uncertainty contributed by sample collection, sample preservation/storage, and laboratory analysis in measured E. coli concentrations were compiled and analyzed, and differences in sampling method and data quality scenarios were compared. The analysis showed that: (1) manual integrated sampling produced the lowest random and systematic uncertainty in individual samples, but automated sampling typically produced the lowest uncertainty when sampling throughout runoff events; (2) sample collection procedures often contributed the highest amount of uncertainty, although laboratory analysis introduced substantial random uncertainty and preservation/storage introduced substantial systematic uncertainty under some scenarios; and (3) the uncertainty in measured E. coli concentrations was greater than that of sediment and nutrients, but the difference was not as great as may be assumed. This comprehensive analysis of uncertainty in E. coli concentrations measured in streamflow and runoff should provide valuable insight for designing E. coli monitoring projects, reducing uncertainty in quality assurance efforts, regulatory and policy decision making, and fate and transport modeling.

Runoff of particle bound pollutants from urban impervious surfaces studied by analysis of sediments from stormwater traps.

PubMed

Jartun, Morten; Ottesen, Rolf Tore; Steinnes, Eiliv; Volden, Tore

2008-06-25

Runoff sediments from 68 small stormwater traps around the harbor of urban Bergen, Norway, were sampled and the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined in addition to grain size. Our study provides empirical data from a large area in the interface between the urban and marine environment, studying the active transport of pollutants from land-based sources. The results of the analyses clearly demonstrate the importance of the urban environment representing a variety of contamination sources, and that stormwater runoff is an important dispersion mechanism of toxic pollutants. The concentrations of different pollutants in urban runoff sediments show that there are several active pollution sources supplying the sewage systems with PCBs, PAHs and heavy metals such as lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd). The concentration of PCB7 in the urban runoff sediments ranged between < 0.0004 and 0.704 mg/kg. For PAH16, the concentration range was < 0.2-80 mg/kg, whereas the concentration ranges of Pb, Zn and Cd were 9-675, 51.3-4670 and 0.02-11.1 mg/kg respectively. Grain size distribution in 21 selected samples varied from a median particle diameter of 13 to 646 microm. However, several samples had very fine-grained particles even up to the 90 percentile of the samples, making them available for stormwater dispersion in suspended form. The sampling approach proposed in this paper will provide environmental authorities with a useful tool to examine ongoing urban contamination of harbors and similar recipients.

The Relationship between Hydroclimatic Variables and Faecal Indicator Bacteria in River Basins in Pakistan and Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofstra, Nynke; Shahid Iqbal, M.; Majedul Islam, M. M.

2016-04-01

Water contaminated with pathogenic bacteria causing diarrhoea poses a health risk to the population. Worldwide, diarrhoea is the 3rd leading cause of death. A changing climate may increase the concentration of pathogens in surface water. Increased temperature will mostly increase the inactivation of pathogens and therefore decrease the surface water concentration. Increased precipitation may dilute contaminated water, but may also increase the runoff of pathogens into the surface water. Decreased precipitation may have the opposite effect. Moreover, increased chance of extreme precipitation events and increased risk of floods may also increase the runoff of pathogens into the surface water. The net balance of these effects is uncertain. The objective of our study is to quantify the relationship between hydroclimatic variables (surface air and water temperature, precipitation and runoff) and faecal indicator bacteria (FIB, E. coli and Enterococci) in two rivers in Pakistan and Bangladesh. In these countries health problems are large, particularly in annual periods of flood. We studied FIB instead of pathogens, because of the costs associated with pathogen measurements. The relationship between FIB and hydroclimatic variables is expected to be comparable to the relationship between pathogens and hydroclimatic variables. For both regions the FIB concentrations have been monitored for two years between 2013 and 2015 at several points in the rivers. Concentrations of FIB in Kabul (Pakistan) and Betna (Bangladesh) river basins are very high (up to 5.2 log10 cfu/100ml). Due to a broken waste water treatment system of the city of Peshawar, concentrations are higher in Kabul than in the Betna river. All hydroclimatic variables positively correlate with FIB. An unexpected positive relation with temperature can be explained by the fact that temperature and discharge increase at the same time and possibly FIB growth. The positive relation with precipitation and discharge shows that not the dilution, but the increased runoff of FIB is more important. Regression models for each of the measurement locations in Kabul river show that water temperature, discharge and precipitation together explain a large part of the variance (R2 equals 0.72-0.94) for E. coli. The regression model for Betna river comprises water temperature and discharge and for E. coli R2=0.47 and for Enterococci R2=0.49. We can conclude that FIB concentrations increase with increasing temperature and particularly precipitation and discharge. We expect pathogen concentrationss to increase in a similar way and would therefore expect increased health risk due to climate change in Kabul and Betna river basins.

Ponds' water balance and runoff of endorheic watersheds in the Sahel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gal, Laetitia; Grippa, Manuela; Kergoat, Laurent; Hiernaux, Pierre; Mougin, Eric; Peugeot, Christophe

2015-04-01

The Sahel has been characterized by a severe rainfall deficit since the mid-twentieth century, with extreme droughts in the early seventies and again in the early eighties. These droughts have strongly impacted ecosystems, water availability, fodder resources, and populations living in these areas. However, an increase of surface runoff has been observed during the same period, such as higher "summer discharge" of Sahelian's rivers generating local floods, and a general increase in pond's surface in pastoral areas of central and northern Sahel. This behavior, less rain but more surface runoff is generally referred to as the "Sahelian paradox". Various hypotheses have been put forward to explain this paradoxical situation. The leading role of increase in cropped areas, often cited for cultivated Sahel, does not hold for pastoral areas in central and northern Sahel. Processes such as degradation of vegetation subsequent to the most severe drought events, soils erosion and runoff concentration on shallow soils, which generate most of the water ending up in ponds, seem to play an important role. This still needs to be fully understood and quantified. Our study focuses on a model-based approach to better understand the hydrological changes that affected the Agoufou watershed (Gourma, Mali), typical of the central, non-cultivated Sahel. Like most of the Sahelian basins, the Agoufou watershed is ungauged. Therefore we used indirect data to provide the information required to validate a rainfall-runoff model approach. The pond volume was calculated by combining in-situ water level measurements with pond's surface estimations derived by remote sensing. Using the pond's water balance equation, the variations of pond volume combined to estimates of open water bodies' evaporation and infiltration determined an estimation for the runoff supplying the pond. This estimation highlights a spectacular runoff increase over the last sixty years on the Agoufou watershed. The runoff proxy derived for the Agoufou pond is used to evaluate results from the KINEROS2 model (KINematic runoff and EROSion). This model is specifically designed to simulate surface runoff in semi-arid watersheds. It describes the processes of runoff, infiltration and erosion by taking into account land cover and soil characteristics. We show that rain intensity, soil hydrological properties (hydraulic conductivity and Manning's roughness coefficient), contributing source area areas and land use-land cover were the major factors to take into account to correctly simulate runoff over the present period (2006-2010). This will help to simulate the past evolution of the Agoufou watershed and better understand the key mechanisms of the Sahelian paradox in non-cultivated Sahel. Finally, we will discuss the application of the SWOT and Sentinel-2 future satellites, which will provide water level and pond's surface, to obtain large-scale estimates of water balance in ungauged Sahelian basins.

Assessing colloid-bound metal export in response to short term changes in runoff from a forested catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neubauer, E.; Kammer, F. v. d.; Knorr, K.-H.; Pfeiffer, S.; Reichert, M.; Hofmann, T.

2012-04-01

Soils can act as a source of metals and natural organic matter (NOM) in runoff from catchments. Amounts and intensity of rainfall may influence NOM export from catchments. The presence of NOM and other colloids in water may not only enhance metal export, but also significantly change metal speciation. In this study, we investigated the response of metal-colloid associations to short-term discharge variations in the runoff from a small forested catchment (Lehstenbach, Bavaria, Germany). Here, the discharge from the catchment outlet responds within hours to rain events. Near-surface flow in organic-rich layers and peat soils has been identified to increase dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations during stormwater runoff. Flow Field-Flow Fractionation coupled to ICP-MS (FlowFFF-ICPMS) is a high-resolution size separation technique which was used for the detection and quantification of colloids and associated metals. Colloid-associated metals, dissolved metals and metals associated with low-molecular weight organic ligands were also separated by filtration (0.2 µm) and ultrafiltration (1000 g/mol MWCO). During baseflow DOC concentration was <6 mg/L and the pH ranged between 4.6 and 5.0. The DOC concentration exported at a given discharge was subject to strong seasonal variation and depended on the water level before the discharge event. DOC concentrations were up to 8 fold higher during stormwater runoff compared to baseflow. The export of aluminum, arsenic, rare earth elements (REE) and uranium from the catchment increased during stormwater runoff showing a strong correlation with NOM concentrations. This result was supported by FlowFFF-ICPMS data revealing that NOM was the only colloid type available for metal complexation during all hydrological conditions. A clear temporal pattern in the association with the NOM was observed for most of the metals under study: During baseflow, 70-100% (Fe), 90% (Al), 60-100% (REE) and 80-85% (U) were associated with the NOM. During stormwater runoff, the dissolved species concentration and those associated with small organic ligands (<1000 g/mol) increased. The pH drop during the stormwater runoff (pH <4) is most likely the main factor for weaker metal-NOM binding. However, only 25 to 50% of the arsenic was associated with NOM, but no relation to discharge, or pH was exhibited. The results show that fluxes of most trace metals from the catchment are governed by NOM-colloids, even though substantial concentrations are dissolved or associated to low-molecular weight organic substances during stormwater runoff.

Climatic Models Ensemble-based Mid-21st Century Runoff Projections: A Bayesian Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achieng, K. O.; Zhu, J.

2017-12-01

There are a number of North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) climatic models that have been used to project surface runoff in the mid-21st century. Statistical model selection techniques are often used to select the model that best fits data. However, model selection techniques often lead to different conclusions. In this study, ten models are averaged in Bayesian paradigm to project runoff. Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) is used to project and identify effect of model uncertainty on future runoff projections. Baseflow separation - a two-digital filter which is also called Eckhardt filter - is used to separate USGS streamflow (total runoff) into two components: baseflow and surface runoff. We use this surface runoff as the a priori runoff when conducting BMA of runoff simulated from the ten RCM models. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate how well RCM multi-model ensembles simulate surface runoff, in a Bayesian framework. Specifically, we investigate and discuss the following questions: How well do ten RCM models ensemble jointly simulate surface runoff by averaging over all the models using BMA, given a priori surface runoff? What are the effects of model uncertainty on surface runoff simulation?

Contribution and loading estimation of organochlorine pesticides from rain and canopy throughfall to runoff in an urban environment.

PubMed

Zhang, Wei; Ye, Youbin; Tong, Yindong; Ou, Langbo; Hu, Dan; Wang, Xuejun

2011-01-30

Concentrations of OCPs in rain, canopy throughfall, and runoff water were measured in the Beijing metropolitan area during the rainy seasons from 2006 to 2007. This study was conducted to calculate the fluxes of OCPs in rain and canopy throughfall, as well as their contributions to runoff. At urban sites, the contribution of HCB and ΣHCHs from rainfall accounted for approximately 50% of the mass in runoff. At the site with significant coverage of landscaping trees, the HCB, ΣHCHs, and ΣDDTs from the net canopy throughfall accounted for approximately 10% of the mass in the runoff. Based on the data obtained in this study, loadings of OCPs (in μg) in rain, net canopy throughfall, and runoff water were calculated. The input of OCPs from rain and canopy throughfall water accounted for a significant portion of urban runoff. In cities undergoing rapid urban sprawl, monitoring and control of the transport of OCPs in urban runoff are essential for effective control of environmental hazards in surface water bodies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Rainfall intensity effects on nutrients transport in surface runoff from farmlands in gentle slope hilly area of Taihu Lake Basin].

PubMed

Li, Rui-ling; Zhang, Yong-chun; Liu, Zhuang; Zeng, Yuan; Li, Wei-xin; Zhang, Hong-ling

2010-05-01

To investigate the effect of rainfall on agricultural nonpoint source pollution, watershed scale experiments were conducted to study the characteristics of nutrients in surface runoff under different rainfall intensities from farmlands in gentle slope hilly areas around Taihu Lake. Rainfall intensity significantly affected N and P concentrations in runoff. Rainfall intensity was positively related to TP, PO4(3-) -P and NH4+ -N event mean concentrations(EMC). However, this study have found the EMC of TN and NO3- -N to be positively related to rainfall intensity under light rain and negatively related to rainfall intensity under heavy rain. TN and TP site mean amounts (SMA) in runoff were positively related to rainfall intensity and were 1.91, 311.83, 127.65, 731.69 g/hm2 and 0.04, 7.77, 2.99, 32.02 g/hm2 with rainfall applied under light rain, moderate rain, heavy rain and rainstorm respectively. N in runoff was mainly NO3- -N and NH4+ -N and was primarily in dissolved form from Meilin soils. Dissolved P (DP) was the dominant form of TP under light rain, but particulate P (PP) mass loss increased with the increase of rainfall intensity and to be the dominant form when the rainfall intensity reaches rainstorm. Single relationships were used to describe the dependence of TN and TP mass losses in runoff on rainfall, maximum rainfall intensity, average rainfall intensity and rainfall duration respectively. The results showed a significant positive correlation between TN mass loss and rainfall, maximum rainfall intensity respectively (p < 0.01) and also TP mass loss and rainfall, maximum rainfall intensity respectively (p < 0.01).

[Characteristics of paddy field nitrogen leakage and runoff in rice-duck farming system].

PubMed

Yu, Xiang; Wang, Qiang-sheng; Wang, Shao-hua; Liu, Zheng-hui; Wang, Xia-wen; Ding, Yan-feng

2009-01-01

A field experiment was conducted to study the characteristics of paddy field nitrogen (N) leakage and runoff under rice-duck farming (MRD), conventional farming (MR), and conventional farming with flooding (CK). Comparing with that under MR, the paddy field under MRD had a notable decrease of N (especially NO3- -N) concentration in its leaked liquid; but this concentration was tended to be increased, compared with that under CK. After 7-9 days of fertilization, the NH4+ -N and NO3- -N concentrations in paddy field surface water were higher under MRD than under MR. However, owing to the no draining and the higher band, the paddy field under MRD had a notable reduction of drainage, resulting in a marked decrease of N runoff than that under MR. Comparing with MR, the paddy field under MRD had an addition of nitrogen supply from duck dung, a reduction of N leakage and runoff, a lesser application of chemical nitrogen fertilizer, and more nitrogen uptake by rice plant. Both the reduction of N input and that of N output in rice-duck farming system were nearly equal in quantity.

Seasonal variation of nitrogen-concentration in the surface water and its relationship with land use in a catchment of northern China.

PubMed

Chen, Li-ding; Peng, Hong-jia; Fu, Bo-Jie; Qiu, Jun; Zhang, Shu-rong

2005-01-01

Surface waters can be contaminated by human activities in two ways: (1) by point sources, such as sewage treatment discharge and storm-water runoff; and (2) by non-point sources, such as runoff from urban and agricultural areas. With point-source pollution effectively controlled, non-point source pollution has become the most important environmental concern in the world. The formation of non-point source pollution is related to both the sources such as soil nutrient, the amount of fertilizer and pesticide applied, the amount of refuse, and the spatial complex combination of land uses within a heterogeneous landscape. Land-use change, dominated by human activities, has a significant impact on water resources and quality. In this study, fifteen surface water monitoring points in the Yuqiao Reservoir Basin, Zunhua, Hebei Province, northern China, were chosen to study the seasonal variation of nitrogen concentration in the surface water. Water samples were collected in low-flow period (June), high-flow period (July) and mean-flow period (October) from 1999 to 2000. The results indicated that the seasonal variation of nitrogen concentration in the surface water among the fifteen monitoring points in the rainfall-rich year is more complex than that in the rainfall-deficit year. It was found that the land use, the characteristics of the surface river system, rainfall, and human activities play an important role in the seasonal variation of N-concentration in surface water.

Simultaneous concentration of bovine viruses and agricultural zoonotic bacteria from water using sodocalcic glass wool filters

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Infiltration and runoff from manured agricultural fields can result in livestock pathogens reaching groundwater and surface waters. Here, we measured the effectiveness of glass wool filters to simultaneously concentrate enteric viruses and bacteria of bovine origin from water. The recovery efficienc...

Impact of forestry on total and methyl-mercury in surface waters: distinguishing effects of logging and site preparation.

PubMed

Eklöf, Karin; Schelker, Jakob; Sørensen, Rasmus; Meili, Markus; Laudon, Hjalmar; von Brömssen, Claudia; Bishop, Kevin

2014-05-06

Forestry operations can increase the export of mercury (both total and methyl) to surface waters. However, little is known about the relative contribution of different forestry practices. We address this question using a paired-catchment study that distinguishes the effects of site preparation from the antecedent logging. Runoff water from three catchments, two harvested and one untreated control, was sampled biweekly during one year prior to logging, two years after logging, and three years after site preparation. The logging alone did not significantly increase the concentrations of either total or methyl-mercury in runoff, but export increased by 50-70% in one of the harvested catchments as a consequence of increased runoff volume. The combined effects of logging and site preparation increased total and methyl-mercury concentrations by 30-50% relative to preharvest conditions in both treated catchments. The more pronounced concentration effect after site preparation compared to logging could be related to site preparation being conducted during summer. This caused more soil disturbance than logging, which was done during winter with snow covering the ground. The results suggest that the cumulative impact of forest harvest on catchment mercury outputs depends on when and how forestry operations are implemented.

Potential urban runoff impacts and contaminant distributions in shoreline and reservoir environments of Lake Havasu, southwestern United States.

PubMed

Wilson, Doyle C

2018-04-15

Heavy metal, nutrient, and hydrocarbon levels in and adjacent to Lake Havasu, a regionally significant water supply reservoir with a highly controlled, dynamic flow regime, are assessed in relation to possible stormwater runoff impacts from an arid urban center. Shallow groundwater and sediment analyses from ephemeral drainage (wash) mouths that convey stormwater runoff from Lake Havasu City, Arizona to the reservoir, provided contaminant control points and correlation ties with the reservoir environment. Fine-grain sediments tend to contain higher heavy metal concentrations whereas nutrients are more evenly distributed, except low total organic carbon levels from young wash mouth surfaces devoid of vegetation. Heavy metal and total phosphate sediment concentrations in transects from wash mouths into the reservoir have mixed and decreasing trends, respectively. Both series may indicate chemical depositional influences from urban runoff, yet no statistically significant concentration differences occur between specific wash mouths and corresponding offshore transects. Heavy metal pollution indices of all sediments indicate no discernible to minor contamination, indicating that runoff impacts are minimal. Nevertheless, several heavy metal concentrations from mid-reservoir sediment sites increase southward through the length of the reservoir. Continual significant water flow through the reservoir may help to disperse locally derived runoff particulates, which could mix and settle down gradient with chemical loads from upriver sources and local atmospheric deposition. Incorporating the shoreline environment with the reservoir investigation provides spatial continuity in assessing contaminant sources and distribution patterns. This is particularly acute in the investigation of energetic, flow-through reservoirs in which sources may be overlooked if solely analyzing the reservoir environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of potassium formate in airport storm water runoff by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Fries, Elke; Klasmeier, Jörg

2009-01-30

Potassium formate was extracted from airport storm water runoff by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and analyzed by GC-MS. Formate was transformed to formic acid by adding phosphoric acid. Subsequently, formic acid was derivatized to methyl formate by adding methanol. Using sodium [(2)H]formate (formate-d) as an internal standard, the relative standard deviation of the peak area ratio of formate (m/z 60) and formate-d (m/z 61) was 0.6% at a concentration of 208.5 mg L(-1). Calibration was linear in the range of 0.5-208.5 mg L(-1). The detection limit calculated considering the blank value was 0.176 mg L(-1). The mean concentration of potassium formate in airport storm water runoff collected after surface de-icing operations was 86.9 mg L(-1) (n=11) with concentrations ranging from 15.1 mg L(-1) to 228.6 mg L(-1).

A Pulse of Mercury and Major Ions in Snowmelt Runoff from a Small Arctic Alaska Watershed.

PubMed

Douglas, Thomas A; Sturm, Matthew; Blum, Joel D; Polashenski, Christopher; Stuefer, Svetlana; Hiemstra, Christopher; Steffen, Alexandra; Filhol, Simon; Prevost, Romain

2017-10-03

Atmospheric mercury (Hg) is deposited to Polar Regions during springtime atmospheric mercury depletion events (AMDEs) that require halogens and snow or ice surfaces. The fate of this Hg during and following snowmelt is largely unknown. We measured Hg, major ions, and stable water isotopes from the snowpack through the entire spring melt runoff period for two years. Our small (2.5 ha) watershed is near Barrow (now Utqiaġvik), Alaska. We measured discharge, made 10 000 snow depths, and collected over 100 samples of snow and meltwater for chemical analysis in 2008 and 2009 from the watershed snowpack and ephemeral stream channel. Results show an "ionic pulse" of mercury and major ions in runoff during both snowmelt seasons, but major ion and Hg runoff concentrations were roughly 50% higher in 2008 than in 2009. Though total discharge as a percent of total watershed snowpack water equivalent prior to the melt was similar in both years (36% in 2008 melt runoff and 34% in 2009), it is possible that record low precipitation in the summer of 2007 led to the higher major ion and Hg concentrations in 2008 melt runoff. Total dissolved Hg meltwater runoff of 14.3 (± 0.7) mg/ha in 2008 and 8.1 (± 0.4) mg/ha in 2009 is five to seven times higher than that reported from other arctic watersheds. We calculate 78% of snowpack Hg was exported with snowmelt runoff in 2008 and 41% in 2009. Our results suggest AMDE Hg complexed with Cl - or Br - may be less likely to be photochemically reduced and re-emitted to the atmosphere prior to snowmelt, and we estimate that roughly 25% of the Hg in snowmelt is attributable to AMDEs. Projected Arctic warming, with more open sea ice leads providing halogen sources that promote AMDEs, may provide enhanced Hg deposition, reduced Hg emission and, ultimately, an increase in snowpack and snowmelt runoff Hg concentrations.

Mineral-leaching chemical transport with runoff and sediment from severely eroded rare-earth tailings in southern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Huizhong; Cao, Longxi; Liang, Yin; Yuan, Jiuqin; Zhu, Yayun; Wang, Yi; Gu, Yalan; Zhao, Qiguo

2017-08-01

Rare-earth mining has led to severe soil erosion in southern China. Furthermore, the presence of the mineral-leaching chemical ammonium sulfate in runoff and sediment poses a serious environmental threat to downstream water bodies. In this paper, the characteristics of mineral-leaching chemicals in surface soil samples collected in the field were studied. In addition, NH4+ and SO42- transport via soil erosion was monitored using runoff and sediment samples collected during natural rainfall processes. The results demonstrated that the NH4+ contents in the surface sediment deposits increased from the top of the heap (6.56 mg kg-1) to the gully (8.23 mg kg-1) and outside the tailing heap (13.03 mg kg-1). The contents of SO42- in the different locations of the tailing heaps ranged from 27.71 to 40.33 mg kg-1. During typical rainfall events, the absorbed NH4+ concentrations (2.05, 1.26 mg L-1) in runoff were significantly higher than the dissolved concentrations (0.93, 1.04 mg L-1), while the absorbed SO42- concentrations (2.87, 1.92 mg L-1) were significantly lower than the dissolved concentrations (6.55, 7.51 mg L-1). The dissolved NH4+ and SO42- concentrations in runoff displayed an exponentially decreasing tendency with increasing transport distance (Y = 1. 02 ṡ exp( - 0. 00312X); Y = 3. 34 ṡ exp( - 0. 0185X)). No clear trend with increasing distance was observed for the absorbed NH4+ and SO42- contents in transported sediment. The NH4+ and SO42- contents had positive correlations with the silt and clay ratio in transported sediment but negative correlations with the sand ratio. These results provide a better understanding of the transport processes and can be used to develop equations to predict the transport of mineral-leaching chemicals in rare-earth tailings, which can provide a scientific foundation for erosion control and soil management in rare-earth tailing regions in southern China.

Evaluation of agricultural best-management practices in the Conestoga River headwaters, Pennsylvania; effects of pipe-outlet terracing on quantity and quality of surface runoff and ground water in a small carbonate-rock basin near Churchtown, Pennsylvania, 1983-89

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lietman, P.L.; Gustafson-Minnich, L. C.; Hall, D.W.

1997-01-01

Terracing effects on surface-runoff and ground- water quantity and quality were investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, during 1983-89 at a 23.1-acre agricultural site in Lancaster County, Pa., as part of the 1982 Rural Clean Water Program. The site, underlain by carbonate rock, was primarily corn and alfalfa fields; the median slope was 6 percent.Normal precipitation is about 42 inches per year. Average annual runoff was 11 percent and ground- water recharge was 37 percent of precipitation.Runoff quantity, suspended-sediment, and nutrient data, ground-water level and nutrient data, and precipitation-quantity data were collected for 21 months prior to, and 58 months after, pipe-outlet terrace construction. Data were analyzed by use of graphical, regression, covariate, cluster, Mann- Whitney Rank Sum test, and double-mass curvetechniques. Terracing changed runoff characteristics. Storm characteristics were similar throughout the study period. However, after terracing, storms producing less than 0.4 inch of precipitation rarely produced runoff. Total-storm discharge as a function of precipitation did not change significantly throughout the range of runoff-producing storms after terracing. Multiple-discharge peaks on hydrographs before terracing did not occur after terracing when hydrographs reflected the stepwisedraining of each terrace through the pipe outlet. After an initial 2-year period of terrace stabilization, suspended-sediment yield in runoff decreased significantly as a function of runoff. This result was expected because terracing decreased runoff energy, and because terrace ponding allowed time for sediment redeposition. Nitrate plus nitrite yields increased proportionally throughout the range of runoff during the post-terracing period relative to the pre- terracing period. After terracing, a combination of increased soil contact time and increased nitrification caused by wetter soils is believed to have increased nitrate concentrations in runoff. No significant change was found in yields of total nitrogen, ammonia plus organic nitrogen, or total phosphorus relative to runoff before and after terracing. Limited data suggest that fine-sediment particles (less than 0.62 micrometers in diameter), which continued to be discharged from the site, transported most of the phosphorus. Terracing did not significantly change the quantity of recharge to the carbonate aquifer. The mean annual water-table altitude did not change after terracing. Nitrate concentrations of ground water increased significantly at four of the site wells after terracing, probably because of increased contact time of the recharge with nutrient-rich soils in ponded terrace water. Qualitative evidence indicates that large decreases in nutrient requirements and nitrogen applications because of a crop change from corn to alfalfa upgradient of two site wells resulted in either no detectable change or a significant decrease in nitrate concentrations of ground water after terracing.

The effect of different surface materials on runoff quality in permeable pavement systems.

PubMed

Li, Haiyan; Li, Zhifei; Zhang, Xiaoran; Li, Zhuorong; Liu, Dongqing; Li, Tanghu; Zhang, Ziyang

2017-09-01

To investigate the effect of different permeable pavement surface materials on the removal of pollutants from urban storm-runoff, six commonly surface materials (porous asphalt, porous concrete, cement brick, ceramic brick, sand base brick, and shale brick) were selected in this study and the research was carried out by column experiments. Except the concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH 4 -N), nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 -N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in the influent and effluent that were measured, the removal mechanism of pollutants was discussed further. The results indicate that the surface materials influence the removal efficiency of pollutants greatly and have different effects on certain pollutant. Furthermore, the physical interception and adsorption would be the main mechanism for the removal of pollutants from runoff. For example, for all surface materials, the average removal efficiency of TSS is nearly about 90.0% because of physical interception. Due to the amount of iron oxide, the removal efficiency of COD, NO 3 -N, and TN of shale brick was 88.2, 35.1, and 17.5%, respectively. NH 4 -N and TN can be easily removed by porous asphalt due to the high content of organic matter. By lacking of useful adsorption sites, all the surface materials had little effect on the removal of TP from runoff. This research could offer useful guidelines for the better design of permeable pavement system and promote the insight into the removal mechanism of pollutants in permeable pavement system. Graphical abstract Different types of materials for the different types of pollutants in the runoff purification capacity were significantly different, overall, shale brick and porous asphalt Shale bricks and porous asphalt have a better purification effect according to the six kinds of materials.

Spatial and temporal variations in non-point source losses of nitrogen and phosphorus in a small agricultural catchment in the Three Gorges Region.

PubMed

Chen, Chenglong; Gao, Ming; Xie, Deti; Ni, Jiupai

2016-04-01

Losses of agricultural pollutants from small catchments are a major issue for water quality in the Three Gorges Region. Solutions are urgently needed. However, before pollutant losses can be controlled, information about spatial and temporal variations in pollutant losses is needed. The study was carried out in the Wangjiagou catchment, a small agricultural catchment in Fuling District, Chongqing, and the data about non-point source losses of nitrogen and phosphorus was collected here. Water samples were collected daily by an automatic water sampler at the outlets of two subcatchments from 2012 to 2014. Also, samples of surface runoff from 28 sampling sites distributed through the subcatchments were collected during 12 rainfall events in 2014. A range of water quality variables were analyzed for all samples and were used to demonstrate the variation in non-point losses of nitrogen and phosphorus over a range of temporal and spatial scales and in different types of rainfall in the catchment. Results showed that there was a significant linear correlation between the mass concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and nitrate (NO3-N) in surface runoff and that the relationship was maintained with changes in time. Concentrations of TN and NO3-N peaked after fertilizer was applied to crops in spring and autumn; concentrations decreased rapidly after the peak values in spring but declined slowly in autumn. N and P concentrations fluctuated more and showed a greater degree of dispersion during the spring crop cultivation period than those in autumn. Concentrations of TN and NO3-N in surface runoff were significantly and positively correlated with the proportion of the area that was planted with corn and mustard tubers, but were negatively correlated with the proportion of the area taken up with rice and mulberry plantations. The average concentrations of TN and NO3-N in surface runoff reached the highest level from the sampling points at the bottom of the land used for corn only, but lowest in rice fields. Slope gradient had a significant positive correlation with TN’s and total phosphorus (TP)’s concentration losses. Concentrations of TN, NO3-N, and total phosphorus were significantly correlated with rainfall. Peak concentrations of ammoniacal nitrogen occurred during the fertilizer application period in spring and autumn. Different structures of land use types had a significant influence on the concentration losses of nitrogen and phosphorus; thus, using a reasonable way to adjust land use structure and spatial arrangement of whole catchment was an effective solution to control non-point source pollution of the Three Gorges Region.

Role of Organic Matter in the Removal of Heavy Metals in Stormwater Runoff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrett, M.; Ingenloff, C.; Katz, L.

2011-12-01

Heavy metals (copper, zinc, and lead) are common constituents in highway runoff and concentrations in runoff from highway facilities are particularly high. These concentrations are also generally higher than observed in natural water bodies and several studies have demonstrated acute and chronic toxicity to aquatic ecosystems. One focus of this project is to assess the potential of sorption to reduce the concentration of metals in runoff. The difficulty evaluating adsorption in multi-component systems is to capture the impacts of background organic matter and other complexing ions on adsorption behavior. Very few studies have evaluated the ability of surface complexation models to predict adsorption in systems that contain organic matter from highway runoff. Moreover, the composition of the organic matter in stormwater runoff can be significantly different from natural organic matter typically used to assess the impact of background organics on metal ion adsorption. This research project specifically addresses these concerns and examines the impact of highway runoff on the adsorption behavior to determine whether existing surface complexation and chemical speciation models and parameter databases can be used to predict adsorption of target metal ions in these waters. Previous research has employed both actual storm water that has been obtained from actual field highway runoff sites as well as synthetic storm water compositions that have attempted to mimic the major components of natural storm water. Researchers and practitioners in the field generally agree on the importance of capturing the background water matrix; however, concerns associated with required volumes, holding times, aging, consistency and temporal and spatial variability often favor the use of synthetic formulations. While synthetic storm water can achieve the required consistency, numerous artifacts can be introduced due to the high reactivity of trace metal ions with background inorganic and organic ligands. Of particular concern, is the background organic matrix associated with stormwater. While most of the inorganic composition of natural stormwater can be adequately characterized using routine analytical procedures, characterization of organic matter to the same level of detail is not possible. Indeed, methods for characterization of natural organic matter typically only provide operational definitions of the composition. A compromise between using natural and synthetic storm water was therefore made by recognizing the importance of capturing the organic matter from natural storm water, but adding the flexibility of using synthetic storm water to provide the ionic composition. To alleviate concerns associated with storing large volumes and aging of organic solutions, the storm water was concentrated within twenty-four hours of collection using reverse osmosis and then freeze-dried. The freeze-dried organic matter will be reconstituted as needed at concentrations that mimic the initial total organic concentration of the stormwater when it was collected. This paper provides detailed guidance for the preparation of a synthetic water that can be used to simulate stormwater composition.

Impacts of absorbing aerosol deposition on snowpack and hydrologic cycle in the Rocky Mountain region using variable-resolution CESM (VR-CESM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, C.; Liu, X.; Lin, Z.; Rahimi-Esfarjani, S. R.; Lu, Z.

2017-12-01

Deposition of light-absorbing aerosols (LAAs) including black carbon (BC) and dust onto snow surface has been suggested to reduce the snow albedo, and modulate the snowpack and consequent hydrologic cycle. In this study we use the variable-resolution Community Earth System Model (VR-CESM) to quantify the impacts of LAAs deposition onto snow in the Rocky Mountain region (RMR) during the period of 1981-2005. We first evaluate the model simulation of LAA concentrations both in the atmosphere and in snow, and then investigate the snowpack and runoff changes induced by LAAs-in-snow. The model simulates similar magnitudes of surface atmospheric dust concentrations as observations, but underestimates surface atmospheric BC concentrations by about a factor of two. Despite of this, the magnitude of BC-in-snow concentrations is overall comparable to observations. Regional mean surface radiative effect (SRE) due to LAAs-in-snow reaches up to 0.6-1.7 W m-2 in spring, and dust contributes to about 21-43% of total SRE. Maximum surface air temperature increase due to the LLA's SRE is around 0.9-1.1oC. Snow water equivalent and snow cover fraction reduce by around 2-50 mm and 0.05-0.2, respectively in the two regions around the mountains (Eastern Snake River Plain and Southwestern Wyoming) due to positive snow-albedo feedbacks. During the snow melting period, LAAs accelerate the hydrologic cycle with runoff increased by 7%-42% in April-May and reduced by 2-23% in June-July in the mountainous regions. Under the influence of LAAs-in-snow, Southern Rockies experience the most significant reduction of runoff by about 15% in the later stage of snow melt (i.e., June-July). Our results highlight the potentially important role of LAAs-in-snow in the historical and future changes of snowpack in the RMR.

Reconnaissance of surface-water and ground-water quality at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial near Lincoln City, Indiana, 2001-02

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buszka, Paul M.; Fowler, Kathleen K.

2005-01-01

In cooperation with the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey investigated water quality of key water bodies at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial near Lincoln City in southwestern Indiana. The key water bodies were a stock pond, representing possible nonpoint agricultural effects on water quality; an ephemeral stream, representing the water quality of drainage from forested areas of the park; parking-lot runoff, representing water quality related to roads and parking lots; an unnamed ditch below the parking lot, representing the water quality of drainage from the parking lot and from an adjacent railroad track; and Lincoln Spring, a historical ground-water source representing ground-water conditions near a former diesel-fuel-spill site along a rail line. Water samples were analyzed for pH, temperature, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen and for concentrations of selected major ions and trace metals, nutrients, organic constituents, and Escherichia coli bacteria. Surface-water-quality data of water samples from the park represent baseline conditions for the area in relation to the data available from previous studies of area streams. Specific-conductance values and concentrations of most major ions and various nutrients in surface-water samples from the park were smaller than those reported for samples collected in other USGS studies in areas adjacent to the park. Water-quality-management issues identified by this investigation include potentially impaired water quality from parking-lot runoff, unknown effects on surface-water quality from adjacent railroads, and the potential impairment of water quality in Lincoln Spring from human influences. Parking-lot runoff is a source of calcium, alkalinity, iron, lead, and organic carbon in the water samples from the unnamed ditch. Detection of small concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons in water from Lincoln Spring could indicate residual contamination from a 1995 diesel-fuel spill and cleanup. The concentration of nitrite plus nitrate in water from Lincoln Spring was 16.5 milligrams per liter as nitrogen, greater than the State of Indiana standard for nitrate in drinking water (10 milligrams per liter as nitrogen). Lead concentrations in samples from the stock pond, parking-lot runoff, and the unnamed ditch exceeded the Indiana chronic aquatic criteria.

Impact of zinc roofing on urban runoff pollutant loads: the case of Paris.

PubMed

Gromaire, M C; Chebbo, G; Constant, A

2002-01-01

Previous research on the Marais catchment in Paris demonstrated the very high zinc and cadmium contamination of runoff from zinc roofing. Thus further investigations were aimed at evaluating the relative importance of this type of roofing in Paris and its potential contribution to zinc and cadmium loads in wet weather flows. According to these results, about 40% of the surface of roofs in Paris is covered with rolled zinc (1016 ha), and this proportion is not likely to vary significantly in the next years, due to architectural rules. The Zn and Cd concentrations measured in runoff from these roofs are in accordance with literature

[Effect of antecedent dry period on water quality of urban storm runoff pollution].

PubMed

Bian, Bo

2009-12-01

Identified the main factor influencing urban rainfall-runoff pollution provides a scientific basis for urban rainfall-runoff pollution control and management. Therefore, starting in May 2006, a study was conducted to characterize water quality from representative land uses types in Zhenjiang to analyse the effect of antecedent dry period on stormwater runoff quality. The results show that the beginning of rainfall, with the increase of antecedent dry periods, the percentages of less than 40 microm is increased, the correlation of the water quality parameters (TN, TP, Zn, Pb, Cu, TSS and COD) and antecedent dry period shows a significant positive correlation, dissolved pollutants in the initial period surface runoff is increased. These findings show that facilitating the recognition of antecedent dry periods is the main factor influencing the change in concentration and partitioning of pollutants to provide the scientific basis for non-point source pollution control and management.

Sustainable oil and grease removal from synthetic stormwater runoff using bench-scale bioretention studies.

PubMed

Hong, Eunyoung; Seagren, Eric A; Davis, Allen P

2006-02-01

One of the principal components of the contaminant load in urban stormwater runoff is oil and grease (O&G) pollution, resulting from vehicle emissions. A mulch layer was used as a contaminant trap to remove O&G (dissolved and particulate-associated naphthalene, dissolved toluene, and dissolved motor oil hydrocarbons) from a synthetic runoff during a bench-scale infiltration study. Approximately 80 to 95% removal of all contaminants from synthetic runoff was found via sorption and filtration. Subsequently, approximately 90% of the sorbed naphthalene, toluene, oil, and particulate-associated naphthalene was biodegraded within approximately 3, 4, 8, and 2 days after the event, respectively, based on decreases in contaminant concentrations coupled with increases of microbial populations. These results indicate the effectiveness and sustainability of placing a thin layer of mulch on the surface of a bioretention facility for reducing O&G pollution from urban stormwater runoff.

Runoff initiation from falling raindrops - comparison of smooth impervious surface and asphalt pavements. Effects of surface inclination and texture.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nezlobin, David; Pariente, Sarah; Lavee, Hanoch; Sachs, Eyal; Levenberg, Eyal

2017-04-01

The processes of runoff initiation on smooth impervious surfaces and various asphalt pavements are investigated in laboratory rain simulator experiments and outdoor sprinkling tests. Visual and FLIR observations indicate that runoff initiation is associated with coalescence of drop clusters on the surface and complex changes in micro-connectivity. Depending on surface inclination, several morphological regimes of flow initiation have been observed. In the case of very small inclination the runoff initiation is governed by critical merging of drop clusters on the surface and develops in broad flows (very abrupt, but delayed). For larger inclinations, the runoff occurs in rivulets or strongly directed flow threads. On asphalt pavements the runoff initiation is also strongly affected by pavement SVF (Surface Void Fraction), texture and even by the asphalt hydrophobicity. A simplified bi-level model of the pavement surface may explain principal differences in the runoff initiation on asphalts with small, intermediate and large SVF values. For small SVF (standard fresh asphalts) the runoff develops on the upper surface level, and filling of the surface voids is not always required (especially for the large inclinations). For intermediate SVF (considerably deteriorated asphalts) the runoff develops as well on the upper surface level, but only after considerable filling of the surface voids. Finally, on severely deteriorated asphalts (very large SVFs) the runoff develops on the "bottom" level of asphalt surface, after only partial filling of the surface voids. Other factors, such as drops splash and splitting, also affect the process of runoff initiation and explain rather considerable differences (sometimes of 2-3 mm rain depth) in the runoff thresholds on various non-porous asphalt pavements. Similar phenomena can be probably observed on certain types of rock outcrops.

Effects of lawn fertilizer on nutrient concentration in runoff from lakeshore lawns, Lauderdale Lakes, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garn, Herbert S.

2002-01-01

Transport of nutrients (primarily forms of nitrogen and phosphorus) to lakes and resulting accelerated eutrophication are serious concerns for planners and managers of lakes in urban and developing suburban areas of the country. Runoff from urban land surfaces such as streets, lawns, and rooftops has been noted to contain high concentrations of nutrients; lawns and streets were the largest sources of phosphorus in residential areas (Waschbusch, Selbig and Bannerman, 1999). The cumulative contribution from many lawns to the amount of nutrients in lakes is not well understood and potentially could be a large part of the total nutrient contribution.

Diffuse emission and control of copper in urban surface runoff.

PubMed

Boller, M A; Steiner, M

2002-01-01

Copper washed off from roofs and roads is considered to be a major contribution to diffuse copper pollution of urban environments. In order to guarantee sustainable protection of soils and water, the long-term strategy is to avoid or replace copper containing materials on roofs and fagades. Until achievement of this goal, a special adsorber system is suggested to control the diffuse copper fluxes by retention of copper by a mixture of granulated iron-hydroxide (GEH) and calcium carbonate. Since future stormwater runoff concepts are based on decentralised runoff infiltration into the underground, solutions are proposed which provide for copper retention in infiltration sites using GEH adsorption layers. The example of a large copper façade of which the runoff is treated in an adsorption trench reveals the first full-scale data on façade runoff and adsorber performance. During the first year of investigation average façade runoff concentrations in the range of 1-10 mg Cu/l are reduced by 96-99% in the adsorption ditch.

Origins and transport of aquatic dioxins in the Japanese watershed: soil contamination, land use, and soil runoff events.

PubMed

Kanematsu, Masakazu; Shimizu, Yoshihisa; Sato, Keisuke; Kim, Suejin; Suzuki, Tasuma; Park, Baeksoo; Saino, Reiko; Nakamura, Masafumi

2009-06-15

Significant dioxins accumulations in Japanese forests and paddy fields have been observed, and surface soil runoff caused by rainfall and irrigation (i.e., soil puddling in paddy fields) results in dioxins input into the aquatic environment. An extensive investigation into the origins and transport of aquatic dioxins in the Yasu watershed, Japan was conducted considering surface soil contamination level, land use, and type of soil runoff event (i.e., irrigation runoff [IR], rainfall runoff [RR], and base flow [BF]). Combined use of the chemically activated luciferase expression (CALUX) assay together with high-resolution gas chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) efficiently enabled this study, so that origins, transport, and dynamic movement of aquatic dioxins in the watershed were revealed. The particulate organic carbon normalized particulate-dioxins WHO-toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentration predicted by the CALUX assay (Spar) was found to be a convenient molecular marker to indicate origins of aquatic dioxins and clearly reflect surface soil contamination level, land use, and soil runoff events. Using experimental results and theoretical modeling, the annual loading amount of dioxins at the middle reach of the river was estimated to be 0.458 mg WHO-TEQ in 2004. More than 96.6% of the annual loading amount was attributed to RR and derived almost evenly from forest and paddy fields at the study location. Because the annual loading amount at the middle reach is less than 0.5% of the total dioxins accumulated in the upper basin, dioxins runoff from the Japanese watershed will continue. This study shows that the combined use of the bioassay with HRGC/HRMS can provide new insights into dioxins transport and fate in the environment.

Climatic Events and Historical Disturbances Control Acute and Chronic Water-Quality Impairment After Wildfire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, S. F.; Martin, D. A.; McCleskey, R. B.; Writer, J. H.

2016-12-01

Many studies have shown that surface water quality can be impaired after wildfire. The majority of these studies are typically conducted for short periods (1-2 years), and until recently, usually employed routine (fixed-interval) sampling. We monitored stream water quality for five years after a wildfire in the Colorado Front Range using a combination of routine sampling, storm sampling, and continuous sensors. This five-year study facilitated the measurement of post-wildfire water-quality response to a number of climatic events, including low- to moderate-intensity rain storms, drought, extreme rainfall (based on amount of rain that fell in a 7-day period), and the highest spring runoff recorded from the watershed during 23 years of record. Post-wildfire water quality was controlled by the hydrologic response to these climatic events, and by a legacy of historical disturbance from mining and related activities. Increased surface runoff during rain storms led to mobilization of sediment from hillslopes to stream channels. The sediment remained in stream channels during a drought that led to reduced (25% of mean) spring runoff, but this sediment, and associated constituents such as dissolved organic carbon and manganese, were remobilized into the water column and transported downstream during sustained high-flow spring runoff in the third year. We infer that the relative proportions of surface and subsurface runoff were altered by the wildfire and during the extreme rainfall, possibly leading to greater flow through abandoned mine adits and tunnels, and thus causing increased instream metal concentrations (such as arsenic and manganese). Post-wildfire water-quality issues were both acute, with significant water-quality impairment during storm events, and chronic, with elevated concentrations of sediment, nitrate, dissolved organic carbon, manganese, and arsenic for months to years after the wildfire. Such variable source water quality, in both contaminant type and concentration, presents a substantial challenge to water-treatment facilities. Climate change is projected to increase wildfire risk and possibly storm frequency and intensity, and thus the risk of wildfire impacts on water supplies is likely to worsen in the future.

Effects of detention on water quality of two stormwater detention ponds receiving highway surface runoff in Jacksonville, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hampson, P.S.

1986-01-01

Water and sediment samples were analyzed for major chemical constituents, nutrients, and heavy metals following ten storm events at two stormwater detention ponds that receive highway surface runoff in the Jacksonville, Florida, metropolitan area. The purpose of the sampling program was to detect changes in constituent concentration with time of detention within the pond system. Statistical inference of a relation with total rainfall was found in the initial concentrations of 11 constituents and with antecedent dry period for the initial concentrations of 3 constituents. Based on graphical examination and factor analysis , constituent behavior with time could be grouped into five relatively independent processes for one of the ponds. The processes were (1) interaction with shallow groundwater systems, (2) solubilization of bottom materials, (3) nutrient uptake, (4) seasonal changes in precipitation, and (5) sedimentation. Most of the observed water-quality changes in the ponds were virtually complete within 3 days following the storm event. (Author 's abstract)

An investigation of roof runoff during rain events at the Royal Military College of Canada and potential discharge to Lake Ontario.

PubMed

Kelly, David G; Weir, Ron D; White, Steven D

2011-01-01

The Royal Military College of Canada, located on the north eastern shore of Lake Ontario, possesses an abundance of copper roofs and lacks surface water treatment prior to discharge into Lake Ontario. Rainwater, roof runoff and soil samples were collected and analyzed for copper and other parameters. Copper was consistently detected in runoff samples with average concentrations of 3200 +/- 2100 microg/L. Multivariable linear regression analysis for a dependant copper runoff concentration yielded an adjusted R2 value of 0.611, based on an independent variable model using minimum temperature, maximum temperature, total precipitation, and wind speed. Lake water samples taken in the vicinity of storm water outfalls draining areas with copper roofs ranged from 2.0 to 40 microg/L copper. Such data exceed the 2.0 microg/L Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life as outlined by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). Analysis of raw, filtered and digested forms suggested that the majority of copper present in runoff and lake water samples was in a dissolved form. The majority of soils taken in this study displayed copper concentrations below the 63 microg/g CCME residential/parkland land use limits. These findings suggested that ion exchange processes between runoff water and soil do not occur to a sufficient extent to elevate copper levels in soil. It may therefore be concluded that the eventual fate of copper, which is not discharged via storm water outfalls, is lost to the water table and Lake Ontario through the sub-soil.

Concentrated flow paths in riparian buffer zones of southern Illinois

Treesearch

R.C. Pankau; J.E. Schoonover; K.W.J. Willard; P.J. Edwards

2012-01-01

Riparian buffers in agricultural landscapes should be designed to trap pollutants in overland flow by slowing, filtering, and infiltrating surface runoff entering the buffer via sheet flow. However, observational evidence suggests that concentrated flow is prevalent from agricultural fields. Over time sediment can accumulate in riparian buffers forming berms that...

Using Chemical Tracers to Estimate Pesticide Mass Discharge in an Agricultural Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, A. N.; Allen-King, R. M.; Van Biersel, T. P.; Keller, C. K.; Smith, J. L.

2001-12-01

The goal of this research is to use environmental tracers to quantify the contributions of subsurface and surface runoff to predict the mass discharge of non-point source agricultural pollutants to rivers at multiple scales of study. Easily measured chemical tracers, such as electrical conductivity (EC), are used to distinguish ground and surface water contributions to the river system. The study area is the Missouri Flat Creek watershed, a 14,400 ha semi-arid dryland agricultural setting located near Pullman, WA. Ground and surface water samples are collected at approximately two-week intervals from an ephemeral stream and a tile drain located in actively farmed and topographically constrained fields ( ~20 ha), and from seven stream-gaging stations. Surface water discharge is monitored continuously. Samples are routinely analyzed for two pesticides (the insecticide lindane or gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and the herbicide triallate, S-(2,3,3-trichloroallyl) diisopropylthiocarbamate), a nutrient (nitrate), and the tracers EC and silica. Lindane is applied as a seed coating on most spring and fall crops in the region. Observed lindane concentrations in the different hydrologic reservoirs ranged over approximately two orders of magnitude, from typically less than the detection limit ( ~0.005 μ g/L) in most soil pore water and groundwater samples to a weighted mean of 0.25 μ g/L in field (ephemeral stream) surface runoff. A two-component, ground and surface water, hydrograph separation was performed using tile drain and ephemeral stream tracer concentrations from field plots to represent groundwater and surface runoff end-members. The hydrograph separation was used to predict lindane discharge. Reasonable agreement between model and observed lindane discharge timing and trend supports the hypothesis that in-stream pesticide is derived from annual surface runoff. During the high flow winter months, the model predictions are two to five times greater than observed. The differences between the model and observed mass discharges are likely attributable to dilution (from fields to which the chemical was not applied) or attenuation by biological processes. These are the subjects of continued work.

Effects of selected low-impact-development (LID) techniques on water quality and quantity in the Ipswich River Basin, Massachusetts-Field and modeling studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zimmerman, Marc J.; Barbaro, Jeffrey R.; Sorenson, Jason R.; Waldron, Marcus C.

2010-01-01

During the months of August and September, flows in the Ipswich River, Massachusetts, dramatically decrease largely due to groundwater withdrawals needed to meet increased residential and commercial water demands. In the summer, rates of groundwater recharge are lower than during the rest of the year, and water demands are higher. From 2005 to 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey, in a cooperative funding agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, monitored small-scale installations of low-impact-development (LID) enhancements designed to diminish the effects of storm runoff on the quantity and quality of surface water and groundwater. Funding for the studies also was contributed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Targeted Watersheds Grant Program through a financial assistance agreement with Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The monitoring studies examined the effects of (1) replacing an impervious parking lot surface with a porous surface on groundwater quality, (2) installing rain gardens and porous pavement in a neighborhood of 3 acres on the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff, and (3) installing a 3,000-square foot (ft2) green roof on the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff. In addition, the effects of broad-scale implementation of LID techniques, reduced water withdrawals, and water-conservation measures on streamflow in large areas of the basin were simulated using the U.S. Geological Survey's Ipswich River Basin model. From June 2005 to 2007, groundwater quality was monitored at the Silver Lake town beach parking lot in Wilmington, MA, prior to and following the replacement of the conventional, impervious-asphalt surface with a porous surface consisting primarily of porous asphalt and porous pavers. Changes in the concentrations of the water-quality constituents, phosphorus, nitrogen, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, zinc, and total petroleum hydrocarbons, were monitored. Increased infiltration of precipitation did not result in discernible increases in concentrations of these potential groundwater contaminants. Concentrations of dissolved oxygen increased slightly in groundwater profiles following the removal of the impervious asphalt parking lot surface. In Wilmington, MA, in a 3-acre neighborhood, stormwater runoff volume and quality were monitored to determine the ability of selected LID enhancements (rain gardens and porous paving stones) to reduce flows and loads of the above constituents to Silver Lake. Flow-proportional water-quality samples were analyzed for nutrients, metals, total petroleum hydrocarbons, and total-coliform and Escherichia coli bacteria. In general, when all storms were considered, no substantial decreases were observed in runoff volume as a result of installing LID enhancements. However, the relation between rainfall and runoff did provide some insight into how the LID enhancements affected the effective impervious area for the neighborhood. A decrease in runoff was observed for storms of 0.2 inches (in.) or less of precipitation, which indicated a reduction in effective impervious area from approximately 10 percent to about 4.5 percent for the 3-acre area. Water-quality-monitoring results were inconclusive; there were no statistically significant differences in concentrations or loads when the pre- and post-installation-period samples were compared. Three factors were probably most important in minimizing differences: (1) the small decrease in effective impervious area, (2) the differences in the size of storms sampled for water-quality constituents before and after installation of the infiltration enhancing measures, and (3) small sample sizes. In a third field study, the characteristics of runoff from a vegetated 'green' roof and a conventional, rubber-membrane roof were compared. The amount of precipitation and the length of the antecedent dry period were the two primary factors affecting the gre

Impact of glyphosate-tolerant soybean and glufosinate-tolerant corn production on herbicide losses in surface runoff.

PubMed

Shipitalo, Martin J; Malone, Robert W; Owens, Lloyd B

2008-01-01

Residual herbicides used in the production of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] and corn (Zea mays L.) are often detected in surface runoff at concentrations exceeding their maximum contaminant levels (MCL) or health advisory levels (HAL). With the advent of transgenic, glyphosate-tolerant soybean and glufosinate-tolerant corn this concern might be reduced by replacing some of the residual herbicides with short half-life, strongly sorbed, contact herbicides. We applied both herbicide types to two chiseled and two no-till watersheds in a 2-yr corn-soybean rotation and at half rates to three disked watersheds in a 3-yr corn/soybean/wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) rotation and monitored herbicide losses in runoff water for four crop years. In soybean years, average glyphosate loss (0.07%) was approximately 1/7 that of metribuzin (0.48%) and about one-half that of alachlor (0.12%), residual herbicides it can replace. Maximum, annual, flow-weighted concentration of glyphosate (9.2 microg L(-1)) was well below its 700 microg L(-1) MCL and metribuzin (9.5 microg L(-1)) was well below its 200 microg L(-1) HAL, whereas alachlor (44.5 microg L(-1)) was well above its 2 microg L(-1) MCL. In corn years, average glufosinate loss (0.10%) was similar to losses of alachlor (0.07%) and linuron (0.15%), but about one-fourth that of atrazine (0.37%). Maximum, annual, flow-weighted concentration of glufosinate (no MCL) was 3.5 microg L(-1), whereas atrazine (31.5 microg L(-1)) and alachlor (9.8 microg L(-1)) substantially exceeded their MCLs of 3 and 2 microg L(-1), respectively. Regardless of tillage system, flow-weighted atrazine and alachlor concentrations exceeded their MCLs in at least one crop year. Replacing these herbicides with glyphosate and glufosinate can reduce the occurrence of dissolved herbicide concentrations in runoff exceeding drinking water standards.

[Hydrology and water quality of rainfall-runoff in combined sewerage system along Suzhou Creek in central Shanghai].

PubMed

Cheng, Jiang; Yang, Kai; Huang, Xiao-Fang; Lü, Yong-Peng

2009-07-15

In order to obtain the processes of hydrology and water quality of urban combined sewerage system (CSS) in highly urbanized region, the precipitation, discharge and pollutant concentration of four different intensity rainfall (light rain, moderate rain, heavy rain and storm) were measured from Jul. to Sep. 2007 in the Chendulu CSS along Suzhou Creek in Shanghai. The results show that the shapes of runoff graph are similar to rainfall graph, with a weaker fluctuation range and a 15-25 min delay between rainfall and runoff graph. Runoff coefficients of the four different rainfall are 0.33, 0.62, 0.67 and 0.73, respectively. The 30/30 first flush phenomenon is found in Chendulu CSS. The peak of pollutant concentration graph lags rainfall peak about 30-40 min. The pH and event mean concentration (EMC) of Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni totally measure up to environmental quality standards V for surface water of China besides COD, BOD5, NH4(+) -N and TP, and the EMC of COD, BOD5, NH4(+) -N and TP are 225.0-544.1, 31.5-98.9, 8.9-44.2 and 1.98-3.52 mg x L(-1), respectively. The rainfall-runoff pollutant concentration in Chendulu CSS is close to those of other foreign cites. At the confidence level of p < 0.01, good relationships exist between SS and COD, BOD5, NH4(+) -N and TP, respectively, and the average proportion of particulate organic pollutant and nutrient is 70.21%.

CONCENTRATIONS AND ESTIMATED LOADS OF NITROGEN CONTRIBUTED BY TWO ADJACENT WETLAND STREAMS WITH DIFFERENT FLOW-SOURCE TERMS IN WATKINSVILLE, GA

EPA Science Inventory

Inorganic, fixed nitrogen from agricultural settings often is introduced to first-order streams via surface runoff and shallow ground-water flow. Best management practices for limiting the flux of fixed N to surface waters often include buffers such as wetlands. However, the eff...

CONCENTRATIONS AND ESTIMATED LOADS OF NITROGEN CONTRIBUTED BY TWO ADJACENT WETLAND STREAMS WITH DIFFERENT FLOW-SOURCE TERMS IN WATKINSVILLE, GEORGIA

EPA Science Inventory

Inorganic, fixed nitrogen from agricultural settings often is introduced to first-order streams via surface runoff and shallow ground-water flow. Best management practices for limiting the flux of fixed N to surface waters often include buffers such as wetlands. However, the eff...

Sediment production from forest road surfaces.

Treesearch

Leslie Reid; T. Dunne

2011-01-01

Erosion on roads is an important source of fine-grained sediment in streams draining logged basins of the Pacific Northwest. Runoff rates and sediment concentrations from 10 road segments subject to a variety of traffic levels were monitored to produce sediment rating curves and unit hydrographs for different use levels and types of surfaces. These relationships are...

Numerical simulation and experimental study on farmland nitrogen loss to surface runoff in a raindrop driven process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiayun; Tong, Juxiu; Xia, Chuanan; Hu, Bill X.; Zhu, Hao; Yang, Rui; Wei, Wenshuo

2017-06-01

It has been widely recognized that surface runoff from agricultural field is an important non-point pollution source, which however, the chemical transfer amount in the process is very difficult to be quantified in field since some variables and natural factors are hard to control, such as rainfall intensity, temperature, wind speeds and soil spatial heterogeneity, which may significantly affect the field experimental results. Therefore, a physically based nitrogen transport model was developed and tested with the so called semi-field experiments (i.e., artificial rainfall was used instead of natural rainfall, but other conditions were natural) in this paper. Our model integrated the raindrop driven process and diffusion effect with the simplified nitrogen chain reactions. In this model, chemicals in the soil surface layer, or the 'exchange layer', were transformed into the surface runoff layer due to raindrop impact. The raindrops also have a significant role on the diffusion process between the exchange layer and the underlying soil. The established mathematical model was solved numerically through the modified Hydrus-1d source code, and the model simulations agreed well with the experimental data. The modeling results indicate that the depth of the exchange layer and raindrop induced water transfer rate are two important parameters for the simulation results. Variation of the water transfer rate, er, can strongly influence the peak values of the NO-3-N and NH+4-N concentration breakthrough curves. The concentration of NO-3-N is more sensitive to the exchange layer depth, de, than NH+4-N. In general, the developed model well describes the nitrogen loss into surface runoff in a raindrop driven process. Since the raindrop splash erosion process may aggravate the loss of chemical fertilizer, choosing an appropriate fertilization time and application method is very important to prevent the pollution.

Use of isotopically labeled fertilizer to trace nitrogen fertilizer contributions to surface, soil, and ground water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkison, D.H.; Blevins, D.W.; Silva, S.R.

2000-01-01

The fate and transport of a single N fertilizer application through plants, soil, runoff, and the unsaturated and saturated zones was determined for four years at a field site under continuous corn (Zea mays L.) management. Claypan soils, which underlie the site, were hypothesized to restrict the movement of agrichemicals from the soil surface to ground water. However, N fertilizer moved rapidly through preferential flow paths in the soil and into the underlying glacial till aquifer. Most N transport occurred during the fall and winter when crops were not available to use excess N. Forty months after application, 33 percent of the fertilizer had been removed by grain harvests, 30 percent had been transpired to the atmosphere, and 33 percent had migrated to ground water. Although runoff volumes were 50 percent greater than infiltration, less than 2 percent of the fertilizer was lost to runoff. Small measured denitrification rates and large measured dissolved oxygen concentrations in ground water favor the long-term stability of NO3-1 in ground water. Successive fertilizer applications, in areas that lack the ability to moderate N concentrations through consumptive N reactions, risk the potential of N-saturated ecosystems.

Acute toxicity of runoff from sealcoated pavement to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pimephales promelas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahler, Barbara J.; Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Kunz, James L.; Little, Edward E.

2015-01-01

Runoff from coal-tar-based (CT) sealcoated pavement is a source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and N-heterocycles to surface waters. We investigated acute toxicity of simulated runoff collected from 5 h to 111 days after application of CT sealcoat and from 4 h to 36 days after application of asphalt-based sealcoat containing about 7% CT sealcoat (AS/CT-blend). Ceriodaphnia dubia (cladocerans) and Pimephales promelas (fathead minnows) were exposed in the laboratory to undiluted and 1:10 diluted runoff for 48 h, then transferred to control water and exposed to 4 h of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Mortality following exposure to undiluted runoff from unsealed asphalt pavement and UVR was ≤10% in all treatments. Test organisms exposed to undiluted CT runoff samples collected during the 3 days (C. dubia) or 36 days (P. promelas) following sealcoat application experienced 100% mortality prior to UVR exposure; with UVR exposure, mortality was 100% for runoff collected across the entire sampling period. Phototoxic-equivalent PAH concentrations and mortality demonstrated an exposure-response relation. The results indicate that runoff remains acutely toxic for weeks to months after CT sealcoat application.

Acute toxicity of runoff from sealcoated pavement to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pimephales promelas.

PubMed

Mahler, Barbara J; Ingersoll, Christopher G; Van Metre, Peter C; Kunz, James L; Little, Edward E

2015-04-21

Runoff from coal-tar-based (CT) sealcoated pavement is a source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and N-heterocycles to surface waters. We investigated acute toxicity of simulated runoff collected from 5 h to 111 days after application of CT sealcoat and from 4 h to 36 days after application of asphalt-based sealcoat containing about 7% CT sealcoat (AS/CT-blend). Ceriodaphnia dubia (cladocerans) and Pimephales promelas (fathead minnows) were exposed in the laboratory to undiluted and 1:10 diluted runoff for 48 h, then transferred to control water and exposed to 4 h of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Mortality following exposure to undiluted runoff from unsealed asphalt pavement and UVR was ≤10% in all treatments. Test organisms exposed to undiluted CT runoff samples collected during the 3 days (C. dubia) or 36 days (P. promelas) following sealcoat application experienced 100% mortality prior to UVR exposure; with UVR exposure, mortality was 100% for runoff collected across the entire sampling period. Phototoxic-equivalent PAH concentrations and mortality demonstrated an exposure-response relation. The results indicate that runoff remains acutely toxic for weeks to months after CT sealcoat application.

Atmospheric deposition and storm induced runoff of heavy metals from different impermeable urban surfaces.

PubMed

Wicke, Daniel; Cochrane, Thomas A; O'Sullivan, Aisling D

2012-01-01

Contaminants deposited on impermeable surfaces migrate to stormwater following rainfall events, but accurately quantifying their spatial and temporal yields useful for mitigation purposes is challenging. To overcome limitations in current sampling methods, a system was developed for rapid quantification of contaminant build-up and wash-off dynamics from different impervious surfaces. Thin boards constructed of concrete and two types of asphalt were deployed at different locations of a large carpark to capture spatially distributed contaminants from dry atmospheric deposition over specified periods of time. Following experimental exposure time, the boards were then placed under a rainfall simulator in the laboratory to generate contaminant runoff under controlled conditions. Single parameter effects including surface roughness and material composition, number of antecedent dry days, rain intensity, and water quality on contaminant build-up and wash-off yields could be investigated. The method was applied to quantify spatial differences in deposition rates of contaminants (TSS, zinc, copper and lead) at two locations varying in their distance to vehicle traffic. Results showed that boards exposed at an unused part of the carpark >50 m from vehicular traffic captured similar amounts of contaminants compared with boards that were exposed directly adjacent to the access route, indicating substantial atmospheric contaminant transport. Furthermore, differences in contaminant accumulation as a function of surface composition were observed. Runoff from asphalt boards yielded higher zinc loads compared with concrete surfaces, whereas runoff from concrete surfaces resulted in higher TSS concentrations attributed to its smoother surfaces. The application of this method enables relationships between individual contaminant behaviour and specific catchment characteristics to be investigated and provides a technique to derive site-specific build-up and wash-off functions required for modelling contaminant loads from impermeable surfaces.

A mathematical model for soil solute transfer into surface runoff as influenced by rainfall detachment.

PubMed

Yang, Ting; Wang, Quanjiu; Wu, Laosheng; Zhao, Guangxu; Liu, Yanli; Zhang, Pengyu

2016-07-01

Nutrients transport is a main source of water pollution. Several models describing transport of soil nutrients such as potassium, phosphate and nitrate in runoff water have been developed. The objectives of this research were to describe the nutrients transport processes by considering the effect of rainfall detachment, and to evaluate the factors that have greatest influence on nutrients transport into runoff. In this study, an existing mass-conservation equation and rainfall detachment process were combined and augmented to predict runoff of nutrients in surface water in a Loess Plateau soil in Northwestern Yangling, China. The mixing depth is a function of time as a result of rainfall impact, not a constant as described in previous models. The new model was tested using two different sub-models of complete-mixing and incomplete-mixing. The complete-mixing model is more popular to use for its simplicity. It captured the runoff trends of those high adsorption nutrients, and of nutrients transport along steep slopes. While the incomplete-mixing model predicted well for the highest observed concentrations of the test nutrients. Parameters inversely estimated by the models were applied to simulate nutrients transport, results suggested that both models can be adopted to describe nutrients transport in runoff under the impact of rainfall. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Cd Runoff Load and Soil Profile Movement After Implementation of Some Typical Contaminated Agricultural Soil Remediation Strategies].

PubMed

Liu, Xiao-li; Zeng, Zhao-xia; Tie, Bai-qing; Chen, Qiu-wen; Wei, Xiang-dong

2016-02-15

Owing to the strong ability to immobilize and hyperaccumulate some toxic heavy metals in contaminated soils, the biochar, lime and such as hyperaccumulator ramie received increasing interests from crops and environment safety in recent years. Outdoor pot experiment was conducted to compare the impacts of lime and biochar addition in paddy rice treatment, hyperaccumulator ramie and ramie combined with EDTA of plant Phytoremediation methods on soil available Cd dynamics in rainfall runoff and the mobility along soil profile, under both natural acid precipitation and acid soil conditions. The results showed that, biochar addition at a 2% mass ratio application amount significantly increased soil pH, while ramie with EDTA application obviously decreased soil pH compared to ramie monoculture. Within the same rainfall events, water soluble Cd concentration in surface runoff of ramie treatments was significantly higher than those of waterlogged rice treatments, and Cd concentration in runoff was obviously increased after EDTA addition, whereas lime at a 0.3% mass ratio application amount as additive had no obvious impact on soil pH and Cd speciation change, which may be due to the low application amount. During the whole experimental period , water soluble Cd concentration of rainfall runoff in spring was higher than that in summer, showing the same seasonal characteristics in all treatments. Biochar addition could significantly decrease available Cd content in 0-20 cm soil layer and with certain preferable persistency effects, whereas EDTA addition treatment obviously increased available Cd of 0-20 cm soil layer compared to other treatments, and obvious Cd element activation phenomenon in 20-40 cm soil layer was observed after EDTA addition. In conclusion, lime and biochar as environmental and friendly alkaline Cd immobilization materials showed lower environment risk to surface and ground receiving water, but attention should be paid to phytoremediation enhanced with EDTA or other organic acid before promotion and field application for heavy metals removal from contaminated soils.

[Runoff loss of soil mineral nitrogen and its relationship with grass coverage on Loess slope land].

PubMed

Zhang, Yali; Li, Huai'en; Zhang, Xingchang; Xiao, Bo

2006-12-01

In a simulated rainfall experiment on Loess slope land, this paper determined the rainfall, surface runoff and the effective depth of interaction (EDI) between rainfall and soil mineral nitrogen, and studied the effects of grass coverage on the EDI and the runoff loss of soil mineral nitrogen. The results showed that with the increase of EDI, soil nitrogen in deeper layers could be released into surface runoff through dissolution and desorption. The higher the grass coverage, the deeper the EDI was. Grass coverage promoted the interaction between surface runoff and surface soil. On the slope land with 60%, 80% and 100% of grass coverage, the mean content of runoff mineral nitrogen increased by 34.52%, 32.67% and 6.00%, while surface runoff decreased by 4.72%, 9.84% and 12.89%, and eroded sediment decreased by 83.55%, 87.11% and 89.01%, respectively, compared with bare slope land. The total runoff loss of soil mineral nitrogen on the lands with 60%, 80%, and 100% of grass coverage was 95.73%, 109.04%, and 84.05% of that on bare land, respectively. Grass cover had dual effects on the surface runoff of soil mineral nitrogen. On one hand, it enhanced the influx of soil mineral nitrogen to surface runoff, and on the other hand, it markedly decreased the runoff, resulting in the decrease of soil mineral nitrogen loss through runoff and sediment. These two distinct factors codetermined the total runoff loss of soil mineral nitrogen.

[Runoff and sediment yielding processes on red soil engineering accumulation containing gravels by a simulated rainfall experiment].

PubMed

Shi, Qian-hua; Wang, Wen-long; Guo, Ming-ming; Bai, Yun; Deng, Li-qiang; Li, Jian-ming; Li, Yao-lin

2015-09-01

Engineering accumulation formed in production and construction projects is characterized by unique structure and complex material composition. Characteristics of soil erosion on the engineering accumulation significantly differ from those on farmland. An artificially simulated rainfall experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of rainfall intensity on the processes of runoff and sediment yielding on the engineering accumulation of different gravel contents (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) in red soil regions. Results showed that the initial time of runoff generation decreased with increases in rainfall intensity and gravel content, the decreased amplitudes being about 48.5%-77.9% and 4.2%-34.2%, respectively. The initial time was found to be a power function of rainfall intensity. Both runoff velocity and runoff rate manifested a trend of first rising and then in a steady state with runoff duration. Rainfall intensity was found to be the main factor influencing runoff velocity and runoff rate, whereas the influence of gravel content was not significant. About 10% of gravel content was determined to be a critical value in the influence of gravel content on runoff volume. For the underlying surface of 10% gravel content, the runoff volume was least at rainfall intensity of 1.0 mm · min(-1) and maximum at rainfall intensity of greater than 1.0 mm · min(-1). The runoff volume in- creased 10%-60% with increase in rainfall intensity. Sediment concentration showed a sharp decline in first 6 min and then in a stable state in rest of time. Influence of rainfall intensity on sediment concentration decreased as gravel content increased. Gravels could reduce sediment yield significantly at rainfall intensity of greater than 1.0 mm · min(-1). Sediment yield was found to be a linear function of rainfall intensity and gravel content.

Inevitable end-of-21st-century trends toward earlier surface runoff timing in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, M. A.; Hall, A. D.; Sun, F.; Walton, D.; Berg, N.

2015-12-01

Hybrid dynamical-statistical downscaling is used to produce surface runoff timing projections for California's Sierra Nevada, a high-elevation mountain range with significant seasonal snow cover. First, future climate change projections (RCP8.5 forcing scenario, 2081-2100 period) from five CMIP5 global climate models (GCMs) are dynamically downscaled. These projections reveal that future warming leads to a shift toward earlier snowmelt and surface runoff timing throughout the Sierra Nevada region. Relationships between warming and surface runoff timing from the dynamical simulations are used to build a simple statistical model that mimics the dynamical model's projected surface runoff timing changes given GCM input or other statistically-downscaled input. This statistical model can be used to produce surface runoff timing projections for other GCMs, periods, and forcing scenarios to quantify ensemble-mean changes, uncertainty due to intermodel variability and consequences stemming from choice of forcing scenario. For all CMIP5 GCMs and forcing scenarios, significant trends toward earlier surface runoff timing occur at elevations below 2500m. Thus, we conclude that trends toward earlier surface runoff timing by the end-of-the-21st century are inevitable. The changes to surface runoff timing diagnosed in this study have implications for many dimensions of climate change, including impacts on surface hydrology, water resources, and ecosystems.

Simulating high frequency water quality monitoring data using a catchment runoff attenuation flux tool (CRAFT).

PubMed

Adams, Russell; Quinn, Paul F; Perks, Matthew; Barber, Nicholas J; Jonczyk, Jennine; Owen, Gareth J

2016-12-01

High resolution water quality data has recently become widely available from numerous catchment based monitoring schemes. However, the models that can reproduce time series of concentrations or fluxes have not kept pace with the advances in monitoring data. Model performance at predicting phosphorus (P) and sediment concentrations has frequently been poor with models not fit for purpose except for predicting annual losses. Here, the data from the Eden Demonstration Test Catchments (DTC) project have been used to calibrate the Catchment Runoff Attenuation Flux Tool (CRAFT), a new, parsimonious model developed with the aim of modelling both the generation and attenuation of nutrients and sediments in small to medium sized catchments. The CRAFT has the ability to run on an hourly timestep and can calculate the mass of sediments and nutrients transported by three flow pathways representing rapid surface runoff, fast subsurface drainage and slow groundwater flow (baseflow). The attenuation feature of the model is introduced here; this enables surface runoff and contaminants transported via this pathway to be delayed in reaching the catchment outlet. It was used to investigate some hypotheses of nutrient and sediment transport in the Newby Beck Catchment (NBC) Model performance was assessed using a suite of metrics including visual best fit and the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency. It was found that this approach for water quality models may be the best assessment method as opposed to using a single metric. Furthermore, it was found that, when the aim of the simulations was to reproduce the time series of total P (TP) or total reactive P (TRP) to get the best visual fit, that attenuation was required. The model will be used in the future to explore the impacts on water quality of different mitigation options in the catchment; these will include attenuation of surface runoff. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reconnaissance of surface-water resources in the Kobuk River basin, Alaska, 1979-80

USGS Publications Warehouse

Childers, J.M.; Kernodle, D.R.

1983-01-01

Surface water data were collected at selected sites in the Kobuk River Basin in northwest Alaska in August 1979 and April 1980. In August 1979, frequent heavy rains caused abnormally high flows in the basin; unit runoff values, computed from discharge measurements at 25 sites, ranged from 0.08 to 12.2 cu ft/sec/sq mi. Mean unit runoff for August computed from 13 years of record at a stream gaging station on the Kobuk River ranged from 1 to 3 cu ft/sec/sq mi. Unit runoff computed from discharge measurements made at eight sites in April 1980 ranged from 0 to 0.30 cubic feet per second per square mile. These values are in reasonable agreement with those derived from the record at the gaging station. High-water marks of maximum evident floods and evidence of ice-affected flooding were found at near bankfull stages at 17 sites on the Kobuk River and its tributaries. Computed unit runoff for the maximum evident floods generally decreases with increasing drainage area. Unit runoff ranges from about 50 to 75 cu ft/sec/sq mi for drainage areas < 1,000 sq mi to < 25 cu ft/sec/sq mi for larger areas. Field determinations were made of water temperature, pH, alkalinity, dissolved-oxygen concentration, and specific conductance, and discharge was measured at about 40 stream sites and one spring. Water samples for laboratory analysis of dissolved inorganic constituents and biological samples were collected in August 1979. Water quality data indicate that the surface waters would be acceptable for most uses; they are a calcium bicarbonate type having dissolved-solids concentrations between 50 and 140 milligm/liter. The pristine nature of the waters is also indicated by the overall diversity and composition of its benthic invertebrate community. A more highly mineralized (about 550 milligm/liter dissolved solids) sodium bicarbonate water flows from Reed River Hot Spring. (USGS)

Isolation of animal viruses from farm livestock waste, soil and water.

PubMed Central

Derbyshire, J. B.; Brown, E. G.

1978-01-01

Ten porcine enteroviruses, 2 porcine adenoviruses and 1 coronavirus were isolated directly from 32 samples of slurry collected from a pig fattening house. Concentration of the same samples by adsorption with the polyelectrolyte PE-60 yielded 24 porcine enteroviruses and 3 porcine adenoviruses. A porcine enterovirus was isolated, following PE-60 concentration, from 1 to 6 slurry samples from a sow farrowing house. No virus was isolated from 12 samples of slurry from dairy cows nor from 6 slurry samples from a calf-rearing unit. A porcine enterovirus was isolated from soil samples, after concentration with PE-60, collected 1, 2 and 8 days after pig slurry was spread on hay stubble. Two porcine enteroviruses were isolated by membrane filtration from 26 samples of surface run-off from land on which pig slurry was routinely spread, and 2 bovine enteroviruses were isolated from cattle feedlot run-off after adsorption to layers of talc and celite followed by hydroextraction. A porcine enterovirus was also isolated from 1 of 33 samples of surface water collected on farms on which pig slurry was routinely spread on the land, but no virus was isolated from 36 samples of ground water from the same farms. The surface water and ground water samples were concentrated by talc-celite adsorption and hydroextraction. PMID:100551

Pesticides in storm runoff from agricultural and urban areas in the Tuolumne River basin in the vicinity of Modesto, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kratzer, Charles R.

1998-01-01

The occurrence, concentrations, and loads of dissolved pesticides in storm runoff were compared for two contrasting land uses in the Tuolumne River Basin, California, during two different winter storms: agricultural areas (February 1994) and the Modesto urban area (February 1995). Both storms followed the main application period of pesticides on dormant almond orchards. Eight samples of runoff from agricultural areas were collected from a Tuolumne River site, and 10 samples of runoff from urban areas were collected from five storm drains. All samples were analyzed for 46 pesticides. Six pesticides were detected in runoff from agricultural areas, and 15 pesticides were detected in runoff from urban areas. Chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dacthal (DCPA), metolachlor, and simazine were detected in almost every sample. Median concentrations were higher in the runoff from urban areas for all pesticides except napropamide and simazine. The greater occurrence and concentrations in storm drains is partly attributed to dilution of agricultural runoff by nonstorm base-flow in the Tuolumne River and by storm runoff from nonagricultural and nonurban land. In most cases, the occurrence and relative concentrations of pesticides found in storm runoff from agricultural and urban areas were related to reported pesticide application. Pesticide concentrations in runoff from agricultural areas were more variable during the storm hydrograph than were concentrations in runoff from urban areas. All peak pesticide concentrations in runoff from agricultural areas occurred during the rising limb of the storm hydrograph, whereas peak concentrations in the storm drains occurred at varying times during the storm hydrograph. Transport of pesticides from agricultural areas during the February 1994 storm exceeded transport from urban areas during the February 1995 storm for chlorpyrifos, diazinon, metolachlor, napropamide, and simazine. Transport of DCPA was about the same from agricultural and urban sources, and the main source of transport for the other pesticides could not be determined because of concentrations less than the method detection limit.

Characteristics of storm runoff and sediment dispersal in the San Pedro Channel, southern California.

PubMed

Ahn, J H; Grant, S B

2007-01-01

In-site measurements of particle size spectra were obtained from three offshore cruises to evaluate the physical consequences of increased sediment transport and deposition offshore which was caused by episodic storm runoff water from the Santa Ana River watershed, a highly urbanised coastal watershed in southern California. Of the total annual runoff discharge to the coastal ocean, 89.2% occurred in the 2003/2004 winter season, and 0.22 Mt of sediment mass was transported during the storm events. The runoff plume at surface taken offshore by cross-shore currents progressed rapid aggregation and sedimentation, while the initially high concentration of suspended sediment discharged from the river outlet was dominated by small particles. Vertical profiles of particle size spectra revealed two separated plumes near the river outlet and turbidity plume along the bottom consisted of an abundance of very fine and dense particles. It would appear to support the theory that even if the storm runoff does not carry a high concentration of sediment being capable of generating negative buoyancy, sediment deposition on the shelf might mobilise in dense, fluid mud transported offshore by gravity. In a coastal pollution context, sediment particle size spectra information may offer potentially useful means of characterising particle-associated pollutants for purposes of source tracking and environmental interpretation.

Nutrient transport in surface runoff and interflow from an aspen-birch forest

Treesearch

D.R. Timmons; E.S. Verry; R.E. Burwell; R.F. Holt

1977-01-01

Nutrients transported in surface runoff and interflow from an undisturbed aspen-birch (Populus tremuloides Michx., and Betula papyrifera Marsh.) forest (6.48 ha) in northern Minnesota were measured for 3 years. Surface runoff from snowmelt accounted for 97% of the average annual surface runoff and for 57% of the average annual...

Flood damage claims reveal insights about surface runoff in Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernet, D. B.; Prasuhn, V.; Weingartner, R.

2015-12-01

A few case studies in Switzerland exemplify that not only overtopping water bodies frequently cause damages to buildings. Reportedly, a large share of the total loss due to flooding in Switzerland goes back to surface runoff that is formed and is propagating outside of regular watercourses. Nevertheless, little is known about when, where and why such surface runoff occurs. The described process encompasses surface runoff formation, followed by unchannelised overland flow until a water body is reached. It is understood as a type of flash flood, has short response times and occurs diffusely in the landscape. Thus, the process is difficult to observe and study directly. A promising source indicating surface runoff indirectly are houseowners' damage claims recorded by Swiss Public Insurance Companies for Buildings (PICB). In most of Switzerland, PICB hold a monopoly position and insure (almost) every building. Consequently, PICB generally register all damages to buildings caused by an insured natural hazard (including surface runoff) within the respective zones. We have gathered gapless flood related claim records of most of all Swiss PICB covering more than the last two decades on average. Based on a subset, we have developed a methodology to differentiate claims related to surface runoff from other causes. This allows us to assess the number of claims as well as total loss related to surface runoff and compare these to the numbers of overtopping watercourses. Furthermore, with the good data coverage, we are able to analyze surface runoff related claims in space and time, from which we can infer spatial and temporal characteristics of surface runoff. Although the delivered data of PICB are heterogeneous and, consequently, time-consuming to harmonize, our first results show that exploiting these damage claim records is feasible and worthwhile to learn more about surface runoff in Switzerland.

Seasonal variation of fecal indicator bacteria in storm events within the US stormwater database.

PubMed

Pan, Xubin; Jones, Kim D

2012-01-01

Bacteria are one of the major causes of surface water impairments in the USA. Over the past several years, best management practices, including detention basins, manufactured devices, grass swales, filters and bioretention cells have been used to remove bacteria and other pollutants from stormwater runoff. However, there are data gaps in the comprehensive studies of bacteria concentrations in stormwater runoff. In this paper, the event mean concentration (EMC) of fecal indicator bacteria (Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, fecal Streptococcus group bacteria, and fecal coliform) across the USA was retrieved from the international stormwater best management practices database to analyze the seasonal variations of inflow and outflow event mean concentrations and removal efficiencies. The Kruskal-Wallis test was employed to determine the seasonal variations of bacteria indicator concentrations and removals, and the two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used for comparing different seasonal outcomes. The results indicate that all the inflow EMC of FIB in stormwater runoff is above the water quality criteria. The seasonal differences of fecal Streptococcus group bacteria and fecal coliform are significant. Summer has the potential to increase the bacteria EMC and illustrate the seasonal differences.

Analysis of factors controlling soil phosphorus loss with surface runoff in Huihe National Nature Reserve by principal component and path analysis methods.

PubMed

He, Jing; Su, Derong; Lv, Shihai; Diao, Zhaoyan; Bu, He; Wo, Qiang

2018-01-01

Phosphorus (P) loss with surface runoff accounts for the P input to and acceleration of eutrophication of the freshwater. Many studies have focused on factors affecting P loss with surface runoff from soils, but rarely on the relationship among these factors. In the present study, rainfall simulation on P loss with surface runoff was conducted in Huihe National Nature Reserve, in Hulunbeier grassland, China, and the relationships between P loss with surface runoff, soil properties, and rainfall conditions were examined. Principal component analysis and path analysis were used to analyze the direct and indirect effects on P loss with surface runoff. The results showed that P loss with surface runoff was closely correlated with soil electrical conductivity, soil pH, soil Olsen P, soil total nitrogen (TN), soil total phosphorus (TP), and soil organic carbon (SOC). The main driving factors which influenced P loss with surface runoff were soil TN, soil pH, soil Olsen P, and soil water content. Path analysis and determination coefficient analysis indicated that the standard multiple regression equation for P loss with surface runoff and each main factor was Y = 7.429 - 0.439 soil TN - 6.834 soil pH + 1.721 soil Olsen-P + 0.183 soil water content (r = 0.487, p < 0.01, n = 180). Soil TN, soil pH, soil Olsen P, and soil water content and the interactions between them were the main factors affecting P loss with surface runoff. The effect of physical and chemical properties of undisturbed soils on P loss with surface runoff was discussed, and the soil water content and soil Olsen P were strongly positive influences on the P loss with surface runoff.

Reconnaissance of selected PPCP compounds in Costa Rican surface waters.

PubMed

Spongberg, Alison L; Witter, Jason D; Acuña, Jenaro; Vargas, José; Murillo, Manuel; Umaña, Gerardo; Gómez, Eddy; Perez, Greivin

2011-12-15

Eighty-six water samples were collected in early 2009 from Costa Rican surface water and coastal locations for the analysis of 34 pharmaceutical and personal care product compounds (PPCPs). Sampling sites included areas receiving treated and untreated wastewaters, and urban and rural runoff. PPCPs were analyzed using a combination of solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The five most frequently detected compounds were doxycycline (77%), sulfadimethoxine (43%), salicylic acid (41%), triclosan (34%) and caffeine (29%). Caffeine had the maximum concentration of 1.1 mg L(-1), possibly due to coffee bean production facilities upstream. Other compounds found in high concentrations include: doxycycline (74 μg L(-1)), ibuprofen (37 μg L(-1)), gemfibrozil (17 μg L(-1)), acetominophen (13 μg L(-1)) and ketoprofen (10 μg L(-1)). The wastewater effluent collected from an oxidation pond had similar detection and concentrations of compounds compared to other studies reported in the literature. Waters receiving runoff from a nearby hospital showed higher concentrations than other areas for many PPCPs. Both caffeine and carbamazepine were found in low frequency compared to other studies, likely due to enhanced degradation and low usage, respectively. Overall concentrations of PPCPs in surface waters of Costa Rica are inline with currently reported occurrence data from around the world, with the exception of doxycycline. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of Small-scale Vegetation-related Roughness on Overland Flow and Infiltration in Semi-arid Grassland and Shrublands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedford, D.

2012-12-01

We studied the effects of small-scale roughness on overland flow/runoff and the spatial pattern of infiltration. Our semi-arid sites include a grassland and shrubland in Central New Mexico and a shrubland in the Eastern Mojave Desert. Vegetation exerts strong controls on small-scale surface roughness in the form of plant mounds and other microtopography such as depressions and rills. We quantified the effects of densely measured soil surface heterogeneity using model simulations of runoff and infiltration. Microtopographic roughness associated with vegetation patterns, on the scale of mm-cm's in height, has a larger effect on runoff and infiltration than spatially correlated saturated conductivity. The magnitude and pattern of the effect of roughness largely depends on the vegetation and landform type, and rainfall depth and intensity. In all cases, runoff and infiltration amount and patterns were most strongly affected by depression storage. In the grassland we studied in central New Mexico, soil surface roughness had a large effect on runoff and infiltration where vegetation mounds coalesced, forming large storage volumes that require filling and overtopping in order for overland flow to concentrate into runoff. Total discharge over rough surfaces was reduced 100-200% compared to simulations in which no surface roughness was accounted for. For shrublands, total discharge was reduced 30-40% by microtopography on gently sloping alluvial fans and only 10-20% on steep hillslopes. This difference is largely due to the lack of storage elements on steep slopes. For our sites, we found that overland flow can increase infiltration by up to 2.5 times the total rainfall by filling depressions. The redistribution of water via overland flow can affect up to 20% of an area but varies with vegetation type and landform. This infiltration augmentation by overland flow tends to occur near the edges of vegetation canopies where overland flow depths are deep and infiltration rates are moderate. Infiltration augmentation is greatest in microtopographic depressions and flow threads. These results show that some vegetation-landform settings are efficient at trapping and concentrating the primary limiting resource, and demonstrate the importance of micro-scale soil characteristics for the ecohydrologic function of semi-arid environments. Since other essential attributes for plant ecosystems, such as nutrients, likely co-vary with water availability, further research is needed to elucidate ecosystem dynamics that may lead to self-organized behavior and determine thresholds for ecosystem stability.

Assessment of heavy metals (Cd and Pb) and micronutrients (Cu, Mn, and Zn) of paddy (Oryza sativa L.) field surface soil and water in a predominantly paddy-cultivated area at Puducherry (Pondicherry, India), and effects of the agricultural runoff on the elemental concentrations of a receiving rivulet.

PubMed

Reddy, M Vikram; Satpathy, Deepmala; Dhiviya, K Shyamala

2013-08-01

The concentrations of toxic heavy metals-Cd and Pb and micronutrients-Cu, Mn, and Zn were assessed in the surface soil and water of three different stages of paddy (Oryza sativa L.) fields, the stage I-the first stage in the field soon after transplantation of the paddy seedlings, holding adequate amount of water on soil surface, stage II-the middle stage with paddy plants of stem of about 40 cm length, with sufficient amount of water on the soil surface, and stage III-the final stage with fully grown rice plants and very little amount of water in the field at Bahour, a predominantly paddy cultivating area in Puducherry located on the southeast Coast of India. Comparison of the heavy metal and micronutrient concentrations of the soil and water across the three stages of paddy field showed their concentrations were significantly higher in soil compared with that of water (p < 0.05) of the fields probably because of accumulation and adsorption in soil. The elemental concentrations in paddy soil as well as water was in the ranking order of Cd > Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb indicating concentration of Cd was maximum and Pb was minimum. The elemental concentrations in both soil and water across the three stages showed a ranking order of stage II > stage III > stage I. The runoff from the paddy fields has affected the elemental concentrations of the water and sediment of an adjacent receiving rivulet.

Sources and fates of heavy metals in a mining-impacted stream: Temporal variability and the role of iron oxides

PubMed Central

Schaider, Laurel A.; Senn, David B.; Estes, Emily R.; Brabander, Daniel J.; Shine, James P.

2014-01-01

Heavy metal contamination of surface waters at mining sites often involves complex interactions of multiple sources and varying biogeochemical conditions. We compared surface and subsurface metal loading from mine waste pile runoff and mine drainage discharge and characterized the influence of iron oxides on metal fate along a 0.9-km stretch of Tar Creek (Oklahoma, USA), which drains an abandoned Zn/Pb mining area. The importance of each source varied by metal: mine waste pile runoff contributed 70% of Cd, while mine drainage contributed 90% of Pb, and both sources contributed similarly to Zn loading. Subsurface inputs accounted for 40% of flow and 40-70% of metal loading along this stretch. Streambed iron oxide aggregate material contained highly elevated Zn (up to 27,000 μg g−1), Pb (up to 550 μg g−1) and Cd (up to 200 μg g−1) and was characterized as a heterogeneous mixture of iron oxides, fine-grain mine waste, and organic material. Sequential extractions confirmed preferential sequestration of Pb by iron oxides, as well as substantial concentrations of Zn and Cd in iron oxide fractions, with additional accumulation of Zn, Pb, and Cd during downstream transport. Comparisons with historical data show that while metal concentrations in mine drainage have decreased by more than an order of magnitude in recent decades, the chemical composition of mine waste pile runoff has remained relatively constant, indicating less attenuation and increased relative importance of pile runoff. These results highlight the importance of monitoring temporal changes at contaminated sites associated with evolving speciation and simultaneously addressing surface and subsurface contamination from both mine waste piles and mine drainage. PMID:24867708

Herbaceous or Salix miyabeana 'SX64' narrow buffer strips as a means to minimize glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid leaching from row crop fields.

PubMed

Hénault-Ethier, Louise; Lucotte, Marc; Moingt, Matthieu; Paquet, Serge; Maccario, Sophie; Smedbol, Élise; Gomes, Marcelo Pedrosa; Lepage, Laurent; Juneau, Philippe; Labrecque, Michel

2017-11-15

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide worldwide and is now frequently detected in surface waters of agricultural regions, notably in Quebec (Canada). Numerous legislations require vegetated riparian buffer strips (RBS) along agricultural streams. Quebec policy requires 3-meter-wide RBS. The present study evaluates the efficiency of narrow herbaceous and low- or high-density (33,333 and 55,556stumps/ha) willow, Salix miyabeana 'SX64', RBS, to minimize leaching of glyphosate and its main degradation product (AMPA) from agricultural fields to streams. Our study compared triplicate treatments of herbaceous and willow-planted RBS located in an organic-rich soil at Boisbriand (BB) and in a mineral soil at Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan (SR). Runoff water was sampled with surface collectors and interstitial water was collected with 35cm or 70cm tension lysimeters. Potential efficiency of the RBS is reported as the percent reduction between edge-of-field and edge-of-stream concentrations in runoff and interstitial waters. Neither glyphosate nor AMPA in runoff were significantly intercepted by the RBS. After field herbicide spraying, glyphosate measured in SR surface soils (0-20cm) was on average 210μg·kg -1 dw (range from undetected to ≤317μg·kg -1 dw). Glyphosate was found to be persistent and its infiltration towards groundwater may be enhanced by the RBS. Contrary to runoff trends, soil glyphosate was significantly less concentrated on the SR edge-of-stream compared to edge-of-field (27-54% potential efficiency). The potential efficiency of herbaceous, low- and high-density willow RBS were undifferentiated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phosphorus and nitrate nitrogen in runoff following fertilizer application to turfgrass.

PubMed

Shuman, L M

2002-01-01

Intensively managed golf courses are perceived by the public as possibly adding nutrients to surface waters via surface transport. An experiment was designed to determine the transport of nitrate N and phosphate P from simulated golf course fairways of 'Tifway' bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]. Fertilizer treatments were 10-10-10 granular at three rates and rainfall events were simulated at four intervals after treatment (hours after treatment, HAT). Runoff volume was directly related to simulated rainfall amounts and soil moisture at the time of the event and varied from 24.3 to 43.5% of that added for the 50-mm events and 3.1 to 27.4% for the 25-mm events. The highest concentration and mass of phosphorus in runoff was during the first simulated rainfall event at 4 HAT with a dramatic decrease at 24 HAT and subsequent events. Nitrate N concentrations were low in the runoff water (approximately 0.5 mg L-1) for the first three runoff events and highest (approximately 1-1.5 mg L-1) at 168 HAT due to the time elapsed for conversion of ammonia to nitrate. Nitrate N mass was highest at the 4 and 24 HAT events and stepwise increases with rate were evident at 24 HAT. Total P transported for all events was 15.6 and 13.8% of that added for the two non-zero rates, respectively. Total nitrate N transported was 1.5 and 0.9% of that added for the two rates, respectively. Results indicate that turfgrass management should include applying minimum amounts of irrigation after fertilizer application and avoiding application before intense rain or when soil is very moist.

Selected veterinary pharmaceuticals in agricultural water and soil from land application of animal manure.

PubMed

Song, Wenlu; Ding, Yunjie; Chiou, Cary T; Li, Hui

2010-01-01

Veterinary pharmaceuticals are commonly administered to animals for disease control, and added into feeds at subtherapeutic levels to improve feeding efficiency. As a result of these practices, a certain fraction of the pharmaceuticals are excreted into animal manures. Land application of these manures contaminates soils with the veterinary pharmaceuticals, which can subsequently lead to contamination of surface and groundwaters. Information on the occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals in soil and water is needed to assess the potential for exposure of at-risk populations and the impacts on agricultural ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the occurrence and fate of four commonly used veterinary pharmaceuticals (amprolium, carbadox, monensin, and tylosin) in a farm in Michigan. Amprolium and monensin were frequently detected in nearby surface water, with concentrations ranging from several to hundreds of nanograms per liter, whereas tylosin or carbadox was rarely found. These pharmaceuticals were more frequently detected in surface runoff during nongrowing season (October to April) than during growing season (May to September). Pharmaceuticals resulting from postharvest manure application appeared to be more persistent than those from spring application. High concentrations of pharmaceuticals in soils were generally observed at the sites where the respective concentrations in surface water were also high. For monensin, the ratios of soil-sorbed to aqueous concentrations obtained from field samples were within the order of the distribution coefficients obtained from laboratory studies. These results suggest that soil is a reservoir for veterinary pharmaceuticals that can be disseminated to nearby surface water via desorption from soil, surface runoff, and soil erosion.

Reducing soil phosphorus fertility brings potential long-term environmental gains: A UK analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Withers, Paul J. A.; Hodgkinson, Robin A.; Rollett, Alison; Dyer, Chris; Dils, Rachael; Collins, Adrian L.; Bilsborrow, Paul E.; Bailey, Geoff; Sylvester-Bradley, Roger

2017-05-01

Soil phosphorus (P) fertility arising from historic P inputs is a major driver of P mobilisation in agricultural runoff and increases the risk of aquatic eutrophication. To determine the environmental benefit of lowering soil P fertility, a meta-analysis of the relationship between soil test P (measured as Olsen-P) and P concentrations in agricultural drainflow and surface runoff in mostly UK soils was undertaken in relation to current eutrophication control targets (30-35 µg P L-1). At agronomic-optimum Olsen P (16-25 mg kg-1), concentrations of soluble reactive P (SRP), total dissolved P (TDP), total P (TP) and sediment-P (SS-P) in runoff were predicted by linear regression analysis to vary between 24 and 183 µg L-1, 38 and 315 µg L-1, 0.2 and 9.6 mg L-1, and 0.31 and 3.2 g kg-1, respectively. Concentrations of SRP and TDP in runoff were much more sensitive to changes in Olsen-P than were TP and SS-P concentrations, which confirms that separate strategies are required for mitigating the mobilisation of dissolved and particulate P forms. As the main driver of eutrophication, SRP concentrations in runoff were reduced on average by 60 µg L-1 (71%) by lowering soil Olsen-P from optimum (25 mg kg-1) to 10 mg kg-1. At Olsen-P concentrations below 12 mg kg-1, dissolved hydrolysable P (largely organic) became the dominant form of soluble P transported. We concluded that maintaining agronomic-optimum Olsen-P could still pose a eutrophication risk, and that a greater research focus on reducing critical soil test P through innovative agro-engineering of soils, crops and fertilisers would give long-term benefits in reducing the endemic eutrophication risk arising from legacy soil P. Soil P testing should become compulsory in priority catchments suffering, or sensitive to, eutrophication to ensure soil P reserves are fully accounted for as part of good fertiliser and manure management.

Effects of long-term poultry litter application on phosphorus soil chemistry and runoff water quality.

PubMed

Reiter, Mark S; Daniel, Tommy C; DeLaune, Paul B; Sharpley, Andrew N; Lory, John A

2013-11-01

Continuous application of poultry litter (PL) significantly changes many soil properties, including soil test P (STP); Al, Fe, and Ca concentrations; and pH, which can affect the potential for P transport in surface runoff water. We conducted rainfall simulations on three historically acidic silt loam soils in Arkansas, Missouri, and Virginia to establish if long-term PL applications would affect soil inorganic P fractions and the resulting dissolved reactive P (DRP) in runoff water. Soil samples (0-5 cm depth) were taken to find sites ranging in Mehlich-3 STP from 20 to 1154 mg P kg. Simulated rainfall events were conducted on 3-m plots at 6.7 cm h, and runoff was collected for 30 min. Correlation between Mehlich-3 and runoff DRP indicated a linear relationship to 833 mg Mehlich-3 P kg. As Mehlich-3 STP increased, a concomitant increase in soil pH and Ca occurred on all soils. Soil P fractionation demonstrated that, as Mehlich-3 STP generally increased above 450 mg P kg (from high to very high), the easily soluble and loosely bound P fractions decreased by 3 to 10%. Water-insoluble complexes of P bound to Al and Ca were the main drivers in the reduction of DRP in runoff, accounting for up to 43 and 38% of total P, respectively. Basing runoff DRP concentration projections solely on Mehlich-3 STP may overestimate runoff P losses from soils receiving long-term PL applications due to dissolution of water-insoluble Ca-P compounds. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Characterization of wood mulch and leachate/runoff from three wood recycling facilities.

PubMed

Kannepalli, Sarat; Strom, Peter F; Krogmann, Uta; Subroy, Vandana; Giménez, Daniel; Miskewitz, Robert

2016-11-01

Large-scale open storage of wood mulch is common practice at wood recycling facilities. During rain and snow melt, leachate with soluble compounds and suspended particles is released from mulch stockpiles. The objective of this study was to determine the quality of leachate/runoff from wood recycling facilities to evaluate its potential to contaminate receiving waterbodies. Wood mulch (n = 30) and leachate/runoff (n = 26) samples were collected over 1.5 years from three wood recycling facilities in New Jersey, USA. Differences by site were found (p < 0.05) for most of the 21 constituents tested in the solid wood mulch samples. Biochemical oxygen demand (range <20-3000 mg/L), chemical oxygen demand (134-6000 mg/L) and total suspended solids (69-401 mg/L) median concentrations of the leachate/runoff samples were comparable to those of untreated domestic wastewater. Total Kjeldahl N, total P and fecal coliform median values were slightly lower than typical wastewater values. Dose-response studies with leachate/runoff samples using zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos showed that mortality and developmental defects typically did not occur even at the highest concentration tested, indicating low toxicity, although delayed development did occur. Based on this study, leachate/runoff from wood recycling facilities should not be released to surface waters as it is a potential source of organic contamination and low levels of nutrients. A study in which runoff from a controlled drainage area containing wood mulch of known properties is monitored would allow for better assessment of the potential impact of stormwater runoff from wood recycling facilities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Precipitation-runoff relations and water-quality characteristics at edge-of-field stations, Discovery Farms and Pioneer Farm, Wisconsin, 2003-8

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuntebeck, Todd D.; Komiskey, Matthew J.; Peppler, Marie C.; Owens, David W.; Frame, Dennis R.

2011-01-01

A cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Discovery Farms program (Discovery Farms), and the UW-Platteville Pioneer Farm program (Pioneer Farm) was developed to identify typical ranges and magnitudes, temporal distributions, and principal factors affecting concentrations and yields of sediment, nutrients, and other selected constituents in runoff from agricultural fields. Hydrologic and water-quality data were collected year-round at 23 edge-of-field monitoring stations on 5 privately owned Discovery Farms and on Pioneer Farm during water years 2003-8. The studied farms represented landscapes, soils, and farming systems typical of livestock farms throughout southern Wisconsin. Each farm employed a variety of soil, nutrient, and water-conservation practices to help minimize sediment and nutrient losses from fields and to improve crop productivity. This report summarizes the precipitation-runoff relations and water-quality characteristics measured in edge-of-field runoff for 26 "farm years" (aggregate years of averaged station data from all 6 farms for varying monitoring periods). A relatively wide range of constituents typically found in agricultural runoff were measured: suspended sediment, phosphorus (total, particulate, dissolved reactive, and total dissolved), and nitrogen (total, nitrate plus nitrite, organic, ammonium, total Kjeldahl and total Kjeldahl-dissolved), chloride, total solids, total suspended solids, total volatile suspended solids, and total dissolved solids. Mean annual precipitation was 32.8 inches for the study period, about 3 percent less than the 30-year mean. Overall mean annual runoff was 2.55 inches per year (about 8 percent of precipitation) and the distribution was nearly equal between periods of frozen ground (54 percent) and unfrozen ground (46 percent). Mean monthly runoff was highest during two periods: February to March and May to June. Ninety percent of annual runoff occurred between January and the end of June. Event mean concentrations of suspended sediment in runoff during unfrozen-ground periods were significantly higher (p2= 0.92), indicating that the sources of nitrogen and phosphorus in runoff were likely similar. Analysis of runoff, concentration, and yield data on annual, monthly, and seasonal time scales, when combined with precipitation, soil moisture, soil temperature, and on-farm field-activity information, revealed conditions in which runoff was most likely. The analysis also revealed the effects that field conditions and the timing of field-management activities-most notably, manure applications and tillage-had on the quantity and quality of surface runoff from agricultural fields.

Runoff and water-quality characteristics of three Discovery Farms in North Dakota, 2008–16

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galloway, Joel M.; Nustad, Rochelle A.

2017-12-21

Agricultural producers in North Dakota are aware of concerns about degrading water quality, and many of the producers are interested in implementing conservation practices to reduce the export of nutrients from their farms. Producers often implement conservation practices without knowledge of the water quality of the runoff from their farm or if conservation practices they may implement have any effect on water quality. In response to this lack of information, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with North Dakota State University Extension Service and in coordination with an advisory group consisting of State agencies, agricultural producers, and commodity groups, implemented a monitoring study as part of a Discovery Farms program in North Dakota in 2007. Three data-collection sites were established at each of three farms near Underwood, Embden, and Dazey, North Dakota. The purpose of this report is to describe runoff and water-quality characteristics using data collected at the three Discovery Farms during 2008–16. Runoff and water-quality data were used to help describe the implications of agricultural conservation practices on runoff and water-quality patterns.Runoff characteristics of monitoring sites at the three farms were determined by measuring flow volume and precipitation. Runoff at the Underwood farm monitoring sites generally was controlled by precipitation in the area, antecedent soil moisture conditions, and, after 2012, possibly by the diversion ditch constructed by the producer. Most of the annual runoff was in March and April each year during spring snowmelt. Runoff characteristics at the Embden farm are complex because of the mix of surface runoff and flow through two separate drainage tile systems. Annual flow volumes for the drainage tiles sites (sites E2 and E3) were several orders of magnitude greater than measured at the surface water site E1. Site E1 generally only had runoff briefly in March and April during spring snowmelt and during only a few large rain events throughout 2009–16. Flow was somewhat continuous at sites E2 and E3 throughout the year during years of increased precipitation, such as in 2010 and 2011. At Dazey farm, annual flow volumes at the most downstream site D3 for 2010–15 ranged from 88 acre-feet (2012) to 12,060 acre-feet (2010). The largest monthly runoff volumes at D1 (most upstream site; combination of data from site D1a [original site] and site D1b [relocated site]) and D3 were in March and April during spring snowmelt runoff and rain events.At Underwood farm, total ammonia and total phosphorus had the highest concentrations at the most upstream site (U1) and decreased sequentially at sites U2 and U3 downstream. Total ammonia and total phosphorus concentrations at the sites for Underwood farm also generally were higher than measured at sites for the Dazey and Embden farms. At Embden farm, nitrate plus nitrite concentrations were lowest at site E1 (surface-water site) and highest at sites E2 and E3 (drainage tile sites). Nitrate plus nitrite concentrations at sites E2 and E3 also were the highest among all the sites at all three farms. Median total nitrate plus nitrite concentrations for sites E1, E2, and E3 were 0.22, 13, and 10 milligrams per liter as nitrogen, respectively. Nutrient concentrations generally were greater at site D1 (most upstream site) compared to site D3 (most downstream site) at Dazey farm. Higher concentrations at site D1, which is farther upstream and closer to potential sources of nutrients, compared to lower concentrations at site D3, which is farther downstream and receives more runoff, indicates that dilution may be the reason concentrations decrease downstream.Annual loads for chloride at all three Underwood sites were the greatest in 2011 and the least in 2012, which coincided with years of the greatest and least annual flow volume, respectively. Total ammonia had a similar pattern at the three sites. Nitrate plus nitrite loads displayed a different pattern than chloride and total ammonia, indicating possible different sources. Chloride, total ammonia, total phosphorus, and suspended sediment were transported past site U1 mostly in March and the least from July through October. Monthly nitrate plus nitrite loads had a different pattern than the other constituents, indicating other possible sources such as fertilizer application in the surrounding cropland.Annual loads for Embden farm were considerably greater at sites E2 and E3 compared to site E1. Annual yields for all constituents also were substantially greater at sites E2 and E3 compared to site E1, mainly because of a combination of higher flow volumes and small contributing drainage areas at sites E2 and E3 compared to site E1.The greatest annual loads at Dazey farm site D3 for chloride, nitrate plus nitrite, and suspended sediment were in 2010 and 2011, and zero loads were estimated for 2012 because no flow was measured at the site. Mean monthly loads generally were greatest for most constituents in March and April at sites D1 and D3 except for suspended sediment that had the greatest monthly loads in May.To mitigate runoff and water-quality effects of their operations, the producers implemented various agricultural conservation practices before and during the Discovery Farms monitoring. Even though it was difficult to quantify the effects of the agricultural conservation practices implemented at the farms, the data collected from the Discovery Farms program provided a better understanding of some of the variables that affect runoff and water quality.

Variability in runoff fluxes of dissolved and particulate carbon and nitrogen from two watersheds of different tree species during intense storm events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Mi-Hee; Payeur-Poirier, Jean-Lionel; Park, Ji-Hyung; Matzner, Egbert

2016-09-01

Heavy storm events may increase the amount of organic matter in runoff from forested watersheds as well as the relation of dissolved to particulate organic matter. This study evaluated the effects of monsoon storm events on the runoff fluxes and on the composition of dissolved (< 0.45 µm) and particulate (0.7 µm to 1 mm) organic carbon and nitrogen (DOC, DON, POC, PON) in a mixed coniferous/deciduous (mixed watershed) and a deciduous forested watershed (deciduous watershed) in South Korea. During storm events, DOC concentrations in runoff increased with discharge, while DON concentrations remained almost constant. DOC, DON and NO3-N fluxes in runoff increased linearly with discharge pointing to changing flow paths from deeper to upper soil layers at high discharge, whereas nonlinear responses of POC and PON fluxes were observed likely due to the origin of particulate matter from the erosion of mineral soil along the stream benches. The integrated C and N fluxes in runoff over the 2-month study period were in the order of DOC > POC and NO3-N > DON > PON. The integrated DOC fluxes in runoff during the study period were much larger at the deciduous watershed (16 kg C ha-1) than at the mixed watershed (7 kg C ha-1), while the integrated NO3-N fluxes were higher at the mixed watershed (5.2 kg N ha-1) than at the deciduous watershed (2.9 kg N ha-1). The latter suggests a larger N uptake by deciduous trees. Integrated fluxes of POC and PON were similar at both watersheds. The composition of organic matter in soils and runoff indicates that the contribution of near-surface flow to runoff was larger at the deciduous than at the mixed watershed. Our results demonstrate different responses of particulate and dissolved C and N in runoff to storm events as a combined effect of tree species composition and watershed specific flow paths.

Phosphorus runoff from sewage sludge applied to different slopes of lateritic soil.

PubMed

Chen, Yan Hui; Wang, Ming Kuang; Wang, Guo; Chen, Ming Hua; Luo, Dan; Ding, Feng Hua; Li, Rong

2011-01-01

Sewage sludge (SS) applied to sloping fields at rates that exceed annual forest nutrient requirements can be a source of phosphorus (P) in runoff. This study investigates the effects of different slopes (18, 27, 36, and 45%) on P in runoff from plots amended with SS (120 Mg ha). Lateritic soil (pH 5.2) was exposed to five simulated rainfalls (90 mm h) on outdoor plots. When sludge was broadcast and mixed with surface soils, the concentrations and loss in runoff of total P in the mixed sample (MTP), total P in the settled sample (STP), total particulate P (TPP), total suspended P (TSP), and total dissolved P (TDP) were highest at 1 or 18 d after application. Initially, pollution risks to surface waters generally increased to different degrees with steeper slopes, and then diminished gradually with dwindling differences between the slopes. The runoff losses coefficient of MTP increased in the order 36 > 45 > 27 > 18%. The initial event (1 and 18 d) accounted for 67.0 to 83.6% of total runoff P losses. Particulate fraction were dominant carriers for P losses, while with the lower slopes there was higher content of P per unit particulate fraction in runoff. Phosphorus losses were greatly affected by the interaction of sludge-soil-runoff and the modification of soil properties induced by sludge amendment. It is recommended to choose lower slopes (<27%) to reduce risk of P losses. Thus, the risk of application sludge to sloping fields in acid soils should be studied further in the field under a wider diversity of conditions. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Water quality of storm runoff and comparison of procedures for estimating storm-runoff loads, volume, event-mean concentrations, and the mean load for a storm for selected properties and constituents for Colorado Springs, southeastern Colorado, 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Von Guerard, Paul; Weiss, W.B.

1995-01-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that municipalities that have a population of 100,000 or greater obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits to characterize the quality of their storm runoff. In 1992, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Springs City Engineering Division, began a study to characterize the water quality of storm runoff and to evaluate procedures for the estimation of storm-runoff loads, volume and event-mean concentrations for selected properties and constituents. Precipitation, streamflow, and water-quality data were collected during 1992 at five sites in Colorado Springs. Thirty-five samples were collected, seven at each of the five sites. At each site, three samples were collected for permitting purposes; two of the samples were collected during rainfall runoff, and one sample was collected during snowmelt runoff. Four additional samples were collected at each site to obtain a large enough sample size to estimate storm-runoff loads, volume, and event-mean concentrations for selected properties and constituents using linear-regression procedures developed using data from the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program (NURP). Storm-water samples were analyzed for as many as 186 properties and constituents. The constituents measured include total-recoverable metals, vola-tile-organic compounds, acid-base/neutral organic compounds, and pesticides. Storm runoff sampled had large concentrations of chemical oxygen demand and 5-day biochemical oxygen demand. Chemical oxygen demand ranged from 100 to 830 milligrams per liter, and 5.-day biochemical oxygen demand ranged from 14 to 260 milligrams per liter. Total-organic carbon concentrations ranged from 18 to 240 milligrams per liter. The total-recoverable metals lead and zinc had the largest concentrations of the total-recoverable metals analyzed. Concentrations of lead ranged from 23 to 350 micrograms per liter, and concentrations of zinc ranged from 110 to 1,400 micrograms per liter. The data for 30 storms representing rainfall runoff from 5 drainage basins were used to develop single-storm local-regression models. The response variables, storm-runoff loads, volume, and event-mean concentrations were modeled using explanatory variables for climatic, physical, and land-use characteristics. The r2 for models that use ordinary least-squares regression ranged from 0.57 to 0.86 for storm-runoff loads and volume and from 0.25 to 0.63 for storm-runoff event-mean concentrations. Except for cadmium, standard errors of estimate ranged from 43 to 115 percent for storm- runoff loads and volume and from 35 to 66 percent for storm-runoff event-mean concentrations. Eleven of the 30 concentrations collected during rainfall runoff for total-recoverable cadmium were censored (less than) concentrations. Ordinary least-squares regression should not be used with censored data; however, censored data can be included with uncensored data using tobit regression. Standard errors of estimate for storm-runoff load and event-mean concentration for total-recoverable cadmium, computed using tobit regression, are 247 and 171 percent. Estimates from single-storm regional-regression models, developed from the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program data base, were compared with observed storm-runoff loads, volume, and event-mean concentrations determined from samples collected in the study area. Single-storm regional-regression models tended to overestimate storm-runoff loads, volume, and event-mean con-centrations. Therefore, single-storm local- and regional-regression models were combined using model-adjustment procedures to take advantage of the strengths of both models while minimizing the deficiencies of each model. Procedures were used to develop single-stormregression equations that were adjusted using local data and estimates from single-storm regional-regression equations. Single-storm regression models developed using model- adjustment proce

Increasing runoff and sediment load from the Greenland ice sheet at kangerlussuaq (Sonder Stromfjord) in a 30-year perspective, 1979-2008

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mernild, Sebastian Haugard; Liston, Glen; Hasholt, Bent

2009-01-01

This observation and modeling study provides insights into runoff and sediment load exiting the Watson River drainage basin, Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland during a 30 year period (1978/79-2007/08) when the climate experienced increasing temperatures and precipitation. The 30-year simulations quantify the terrestrial freshwater and sediment output from part of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) and the land between the GrIS and the ocean, in the context of global warming and increasing GrIS surface melt. We used a snow-evolution modeling system (SnowModel) to simulate the winter accumulation and summer ablation processes, including runoff and surface mass balance (SMB), of the Greenland icemore » sheet. Observed sediment concentrations were related to observed runoff, producing a sediment-load time series. To a large extent, the SMB fluctuations could be explained by changes in net precipitation (precipitation minus evaporation and sublimation), with 8 out of 30 years having negative SMB, mainly because of relatively low annual net precipitation. The overall trend in net precipitation and runoff increased significantly, while 5MB increased insignificantly throughout the simulation period, leading to enhanced precipitation of 0.59 km{sup 3} w.eq. (or 60%), runoff of 0.43 km{sup 3} w.eq (or 54%), and SMB of 0.16 km3 w.eq. (or 86%). Runoff rose on average from 0.80 km{sup 3} w.eq. in 1978/79 to 1.23 km{sup 3} w.eq. in 2007/08. The percentage of catchment oudet runoff explained by runoff from the GrIS decreased on average {approx} 10%, indicating that catchment runoff throughout the simulation period was influenced more by precipitation and snowmelt events, and less by runoff from the GrIS. Average variations in the increasing Kangerlussuaq runoff from 1978/79 through 2007/08 seem to follow the overall variations in satellite-derived GrIS surface melt, where 64% of the variations in simulated runoff were explained by regional melt conditions on the GrIS. Throughout the simulation period, the sediment load varied from a minimum of 0.96 x 10{sup 6} t y{sup -1} in 1991/92 to a maximum of 3.52 x 10{sup 6} t y{sup -1} in 2006/07, showing an average increase of sediment load of 9.42 x 10{sup 5} t (or 72%) throughout the period.« less

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and azaarenes in runoff from coal-tar- and asphalt-sealcoated pavement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahler, Barbara J.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Foreman, William T.

2014-01-01

Coal-tar-based sealcoat, used extensively on parking lots and driveways in North America, is a potent source of PAHs. We investigated how concentrations and assemblages of PAHs and azaarenes in runoff from pavement newly sealed with coal-tar-based (CT) or asphalt-based (AS) sealcoat changed over time. Samples of simulated runoff were collected from pavement 5 h to 111 d following application of AS or CT sealcoat. Concentrations of the sum of 16 PAHs (median concentrations of 328 and 35 μg/L for CT and AS runoff, respectively) in runoff varied relatively little, but rapid decreases in concentrations of azaarenes and low molecular weight PAHs were offset by increases in high molecular weight PAHs. The results demonstrate that runoff from CT-sealcoated pavement, in particular, continues to contain elevated concentrations of PAHs long after a 24-h curing time, with implications for the fate, transport, and ecotoxicological effects of contaminants in runoff from CT-sealcoated pavement.

A protocol for conducting rainfall simulation to study soil runoff.

PubMed

Kibet, Leonard C; Saporito, Louis S; Allen, Arthur L; May, Eric B; Kleinman, Peter J A; Hashem, Fawzy M; Bryant, Ray B

2014-04-03

Rainfall is a driving force for the transport of environmental contaminants from agricultural soils to surficial water bodies via surface runoff. The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of antecedent soil moisture content on the fate and transport of surface applied commercial urea, a common form of nitrogen (N) fertilizer, following a rainfall event that occurs within 24 hr after fertilizer application. Although urea is assumed to be readily hydrolyzed to ammonium and therefore not often available for transport, recent studies suggest that urea can be transported from agricultural soils to coastal waters where it is implicated in harmful algal blooms. A rainfall simulator was used to apply a consistent rate of uniform rainfall across packed soil boxes that had been prewetted to different soil moisture contents. By controlling rainfall and soil physical characteristics, the effects of antecedent soil moisture on urea loss were isolated. Wetter soils exhibited shorter time from rainfall initiation to runoff initiation, greater total volume of runoff, higher urea concentrations in runoff, and greater mass loadings of urea in runoff. These results also demonstrate the importance of controlling for antecedent soil moisture content in studies designed to isolate other variables, such as soil physical or chemical characteristics, slope, soil cover, management, or rainfall characteristics. Because rainfall simulators are designed to deliver raindrops of similar size and velocity as natural rainfall, studies conducted under a standardized protocol can yield valuable data that, in turn, can be used to develop models for predicting the fate and transport of pollutants in runoff.

A Protocol for Conducting Rainfall Simulation to Study Soil Runoff

PubMed Central

Kibet, Leonard C.; Saporito, Louis S.; Allen, Arthur L.; May, Eric B.; Kleinman, Peter J. A.; Hashem, Fawzy M.; Bryant, Ray B.

2014-01-01

Rainfall is a driving force for the transport of environmental contaminants from agricultural soils to surficial water bodies via surface runoff. The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of antecedent soil moisture content on the fate and transport of surface applied commercial urea, a common form of nitrogen (N) fertilizer, following a rainfall event that occurs within 24 hr after fertilizer application. Although urea is assumed to be readily hydrolyzed to ammonium and therefore not often available for transport, recent studies suggest that urea can be transported from agricultural soils to coastal waters where it is implicated in harmful algal blooms. A rainfall simulator was used to apply a consistent rate of uniform rainfall across packed soil boxes that had been prewetted to different soil moisture contents. By controlling rainfall and soil physical characteristics, the effects of antecedent soil moisture on urea loss were isolated. Wetter soils exhibited shorter time from rainfall initiation to runoff initiation, greater total volume of runoff, higher urea concentrations in runoff, and greater mass loadings of urea in runoff. These results also demonstrate the importance of controlling for antecedent soil moisture content in studies designed to isolate other variables, such as soil physical or chemical characteristics, slope, soil cover, management, or rainfall characteristics. Because rainfall simulators are designed to deliver raindrops of similar size and velocity as natural rainfall, studies conducted under a standardized protocol can yield valuable data that, in turn, can be used to develop models for predicting the fate and transport of pollutants in runoff. PMID:24748061

Evaluation of agricultural best-management practices in the Conestoga River headwaters, Pennsylvania; hydrology of a small carbonate site near Ephrata, Pennsylvania, prior to implementation of nutrient management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koerkle, E.H.; Hall, D.W.; Risser, D.W.; Lietman, P.L.; Chichester, D.C.

1997-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, investigated the effects of agricultural best-management practices on water quality in the Conestoga River headwaters watershed. This report describes environmental factors and the surface-water and ground-water quality of one 47.5-acre field site, Field-Site 2, from October 1984 through September 1986, prior to implementation of nutrient management. The site is partially terraced agricultural cropland underlain by carbonate rock. Twenty-seven acres are terraced, pipe-drained, and are under no-till cultivation. The remaining acreage is under minimum-till cultivation. Corn is the primary crop. The average annual rate of fertilization at the site was 480 pounds per acre of nitrogen and 110 pounds per acre of phosphorus. An unconfined limestone and dolomitic aquifer underlies the site, Depth to bedrock ranges from 5 to 30 feet below land surface. Estimated specific yields range from 0.05 to 0.10, specific capacities of wells range from less than 1 to about 20 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown, and estimates of transmissivities range from 10 to 10,000 square feet per day. Average ground-water recharge was estimated to be about 23 inches per year. The specific capacity and transmissivity data indicate that two aquifer regimes are present at the site. Wells drilled into dolomites in the eastern part of the site have larger specific capacities (averaging 20 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown) relative to specific capacities (averaging less than 1 gallon per minute per foot of drawdown) of wells drilled into limestones in the western part of the site. Median concentrations of soil-soluble nitrate and soluble phosphorus in the top 4 feet of silt- or silty-clay-loam soil ranged from 177 to 329 and 8.5 to 35 pounds per acre, respectively. Measured runoff from the pipe-drained terraces ranged from 10 to 48,000 cubic feet and was 1.7 and 0.8 percent, respectively, of the 1985 and 1986 annual precipitation. An estimated 90,700 cubic feet of surface runoff carried 87 pounds to total nitrogen and 37 pounds of total phosphorus, or less that 0.65 percent of the amount of either nutrient applied during the study period. Rainfall on the snow-covered, frozen ground produced more that half of the runoff and nitrogen and phosphorus loads measured in pipe-drained runoff. Graphical and regression analyses of surface runoff suggest that (1) mean-storm concentrations of total nitrogen species and total phosphorus decreased with increasing time between a runoff event and the last previous nutrient application, and (2) mean total-phosphorus concentrations approached a baseline value (estimated at 2 to 5 milligrams per liter for total-phosphorus concentrations) after several months without nutrient applications. Dissolved nitrate concentrations in ground water in wells unaffected by an on-site ammonia spill ranged from 7.4 to 100 milligrams per liter. Average annual additions and removals of nitrogen were estimated. Nitrogen was added to the site by applications of manure and commercial fertilizer nitrogen, as well as by precipitation and ground water entering across the western site boundary. These sources of nitrogen accounted for 95, 3, 1, and 1 percent, respectively, of estimated additions. Nitrogen was removed from the site in harvested crops, by ground-water discharge, by volatilization, and in surface runoff, which accounted for 42, 28, 29, and less than 1 percent, respectively, of estimated removals.

Influence of the Trojan Nickel Mine on surface water quality, Mazowe valley, Zimbabwe: Runoff chemistry and acid generation potential of waste rock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lupankwa, Keretia; Love, David; Mapani, Benjamin; Mseka, Stephen; Meck, Maideyi

The impacts of mining on the environment depend on the nature of the ore body, the type of mining and the size of operation. The focus of this study is on Trojan Nickel Mine which is located 90 km north of Harare, Zimbabwe. It produces nickel from iron, iron-nickel and copper-nickel sulphides and disposes of waste rock in a rock dump. Surface water samples were taken at 11 points selected from a stream which drains the rock dump, a stream carrying underground water and the river into which these streams discharge. Samples were analysed for metals using atomic absorption spectrometry, for sulphates by gravitation and for carbonates and bicarbonates by back titration. Ninteen rock samples were collected from the dump and static tests were performed using the Sobek acid base accounting method. The results show that near neutral runoff (pH 7.0-8.5) with high concentrations of sulphate (over 100 mg/L) and some metals (Pb > 1.0 mg/L and Ni > 0.2 mg/L) emanates from the dump. This suggests that acid mine drainage is buffered in the dump (probably by carbonates). This is supported by the static tests, which show that the fine fraction of dump material neutralises acid. Runoff from the dump flows into a pond. Concentrations of sulphates and metals decrease after the dump runoff enters the pond, but sufficient remains to increase levels of calcium, sulphate, bicarbonate, iron and lead in the Pote River. The drop in concentrations at the pond indicates that the settling process has a positive effect on water quality. This could be enhanced by treating the pond water to raise pH, thus precipitating out metals and decreasing their concentrations in water draining from the pond.

Fate and transport of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance genes in soil and runoff following land application of swine manure slurry.

PubMed

Joy, Stacey R; Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon L; Snow, Daniel D; Gilley, John E; Woodbury, Bryan L; Parker, David B; Marx, David B; Li, Xu

2013-01-01

Due to the use of antimicrobials in livestock production, residual antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) could enter the environment following the land application of animal wastes and could further contaminate surface and groundwater. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of various manure land application methods on the fate and transport of antimicrobials and ARGs in soil and runoff following land application of swine manure slurry. Swine manure slurries were obtained from facilities housing pigs that were fed chlortetracyline, tylosin or bacitracin and were land applied via broadcast, incorporation, and injection methods. Three rainfall simulation tests were then performed on amended and control plots. Results show that land application methods had no statistically significant effect on the aqueous concentrations of antimicrobials in runoff. However, among the three application methods tested broadcast resulted in the highest total mass loading of antimicrobials in runoff from the three rainfall simulation tests. The aqueous concentrations of chlortetracyline and tylosin in runoff decreased in consecutive rainfall events, although the trend was only statistically significant for tylosin. For ARGs, broadcast resulted in significantly higher erm genes in runoff than did incorporation and injection methods. In soil, the effects of land application methods on the fate of antimicrobials in top soil were compound specific. No clear trend was observed in the ARG levels in soil, likely because different host cells may respond differently to the soil environments created by various land application methods.

[Comparison of nitrogen loss via surface runoff from two agricultural catchments in semi-arid North China].

PubMed

Lu, Hai-Ming; Yin, Cheng-Qing; Wang, Xia-Hui; Zou, Ying

2008-10-01

Nitrogen loss characteristics via surface runoff from two typical agricultural catchments into Yuqiao Reservoir--the important drinking water source area for Tianjin city in semi-arid North China were investigated through two-year in-situ monitoring and indoor chemical analysis. The results showed that annual nitrogen export mainly concentrated in the rainy period between June to September. About 41% of the annual water output and 52% of the annual total nitrogen output took place in two rainfall events with rainfall> 60 mm in Taohuasi catchment (T catchment), while the distribution of water and nitrogen export among various rainfalls in Caogezhuang catchment (C catchment) was smooth. The rainfall thresholds for the appearance of water and nitrogen export from the outlet of T catchment and C catchment were 20 mm and 10 mm. The mean annual runoff coefficients of C and T catchments were 0.013 2 and 0.001 6, respectively. The mean annual total nitrogen exports from C catchment and T catchment were 1.048 kg x (hm2 x a)(-1) and 0.158 kg x (hm2 x a)(-1) respectively. The difference of micro-topography, landscape pattern and hydrological pathway between two catchments could explain the nitrogen export gap. Micro-topographical features created by long-term anthropological disturbance decrease the runoff generation ability. The distance between nitrogen source area and the outlet in T catchment was around 1 500 m, while such distance in C catchment was just around 200 m. The short distance added the nitrogen export risk via surface runoff. Road-type hydrological pathway in C catchment could transfer nitrogen into the receiving water via surface runoff directly, while nitrogen could be detained within the pathway by many sink structures such as small stones, vegetated buffer strip and dry ponds in T catchment.

The contribution of runoff to recharge rates in a semiarid to subhumid carbonated aquifer. A case study from the Sierra de Gador, SE Spain.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frot, E.; Contreras, S.; Alcala, F. J.; Solé, A.; van Wesemael, B.

2009-04-01

Two general pathways exist for recharge in carbonated aquifers: i) diffuse percolation from the base of the soil profile and ii) concentrated infiltration of surface water in favourable zones such as ephemeral stream beds and widened cracks in partly dissolved limestone. It has been shown that for large semi arid regions diffuse percolation can be assessed from the water balance i.e. the difference in precipitation and evapotranspiration. Recently, methods have been developed to assess the water balance at the regional scale based on the spatial distribution of rainfall and vegetation indices, the latter as a proxy for evapotranspiration. Concentration of surface water occurs during moderate to heavy rainfall events as a result of runoff generation from impermeable or low permeable areas, or partially controlled by slope when permeable rock outcrops. It has been shown that the large carbonate aquifer system of the Sierra de Gador, underlayered by the Campo de Dalias coastal plain, is fed preferentially during storms with a return period of more than 1-5 years. However, as a result of the volume of the aquifer, its unknown response time and the infrequent occurrence of such events, no evaluation of the relative contribution of diffuse versus concentrated recharge can be made. Therefore, different methodological approaches are applied to assess the role that both type of recharge mechanisms (diffuse and concentrated) have on the water yield of a single semiarid catchment which is drained by a regional spring of Celin. The study catchment covers a surface of c.26 km² ranging from the footslopes at 580 m a.s.l. to the summit of the Sierra de Gador at 2200 m a.s.l. The average potential recharge varies from more than 250 mm/year in summit areas to less than 50 mm/year in the bottom of the range. Runoff will be calculated using a spatially distributed rainfall/runoff model that was calibrated on water harvesting systems draining the representative combination of vegetation, rock outcrop and soil types within the Sierra de Gador. An altitudinal gradient of runoff to concavities and stream beds will be calculated for moderate storms (return period 1 year) under wet, normal and dry antecedent moisture conditions in order to estimate concentrated recharge. Furthermore, gradients as a result of diffuse recharge based on the spatial modelling of the water balance will be calculated based on the method of Contreras et al. (2008). Both gradients will be checked with those obtained by isotopic techniques, focussed to know the source of recharge, and by conservative chemical balances to quantify diffuse recharge rates in local springs at several altitudes. Under steady-state conditions, the bulk solutes mass discharged in Celin spring integrates flow mass derived from diffuse recharge by rainfall at several altitudes plus mass flow from concentrated recharge by runoff. These results give more insights about the relative contribution of both pathways to recharge in semiarid carbonate aquifers. An understanding of the relative contribution of these pathways along altitude is essential for implementing measures to increase recharge artificially.

Data and methods of a 1999-2000 street sweeping study on an urban freeway in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waschbusch, Robert J.

2003-01-01

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is required to control the quality of runoff from roadways under their control as part of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System. One way to control roadway runoff is to use street sweeping to remove pollutants before they are entrained in runoff. This may be a good option because land is often unavailable or prohibitively expensive and structural best-management practices can also be expensive. This study collected stormwater runoff samples and dirt samples from the roadway surface from a section of Interstate Highway 894 near Milwaukee, Wisconsin during periods when a street sweeping program was and was not in effect. These data may be useful in evaluating street sweeping as a stormwater best management practice but this study did not perform this evaluation. Data collection methods, concentrations of sediment and other constituents in storm- water runoff, and street dirt masses are presented in this report. Replicate and comparison sample results indicate that when evaluating the effectiveness of best-management practices on highway runoff, suspended sediment results should be used rather than suspended solids, presumably because the particle sizes in highway runoff is large compared to those found in other types of stormwater runoff.

Methods, quality assurance, and data for assessing atmospheric deposition of pesticides in the Central Valley of California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zamora, Celia; Majewski, Michael S.; Foreman, William T.

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey monitored atmospheric deposition of pesticides in the Central Valley of California during two studies in 2001 and 2002–04. The 2001 study sampled wet deposition (rain) and storm-drain runoff in the Modesto, California, area during the orchard dormant-spray season to examine the contribution of pesticide concentrations to storm runoff from rainfall. In the 2002–04 study, the number and extent of collection sites in the Central Valley were increased to determine the areal distribution of organophosphate insecticides and other pesticides, and also five more sample types were collected. These were dry deposition, bulk deposition, and three sample types collected from a soil box: aqueous phase in runoff, suspended sediment in runoff, and surficial-soil samples. This report provides concentration data and describes methods and quality assurance of sample collection and laboratory analysis for pesticide compounds in all samples collected from 16 sites. Each sample was analyzed for 41 currently used pesticides and 23 pesticide degradates, including oxygen analogs (oxons) of 9 organophosphate insecticides. Analytical results are presented by sample type and study period. The median concentrations of both chloryprifos and diazinon sampled at four urban (0.067 micrograms per liter [μg/L] and 0.515 μg/L, respectively) and four agricultural sites (0.079 μg/L and 0.583 μg/L, respectively) during a January 2001 storm event in and around Modesto, Calif., were nearly identical, indicating that the overall atmospheric burden in the region appeared to be fairly similar during the sampling event. Comparisons of median concentrations in the rainfall to those in the McHenry storm-drain runoff showed that, for some compounds, rainfall contributed a substantial percentage of the concentration in the runoff; for other compounds, the concentrations in rainfall were much greater than in the runoff. For example, diazinon concentrations in rainfall were about 70 percent of the diazinon concentration in the runoff, whereas the chlorpyrifos concentration in the rain was 1.8 times greater than in the runoff. The more water-soluble pesticides—carbaryl, metolachlor, napropamide, and simazine—followed the same pattern as diazinon and had lower concentrations in rain compared to runoff. Similar to chlorpyrifos,compounds with low water solubilities and higher soil-organic carbon partition coefficients, including dacthal, pendimethalin, and trifluralin, were found to have higher concentrations in rain than in runoff water and were presumed to partition to the suspended sediments and organic matter on the ground. During the 2002–04 study period, the herbicide dacthal had the highest detection frequencies for all sample types collected from the Central Valley sites (67–100 percent). The most frequently detected compounds in the wet-deposition samples were dacthal, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, and simazine (greater than 90 percent). The median wet-deposition amounts for these compounds were 0.044 micrograms per square meter per day (μg/m2/day), 0.209 μg/m2/day, 0.079 μg/m2/day, and 0.172 μg/m2/day, respectively. For the dry-deposition samples, detection frequencies were greater than 73 percent for the compounds dacthal, metolachor, and chlorpyrifos, and median deposition amounts were an order of magnitude less than for wet deposition. The differences between wet deposition and dry deposition appeared to be closely related to the Henry’s Law (H) constant of each compound, although the mass deposited by dry deposition takes place over a much longer time frame. Pesticides detected in rainfall usually were detected in the aqueous phase of the soil-box runoff water, and the runoff concentrations were generally similar to those in the rainfall. For compounds detected in the aqueous phase and suspended-sediment samples of soil-box runoff, concentrations of pesticides in the aqueous phase generally were detected in low concentrations and had few corresponding detections in the suspended- sediment samples. Dacthal, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, and simazine were the most frequently detected pesticides (greater than 83 percent) in the aqueous-phase samples, with median concentrations of 0.010 μg/L, 0.045 μg/L, 0.016 μg/L, and 0.077 μg/L, respectively. Simazine was the most frequently detected compound in the suspended-sediment samples (69 percent), with a median concentration of 0.232 μg/L. Results for compounds detected in the surficial-soil samples collected throughout the study period showed that there was an increase in concentration for some compounds, indicating atmospheric deposition of these compounds onto the soil-box surface. In the San Joaquin Valley, the compounds chlorpyrifos, dacthal, and iprodione were detected at higher concentrations (between 1.4 and 2 times greater) than were found in the background samples collected from the San Joaquin Valley soil-box sites. In the Sacramento Valley, the compounds chlorpyrifos, dacthal, iprodione, parathionmethyl, and its oxygen analog, paraoxon-methyl, were detected in samples collected during the study period in low concentrations, but were not detected in the background concentration of the Sacramento Valley soil mix.

Modeling diffuse sources of surface water contamination with plant protection products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wendland, Sandra; Bock, Michael; Böhner, Jürgen; Lembrich, David

2015-04-01

Entries of chemical pollutants in surface waters are a serious environmental problem. Among water pollutants plant protection products (ppp) from farming practice are of major concern not only for water suppliers and environmental agencies, but also for farmers and industrial manufacturers. Lost chemicals no longer fulfill their original purpose on the field, but lead to severe damage of the environment and surface waters. Besides point-source inputs of chemical pollutants, the diffuse-source inputs from agricultural procedures play an important and not yet sufficiently studied role concerning water quality. The two most important factors for diffuse inputs are erosion and runoff. The latter usually occurs before erosion begins, and is thus often not visible in hindsight. Only if it has come to erosion, it is obvious to expect runoff in foresight at this area, too. In addition to numerous erosion models, there are also few applications to model runoff processes available. However, these conventional models utilize approximations of catchment parameters based on long-term average values or theoretically calculated concentration peaks which can only provide indications to relative amounts. Our study aims to develop and validate a simplified spatially-explicit dynamic model with high spatiotemporal resolution that enables to measure current and forecast runoff potential not only at catchment scale but field-differentiated. This method allows very precise estimations of runoff risks and supports risk reduction measures to be targeted before fields are treated. By focusing on water pathways occurring on arable land, targeted risk reduction measures like buffer strips at certain points and adapted ppp use can be taken early and pollution of rivers and other surface waters through transported pesticides, fertilizers and their products could be nearly avoided or largely minimized. Using a SAGA-based physical-parametric modeling approach, major factors influencing runoff (relief, soil properties, weather conditions and crop coverage) are represented. Water balance parameters are modeled in daily steps, taking into account relief determined discharge pathways, runoff velocity and number of field boundaries passed until receiving streams are reached. Model development is based on a comprehensive monitoring campaign at 3 smaller catchments in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), equipped with two gauges each, upstream and downstream, an optical Trios probe and four Isco-Samplers. The temporal high resolution monitoring of discharge, ppp, orthophosphate and nitrate-nitrogen enables an evaluation of runoff simulations in relation with rain events. First model results suggest that the simulation of surface runoff pathways enables a spatial-explicit identification of fields contributing to pollutant inputs. We assume that targeted actions on few fields will help solving the problem of diffuse inputs of ppp in our surface water to a considerable extent.

Relation of urban land-use and land-surface characteristics to quantity and quality of storm runoff in two basins in California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sylvester, Marc A.; Brown, William M.

1978-01-01

Two basins (Castro Valley Creek, in Alameda County, and Strong Ranch Slough, in Sacramento County) in the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region (Bay-Delta region) were sampled intensively (3-15 minute intervals) during three storms between October 1974 and April 1975. Both basins are primarily residential, but the Strong Ranch Slough basin is almost entirely urbanized and nearly flat, while the Castro Valley Creek basin possesses some rural areas and slopes greater than 70 percent in the headwaters. Water discharge and concentrations of suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, nitrite and nitrate, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total orthophosphorus, and settleable matter were usually greater at the Castro Valley Creek basin than at the Strong Ranch Slough basin. Concentrations of these constituents and water discharge changed more rapidly at the Castro Valley Creek basin than at the Strong Ranch Slough basin. Of the four subbasins sampled (two in each basin), constituent concentrations in runoff from a residential subbasin were usually greatest. Quantity and quality of runoff were related to environmental characteristics such as slope, perviousness, residential development and maintenance, and channel conditions. Greater water discharge and concentrations of constituents in the Castro Valley Creek basin seem to be partly due to steeper slopes, less perviousness, and smaller residential lot sizes than are in the Strong Ranch Slough basin. Erosion of steep slopes disturbed by grazing and residential development, poorly maintained dwellings and lots, and a mostly earthen drainage channel in the Castro Valley Creek basin are probably responsible for the greater concentrations of suspended solids and settleable matter in runoff from this basin. In both basins, the highest observed concentrations of suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, settleable matter, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and total orthophosphorus were observed at or near peak water discharges. Flow-weighted and arithmetic-mean concentrations of suspended solids in Castro Valley Creek exceed the arithmetic-mean concentration of suspended solids in medium-strength untreated sewage. These results indicate that control of urban storm runoff in the Bay-Delta region may be desirable to protect receiving water.

Spatial Variability and Distribution of the Metals in Surface Runoff in a Nonferrous Metal Mine

PubMed Central

Ren, Bozhi; Chen, Yangbo; Zhu, Guocheng; Wang, Zhenghua; Zheng, Xie

2016-01-01

The spatial variation and distribution features of the metals tested in the surface runoff in Xikuangshan Bao Daxing miming area were analyzed by combining statistical methods with a geographic information system (GIS). The results showed that the maximum concentrations of those five kinds of the metals (Sb, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd) in the surface runoff of the antimony mining area were lower than the standard value except the concentration of metal Ni. Their concentrations were 497.1, 2.0, 1.8, 22.2, and 22.1 times larger than the standard value, respectively. This metal pollution was mainly concentrated in local areas, which were seriously polluted. The variation coefficient of Sb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Cd was between 0.4 to 0.6, wherein the Sb's spatial variability coefficient is 50.56%, indicating a strong variability. Variation coefficients of the rest of metals were less than 50%, suggesting a moderate variability. The spatial structure analysis showed that the squared correlation coefficient (R 2) of the models fitting for Sb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Cd was between 0.721 and 0.976; the ratio of the nugget value (C 0) to the abutment value (C + C 0) was between 0.0767 and 0.559; the semivariogram of Sb, Zn, Ni, and Pb was in agreement with a spherical model, while semivariogram of Cu and Cd was in agreement with Gaussian model, and both had a strong spatial correlation. The trend and spatial distribution indicated that those pollution distributions resulting from Ni, Pb, and Cd are similar, mainly concentrated in both ends of north and south in eastern part. The main reasons for the pollution were attributed to the residents living, transportation, and industrial activities; the Sb distribution was concentrated mainly in the central part, of which the pollution was assigned to the mining and the industrial activity; the pollution distributions of Zn and Cu were similar, mainly concentrated in both ends of north and south as well as in west; the sources of the metals were widely distributed. PMID:27069713

Intra-event variability of Escherichia coli and total suspended solids in urban stormwater runoff.

PubMed

McCarthy, D T; Hathaway, J M; Hunt, W F; Deletic, A

2012-12-15

Sediment levels are important for environmental health risk assessments of surface water bodies, while faecal pollution can introduce significant public health risks for users of these systems. Urban stormwater is one of the largest sources of contaminants to surface waters, yet the fate and transport of these contaminants (especially those microbiological) have received little attention in the literature. Stormwater runoff from five urbanized catchments were monitored for pathogen indicator bacteria and total suspended solids in two developed countries. Multiple discrete samples were collected during each storm event, allowing an analysis of intra-event characteristics such as initial concentration, peak concentration, maximum rate of change, and relative confidence interval. The data suggest that a catchment's area influences pollutant characteristics, as larger catchments have more complex stormwater infrastructure and more variable pollutant sources. The variability of total suspended solids for many characteristics was similar to Escherichia coli, indicating that the variability of E. coli may not be substantially higher than that of other pollutants as initially speculated. Further, variations in E. coli appeared to be more commonly correlated to antecedent climate, while total suspended solids were more highly correlated to rainfall/runoff characteristics. This emphasizes the importance of climate on microbial persistence and die off in urban systems. Discrete intra-event concentrations of total suspended solids and, to a lesser extent E. coli, were correlated to flow, velocity, and rainfall intensity (adjusted by time of concentrations). Concentration changes were found to be best described by adjusted rainfall intensity, as shown by other researchers. This study has resulted in an increased understanding of the magnitude of intra-event variations of total suspended solids and E. coli and what physical and climatic parameters influence these variations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling the Effect of Summertime Heating on Urban Runoff Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, A. M.; Gemechu, A. L.; Norman, J. M.; Roa-Espinosa, A.

2007-12-01

Urban impervious surfaces absorb and store thermal energy, particularly during warm summer months. During a rainfall/runoff event, thermal energy is transferred from the impervious surface to the runoff, causing it to become warmer. As this higher temperature runoff enters receiving waters, it can be harmful to coldwater habitat. A simple model has been developed for the net energy flux at the impervious surfaces of urban areas to account for the heat transferred to runoff. Runoff temperature is determined as a function of the physical characteristics of the impervious areas, the weather, and the heat transfer between the moving film of runoff and the heated impervious surfaces that commonly exist in urban areas. Runoff from pervious surfaces was predicted using the Green- Ampt Mein-Larson infiltration excess method. Theoretical results were compared to experimental results obtained from a plot-scale field study conducted at the University of Wisconsin's West Madison Agricultural Research Station. Surface temperatures and runoff temperatures from asphalt and sod plots were measured throughout 15 rainfall simulations under various climatic conditions during the summers of 2004 and 2005. Average asphalt runoff temperatures ranged from 23.2°C to 37.1°C. Predicted asphalt runoff temperatures were in close agreement with measured values for most of the simulations (average RMSE = 4.0°C). Average pervious runoff temperatures ranged from 19.7° to 29.9°C and were closely approximated by the rainfall temperature (RMSE = 2.8°C). Predicted combined asphalt and sod runoff temperatures using a flow-weighted average were in close agreement with observed values (average RMSE = 3.5°C).

Removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Precipitation in an Urban Forest of Guangzhou, South China.

PubMed

Chen, Bufeng; Pei, Nancai; Huang, Junbiao; Liu, Shuguang; Zhang, Na; Xiao, Yihua; Pan, Yongjun

2015-08-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations and fluxes were measured monthly in situ from rain events in an urban forest in the megapolitan city Guangzhou, China, to investigate impacts of forest canopy and soils on PAHs. Mean Σ9-PAH concentrations were 107.5, 101.6, 106.3, 107.1 and 42.4 ng L(-1) in precipitation, throughfall, seepage water at the 30 and 60 cm soil depth, and runoff, respectively, indicating a great decrease in the form of runoff. Meanwhile, annual fluxes of total PAHs decreased from precipitation (205.9 µg m(-2) year(-1)), to throughfall (156.3 µg m(-2) year(-1)), and to seepage water (65.3 µg m(-2) year(-1) at 30-cm soil depth and 7.5 µg m(-2) year(-1) at 60-cm soil depth), but increased in runoff (34.1 µg m(-2) year(-1)). When compared to precipitation, PAH fluxes decreased by 83.4% in runoff, with 29% contributed by forest canopy and 71% by soils. Soil biodegradation explained 18.2% of PAH reduction by the surface soil layer and 34.6% by the middle soil layer.

Quantifying Suspended Sediment Concentration from Subglacial Sediment Plumes Discharging from Two Svalbard Tidewater Glaciers using Landsat 8 and In Situ Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schild, K. M.; Hawley, R. L.; Chipman, J. W.; Benn, D.

2016-12-01

Marine-terminating outlet glaciers discharge most of an ice sheet's mass loss through iceberg calving, submarine melting, and meltwater runoff. While calving can be quantified by in situ and remote sensing observations, meltwater runoff, submarine melting, and the subglacial transport of meltwater are not well constrained due to inherent difficulties measuring the subglacial and proglacial environments. Previous studies have used sediment plumes and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) as a proxy for glacier meltwater runoff at land-terminating glaciers. However, the relationship between satellite reflectacne and SSC, established predominantly from land-terminating glacier data, does not relate well for tidewater glaciers. Additionally, the difficulties in sampling the near terminus region of large tidewater glaciers makes it challenging to accurately constrain or identify the relationship between sediment plumes and satellite reflectance. In this study we use simultaneous Landsat 8 imagery and in situ fjord measurements at two Svalbard tidewater glaciers to establish a relationship between SSC and Landsat 8 surface reflectacne in a tidewater glacier Setting. Results from fieldwork conducted during low and peak meltwater runoff periods at Kronebreen and Tunabreen glaciers will be presented.

Effect of climate change on stormwater runoff characteristics and treatment efficiencies of stormwater retention ponds: a case study from Denmark using TSS and Cu as indicator pollutants.

PubMed

Sharma, Anitha Kumari; Vezzaro, Luca; Birch, Heidi; Arnbjerg-Nielsen, Karsten; Mikkelsen, Peter Steen

2016-01-01

This study investigated the potential effect of climate changes on stormwater pollution runoff characteristics and the treatment efficiency of a stormwater retention pond in a 95 ha catchment in Denmark. An integrated dynamic stormwater runoff quality and treatment model was used to simulate two scenarios: one representing the current climate and another representing a future climate scenario with increased intensity of extreme rainfall events and longer dry weather periods. 100-year long high-resolution rainfall time series downscaled from regional climate model projections were used as input. The collected data showed that total suspended solids (TSS) and total copper (Cu) concentrations in stormwater runoff were related to flow, rainfall intensity and antecedent dry period. Extreme peak intensities resulted in high particulate concentrations and high loads but did not affect dissolved Cu concentrations. The future climate simulations showed an increased frequency of higher flows and increased total concentrations discharged from the catchment. The effect on the outlet from the pond was an increase in the total concentrations (TSS and Cu), whereas no major effect was observed on dissolved Cu concentrations. Similar results are expected for other particle bound pollutants including metals and slowly biodegradable organic substances such as PAH. Acute toxicity impacts to downstream surface waters seem to be only slightly affected. A minor increase in yearly loads of sediments and particle-bound pollutants is expected, mainly caused by large events disrupting the settling process. This may be important to consider for the many stormwater retention ponds existing in Denmark and across the world.

Nutrient Concentrations and Stable Isotopes of Runoff from a Midwest Tile-Drained Corn Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkins, B. P.; Woo, D.; Li, J.; Michalski, G. M.; Kumar, P.; Conroy, J. L.; Keefer, D. A.; Keefer, L. L.; Hodson, T. O.

2017-12-01

Tile drains are a common crop drainage device used in Midwest agroecosystems. While efficient at drainage, the tiles provide a quick path for nutrient runoff, reducing the time available for microbes to use nutrients (e.g., NO3- and PO43-) and reduce export to riverine systems. Thus, understanding the effects of tile drains on nutrient runoff is critical to achieve nutrient reduction goals. Here we present isotopic and concentration data collected from tile drain runoff of a corn field located near Monticello, IL. Tile flow samples were measured for anion concentrations and stable isotopes of H2O and NO3-, while precipitation was measured for dual isotopes of H2O. Results demonstrate early tile flow from rain events have a low Cl- concentration (<20ppm) with water isotopic values reflecting precipitation, indicating preferential flow (>60% contribution) in the beginning of the hydrograph. As flow continues H2O isotopic values reflect pre-event water (ground and soil water), and Cl- concentrations increase representing a greater influence by matrix flow (60-90% contribution). Nitrate concentrations change dramatically, especially during the growing season, and do not follow a similar trend as the conservative Cl-, often decreasing days before, which represents missing nitrate in the upper surface portion of the soil. Nitrate isotopic data shows significant changes in 15N (4‰) and 18O (4‰) during individual hydrological events, representing that in addition to plant uptake and leaching, considerate NO3- is lost through denitrification. It is notable, that throughout the season d15N and d18O of nitrate change significantly representing that seasonally, substantial denitrification occurs.

Concentrations and characteristics of organic carbon in surface water in Arizona: Influence of urbanization

USGS Publications Warehouse

Westerhoff, P.; Anning, D.

2000-01-01

Dissolved (DOC) and total (TOC) organic carbon concentrations and compositions were studied for several river systems in Arizona, USA. DOC composition was characterized by ultraviolet and visible absorption and fluorescence emission (excitation wavelength of 370 nm) spectra characteristics. Ephemeral sites had the highest DOC concentrations, and unregulated perennial sites had lower concentrations than unregulated intermittent sites, regulated sites, and sites downstream from wastewater-treatment plants (p < 0.05). Reservoir outflows and wastewater-treatment plant effluent were higher in DOC concentration (p < 0.05) and exhibited less variability in concentration than inflows to the reservoirs. Specific ultraviolet absorbance values at 254 nm were typically less than 2 m-1(milligram DOC per liter)-1 and lower than values found in most temperate-region rivers, but specific ultraviolet absorbance values increased during runoff events. Fluorescence measurements indicated that DOC in desert streams typically exhibit characteristics of autochthonous sources; however, DOC in unregulated upland rivers and desert streams experienced sudden shifts from autochthonous to allochthonous sources during runoff events. The urban water system (reservoir systems and wastewater-treatment plants) was found to affect temporal variability in DOC concentration and composition. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.Dissolved (DOC) and total (TOC) organic carbon concentrations and compositions were studied for several river systems in Arizona, USA. DOC composition was characterized by ultraviolet and visible absorption and fluorescence emission (excitation wavelength of 370 nm) spectra characteristics. Ephemeral sites had the highest DOC concentrations, and unregulated perennial sites had lower concentrations than unregulated intermittent sites, regulated sites, and sites downstream from wastewater-treatment plants (p<0.05). Reservoir outflows and wastewater-treatment plant effluent were higher in DOC concentration (p<0.05) and exhibited less variability in concentration than inflows to the reservoirs. Specific ultraviolet absorbance values at 254 nm were typically less than 2 m-1(milligram DOC per liter)-1 and lower than values found in most temperate-region rivers, but specific ultraviolet absorbance values increased during runoff events. Fluorescence measurements indicated that DOC in desert streams typically exhibit characteristics of autochthonous sources; however, DOC in unregulated upland rivers and desert streams experienced sudden shifts from autochthonous to allochthonous sources during runoff events. The urban water system (reservoir systems and wastewater-treatment plants) was found to affect temporal variability in DOC concentration and composition.The influence of urbanization, becoming increasingly common in arid regions, on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in surface water resources was studied. DOC concentration and composition, seasonal watershed runoff events, streamflow variations, water management practices, and urban infrastructure in several Arizona watersheds were monitored. Ephemeral sites had the highest DOC levels, and unregulated perennial sites and lower concentrations than unregulated intermittent sites, regulated sites, and sites downstream from wastewater treatment plants. Reservoir outflows and wastewater treatment plant effluent had higher and less variable DOC concentrations than inflows to reservoirs. UV absorbance values, fluorescence measurements, and other indicators suggest that urban water systems (reservoirs and wastewater treatment plants) affect temporal variability in DOC concentration and composition.

Spot Spraying Reduces Herbicide Concentrations in Runoff.

PubMed

Melland, Alice R; Silburn, D Mark; McHugh, Allen D; Fillols, Emilie; Rojas-Ponce, Samuel; Baillie, Craig; Lewis, Stephen

2016-05-25

Rainfall simulator trials were conducted on sugar cane paddocks across dry-tropical and subtropical Queensland, Australia, to examine the potential for spot spraying to reduce herbicide losses in runoff. Recommended rates of the herbicides glyphosate, 2,4-D, fluoroxypyr, atrazine, and diuron were sprayed onto 0, 20, 40, 50, 70, or 100% of the area of runoff plots. Simulated rainfall was applied 2 days after spraying to induce runoff at one plant cane and three ratoon crop sites. Over 50% of all herbicides were transported in the dissolved phase of runoff, regardless of the herbicide's sediment-water partition coefficient. For most sites and herbicides, runoff herbicide concentrations decreased with decreasing spray coverage and with decreasing herbicide load in the soil and cane residues. Importantly, sites with higher infiltration prior to runoff and lower total runoff had lower runoff herbicide concentrations.

Estrogenicity and Nutrient Concentration of Surface Waters Surrounding a Large Confinement Dairy Operation Using Best Management Practices for Land Application of Animal Wastes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The impact of a confinement dairy operation (> 2,000 head) using best management practices for land application of animal wastes, on estrogenic activity (E-Screen), estrogens, and nutrients of associated surface waters and tile drain runoff were evaluated. Farm tile drain and creek samples were col...

Slope-area thresholds of road-induced gully erosion and consequent hillslope-channel interactions

Treesearch

Harry Alexander Katz; J. Michael Daniels; Sandra Ryan-Burkett

2014-01-01

Pikes Peak Highway is a partially paved road between Cascade, Colorado and the summit of Pikes Peak. Significant gully erosion is occurring on the hillslopes due to the concentration of surface runoff, the rearrangement of drainage pathways along the road surface and adjacent drainage ditches, and the high erodibility of weathered Pikes Peak granite that underlies the...

Organic contaminants in Great Lakes tributaries: Identification of watersheds and chemicals of greatest concern

EPA Science Inventory

Trace organic contaminant concentrations in some Great Lakes tributaries indicate potential for adverse effects on aquatic organisms. Chemicals used in agriculture, industry, and households enter surface waters via variety of sources, including urban and agricultural runoff, sewa...

Water quality of streams tributary to Lakes Superior and Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zimmerman, Jerome W.

1968-01-01

Water quality of streams tributary to Lakes Superior and Michigan was analyzed for 142 stations on 99 streams tributary to Lake Superior and 83 stations on 56 streams tributary to Lake Michigan during 1962-65. Concentrations of aluminum, copper, and iron were not affected greatly by flow or season. Magnesium, calcium, chlorides, total alkalinity, total hardness, and conductivity varied with the flow, temperature, and season; the lowest values were during the spring runoff and heavy rains, and the highest were during low water in late summer and the colder periods of winter. Concentrations of nitrate, silica, and sulfates were lowest in the spring and summer. Concentrations of tanninlike and ligninlike compounds were highest during the spring runoff and other high-water periods, and were lowest during freezeup when surface runoff was minimal. The pH values were highest from June to September and lowest during the spring runoff. Phenolphthalein alkalinity was detected primarily in the summer and coincided occasionally with low flows just before the spring thaw. Total hardness usually was lower in streams tributary to Lake Superior than in streams tributary to Lake Michigan. The total hardness was higher in the streams in Wisconsin than in the streams in Michigan along the west shore of Lake Michigan. It was lowest in the northernmost streams. The water quality of the streams in an area was related to the geological characteristics of the land.

Input and fate of anthropogenic estrogens and gadolinium in surface water and sewage plants in the hydrological basin of Prague (Czech Republic).

PubMed

Morteani, Giulio; Möller, Peter; Fuganti, Andrea; Paces, Tomas

2006-06-01

The concentration of the estrogens 17beta-estradiol, estriol, estrone, 17alpha-ethinylestradiol, mestranol and norethisterone and of the anthropogenic gadolinium (Gd(ant)) has been determined in the creeks and rivers, sewage treatment plants and water works of the city of Prague. The rapid degradation of estrogens in surface water allows the estrogen concentration gradient to be used as a very precise and sensitive guideline by which to pin-point sewage leaks into surface run-off water. The rather conservative behavior of Gd(ant) in surface and ground water documents in the present case the presence of sewage water in the surface water cycle.

Mechanisms of surface runoff genesis on a subsurface drained soil affected by surface crusting: A field investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augeard, Bénédicte; Kao, Cyril; Chaumont, Cédric; Vauclin, Michel

Artificial drainage has been subject to widespread criticism because of its impact on water quality and because there is suspicion that it may have detrimental effects on flood genesis. The present work aims at a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling infiltration and surface runoff genesis, particularly in soils with artificial drainage and affected by surface crusting. A field experiment was conducted during one drainage season (November 2003-March 2004) in the Brie region (80 km east of Paris, France) on a subsurface drained silty soil. Water table elevation and surface runoff were monitored above the drain and at midpoint between drains. Soil water pressure head was measured at various depths and locations between the midpoint and the drain. Soil surface characteristics (microtopography and degree of structural and sedimentary crust development) were recorded regularly on the experimental site and on other plots of various drainage intensities. The results show that the first surface runoff events were induced by high water table. However, runoff was higher at midpoint between the drains because water table reached the soil surface at that point, thus considerably reducing infiltration capacity compared to that above the drain. Comparing different plots, the area with older drainage installation (1948) yielded the most surface runoff. Wider drain spacing, smaller drain depth and possible plugging may have led to a greater area of saturated soil between drains. During the winter period, the impact of raindrops induced the formation of a structural crust on the soil surface. Furthermore, the development of the sedimentary crust, which was favored by water actually flowing on the soil surface during the high water table periods could be correlated with surface runoff volume. The formation of this crust had a significant impact on runoff occurrence at the end of the winter. Therefore, poorly drained fields presented more favorable conditions for both Horton type runoff and saturation excess runoff. Drainage effectively reduces surface runoff occurrences not only by lowering the water table in winter but also by limiting soil surface sealing.

Prairie and turf buffer strips for controlling runoff from paved surfaces.

PubMed

Steinke, K; Stier, J C; Kussow, W R; Thompson, A

2007-01-01

Eutrophication of surface waters due to nonpoint source pollution from urban environments has raised awareness of the need to decrease runoff from roads and other impervious surfaces. These concerns have led to precautionary P application restrictions on turf and requirements for vegetative buffer strips. The impacts of two plant communities and three impervious/pervious surface ratios were assessed on runoff water quality and quantity. A mixed forb/grass prairie and a Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) blend were seeded and runoff was monitored and analyzed for total volume, total P, soluble P, soluble organic P, bioavailable P, total suspended solids, and total organic suspended solids. Mean annual runoff volumes, all types of mean annual P nutrient losses, and sediment loads were not significantly affected by treatments because over 80% of runoff occurred during frozen soil conditions. Total P losses from prairie and turf were similar, averaging 1.96 and 2.12 kg ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively. Vegetation appeared to be a likely contributor of nutrients, particularly from prairie during winter dormancy. When runoff occurred during non-frozen soil conditions turf allowed significantly (P < or = 0.10) lower runoff volumes compared with prairie vegetation and the 1:2 and 1:4 impervious/pervious surface ratios had less runoff than the 1:1 ratio (P < or = 0.05). In climates where the majority of runoff occurs during frozen ground conditions, vegetative buffers strips alone are unlikely to dramatically reduce runoff and nutrient loading into surface waters. Regardless of vegetation type or size, natural nutrient biogeochemical cycling will cause nutrient loss in surface runoff waters, and these values may represent baseline thresholds below which values cannot be obtained.

Occurrence and distribution of pesticide compounds in surface water of the Santa Ana basin, California, 1998-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kent, Robert; Belitz, Kenneth; Altmann, Andrea J.; Wright, Michael T.; Mendez, Gregory O.

2005-01-01

A study of the occurrence and distribution of pesticide compounds in surface water of the highly urbanized Santa Ana Basin, California, was done as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA). One-hundred and forty-eight samples were collected from 23 sites, and analyzed for pesticide compounds during the study period from November 1998 to September 2001. Sixty-six different pesticide compounds were detected at varying frequencies and concentrations, and one or more pesticides were detected in 92 percent of the samples. All pesticide concentrations were below maximum levels permitted in drinking water. However, two compounds-diazinon and diuron-exceeded nonenforceable drinking water health-advisory levels in at least one stream sample, and five compounds exceeded guidelines to protect aquatic life-carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, lindane, and malathion. Twenty-two pesticide compounds were detected in at least 25 percent of the samples collected from any one fixed site. These are identified as 'major' pesticide compounds and are emphasized in this report. The degree to which pesticides were used in the basin, as well as their physical-chemical properties, are important explanatory factors in stream pesticide occurrence, and most pesticides probably enter streams with urban runoff. Stormflow substantially increases urban runoff, and storm effects on stream pesticide concentrations sometimes persist for several days or weeks after the storm. Water sources other than urban runoff also deliver pesticide compounds to surface water in the basin. For example, atrazine may enter streams in gaining reaches where ground water carries high loads as a result of historical use in the basin. Also, the data suggest that lindane, and perhaps bromacil, are present in treated wastewater, the predominant source of water to streams in the Santa Ana Basin.

Concentration and spectroscopic characteristics of DOM in surface runoff and fracture flow in a cropland plot of a loamy soil.

PubMed

Xian, Qingsong; Li, Penghui; Liu, Chen; Cui, Junfang; Guan, Zhuo; Tang, Xiangyu

2018-05-01

Being crucial for predicting the impact of source inputs on a watershed in rainfall events, an understanding of the dynamics and characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) export from the soil under particular land use types, particularly those associated with underground flows is still largely lacking. A field study was carried out using a 1500m 2 slope farmland plot in the hilly area of Sichuan Basin, Southwest China. The discharge of surface runoff and fracture flow was recorded and samples were collected in four representative rainfall events. For DOM characterization, concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and absorbance/excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence were analyzed. Soil water potential was also determined using tensiometers for understanding the runoff generation mechanisms. The DOC values for both surface and fracture flow showed significant responses to rainfall, with hydrological path being the primary factor in determining DOM dynamics. EEM-PARAFAC analyses indicated that the soil DOM mainly consisted of two terrestrial humic-like components with peaks located at Ex/Em 270(380)/480nm (C1) and 250(320)/410nm (C2), respectively. Concentrations of these components also responded strongly to rainfall, fluctuating in good agreement with the corresponding DOCs. Although there was no change in the presence of the components themselves, their relative distributions varied during precipitation, with the C1/C2 ratio increasing with the proportion of soil pre-event water. As the dynamic changes of soil DOM characteristics can be successfully captured using spectroscopic techniques, they may serve as a tracer for understanding hydrological paths based on their potential correlations with water source differences during rains. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Do upslope impervious surfaces impact the run-on/runoff relationship?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Development of watersheds previously managed for agricultural uses for commercial and residential uses results in the replacement of pervious soil surfaces with impervious surfaces. Characteristics of runoff generated on new upslope impervious surfaces may differ from runoff generated on the predeve...

Modeling runoff and erosion risk in a~small steep cultivated watershed using different data sources: from on-site measurements to farmers' perceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auvet, B.; Lidon, B.; Kartiwa, B.; Le Bissonnais, Y.; Poussin, J.-C.

2015-09-01

This paper presents an approach to model runoff and erosion risk in a context of data scarcity, whereas the majority of available models require large quantities of physical data that are frequently not accessible. To overcome this problem, our approach uses different sources of data, particularly on agricultural practices (tillage and land cover) and farmers' perceptions of runoff and erosion. The model was developed on a small (5 ha) cultivated watershed characterized by extreme conditions (slopes of up to 55 %, extreme rainfall events) on the Merapi volcano in Indonesia. Runoff was modelled using two versions of STREAM. First, a lumped version was used to determine the global parameters of the watershed. Second, a distributed version used three parameters for the production of runoff (slope, land cover and roughness), a precise DEM, and the position of waterways for runoff distribution. This information was derived from field observations and interviews with farmers. Both surface runoff models accurately reproduced runoff at the outlet. However, the distributed model (Nash-Sutcliffe = 0.94) was more accurate than the adjusted lumped model (N-S = 0.85), especially for the smallest and biggest runoff events, and produced accurate spatial distribution of runoff production and concentration. Different types of erosion processes (landslides, linear inter-ridge erosion, linear erosion in main waterways) were modelled as a combination of a hazard map (the spatial distribution of runoff/infiltration volume provided by the distributed model), and a susceptibility map combining slope, land cover and tillage, derived from in situ observations and interviews with farmers. Each erosion risk map gives a spatial representation of the different erosion processes including risk intensities and frequencies that were validated by the farmers and by in situ observations. Maps of erosion risk confirmed the impact of the concentration of runoff, the high susceptibility of long steep slopes, and revealed the critical role of tillage direction. Calibrating and validating models using in situ measurements, observations and farmers' perceptions made it possible to represent runoff and erosion risk despite the initial scarcity of hydrological data. Even if the models mainly provided orders of magnitude and qualitative information, they significantly improved our understanding of the watershed dynamics. In addition, the information produced by such models is easy for farmers to use to manage runoff and erosion by using appropriate agricultural practices.

17β-estradiol in runoff as affected by various poultry litter application strategies.

PubMed

Delaune, P B; Moore, P A

2013-02-01

Steroidal hormones, which are excreted by all mammalian species, have received increasing attention in recent years due to potential environmental implications. The objective of this study was to evaluate 17β-estradiol concentrations in runoff water from plots receiving poultry litter applications using various management strategies. Treatments included the effects of 1) aluminum sulfate (alum) application rates to poultry litter; 2) time until the first runoff event occurs after poultry litter application; 3) poultry litter application rate; 4) fertilizer type; and 5) litter from birds fed modified diets. Rainfall simulators were used to cause continuous runoff from fertilized plots. Runoff samples were collected and analyzed for 17β-estradiol concentrations. Results showed that increasing alum additions to poultry litter decreased 17β-estradiol concentrations in runoff water. A significant exponential decline in 17β-estradiol runoff was also observed with increasing time until the first runoff event after litter application. Concentrations of 17β-estradiol in runoff water increased with increasing litter application rate and remained above background concentrations after three runoff events at higher application rates. Management practices such as diet modification and selection of fertilizer type were also shown to affect 17β-estradiol concentrations in runoff water. Although results from these experiments typically represented a worst case scenario since runoff events generally occurred immediately after litter application, the contaminant loss from pastures fertilized with poultry litter can be expected to be much lower than continual estradiol loadings observed from waste water treatment plants. Management practices such as alum amendment and application timing can significantly reduce the risk of 17β-estradiol losses in the environment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nutrient load generated by storm event runoff from a golf course watershed.

PubMed

King, K W; Balogh, J C; Hughes, K L; Harmel, R D

2007-01-01

Turf, including home lawns, roadsides, golf courses, parks, etc., is often the most intensively managed land use in the urban landscape. Substantial inputs of fertilizers and water to maintain turf systems have led to a perception that turf systems are a major contributor to nonpoint source water pollution. The primary objective of this study was to quantify nutrient (NO(3)-N, NH(4)-N, and PO(4)-P) transport in storm-generated surface runoff from a golf course. Storm event samples were collected for 5 yr (1 Apr. 1998-31 Mar. 2003) from the Morris Williams Municipal Golf Course in Austin, TX. Inflow and outflow samples were collected from a stream that transected the golf course. One hundred fifteen runoff-producing precipitation events were measured. Median NO(3)-N and PO(4)-P concentrations at the outflow location were significantly (p < 0.05) greater than like concentrations measured at the inflow location; however, median outflow NH(4)-N concentration was significantly less than the median inflow concentration. Storm water runoff transported 1.2 kg NO(3)-N ha(-1) yr(-1), 0.23 kg NH(4)-N ha(-1) yr(-1), and 0.51 kg PO(4)-P ha(-1) yr(-1) from the course. These amounts represent approximately 3.3% of applied N and 6.2% of applied P over the contributing area for the same period. NO(3)-N transport in storm water runoff from this course does not pose a substantial environmental risk; however, the median PO(4)-P concentration exiting the course exceeded the USEPA recommendation of 0.1 mg L(-1) for streams not discharging into lakes. The PO(4)-P load measured in this study was comparable to soluble P rates measured from agricultural lands. The findings of this study emphasize the need to balance golf course fertility management with environmental risks, especially with respect to phosphorus.

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and azaarenes in runoff from coal-tar- and asphalt-sealcoated pavement.

PubMed

Mahler, Barbara J; Van Metre, Peter C; Foreman, William T

2014-05-01

Coal-tar-based sealcoat, used extensively on parking lots and driveways in North America, is a potent source of PAHs. We investigated how concentrations and assemblages of PAHs and azaarenes in runoff from pavement newly sealed with coal-tar-based (CT) or asphalt-based (AS) sealcoat changed over time. Samples of simulated runoff were collected from pavement 5 h to 111 d following application of AS or CT sealcoat. Concentrations of the sum of 16 PAHs (median concentrations of 328 and 35 μg/L for CT and AS runoff, respectively) in runoff varied relatively little, but rapid decreases in concentrations of azaarenes and low molecular weight PAHs were offset by increases in high molecular weight PAHs. The results demonstrate that runoff from CT-sealcoated pavement, in particular, continues to contain elevated concentrations of PAHs long after a 24-h curing time, with implications for the fate, transport, and ecotoxicological effects of contaminants in runoff from CT-sealcoated pavement. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Relations of surface-water quality to streamflow in the Raritan River basin, New Jersey, water years 1976-93

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buxton, Debra E.; Hunchak-Kariouk, Kathryn; Hickman, R. Edward

1999-01-01

Relations of water quality to streamflow were determined for 18 water-quality constituents at 21 surface-water stations within the drainage area of the Raritan River Basin for water years 1976-93. Surface-water-quality and streamflow data were evaluated for trends (through time) in constituent concentrations during high and low flows, and relations between constituent concentration and streamflow, and between constituent load and streamflow, were determined. Median concentrations were calculated for the entire period of study (water years 1976-93) and for the last 5 years of the period of study (water years 1989-93) to determine whether any large variation in concentration exists between the two periods. Medians also were used to determine the seasonal Kendall’s tau statistic, which was then used to evaluate trends in concentrations during high and low flows. Trends in constituent concentrations during high and low flows were evaluated to determine whether the distribution of the observations changes through time for intermittent (nonpoint storm runoff) or constant (point sources and ground water) sources, respectively. Highand low-flow trends in concentrations were determined for some constituents at 13 of the 21 water-quality stations; 8 stations have insufficient data to determine trends. Seasonal effects on the relations of concentration to streamflow are evident for 16 of the 18 constituents. Negative slopes of relations of concentration to streamflow, which indicate a decrease in concentration at high flows, predominate over positive slopes because of the dilution of instream concentrations by storm runoff. The slopes of the regression lines of load to streamflow were determined in order to show the relative contributions to the instream load from constant (point sources and ground water) and intermittent sources (storm runoff). Greater slope values indicate larger contributions from storm runoff to instream load, which most likely indicate an increased relative importance of nonpoint sources. The slopes of load-to-streamflow relations along a stream reach that tend to increase in a downstream direction indicate the increased relative importance of contributions from storm runoff. The slopes of load-to-streamflow relations increase in the downstream direction for alkalinity at North Branch Raritan and Millstone Rivers, for some or all of the nutrient species at South Branch and North Branch Raritan Rivers, for hardness at South Branch Raritan River, for dissolved solids at North Branch Raritan River, for dissolved sodium at Lamington River, and for suspended sediment and dissolved oxygen at Millstone River. Likewise, the slopes of load-tostreamflow relations along a stream reach that tend to decrease in a downstream direction indicate the increased relative importance of point sources and ground-water discharge. The slopes of load-to-streamflow relations decrease in the downstream direction for dissolved solids at Raritan and Millstone Rivers; for dissolved sodium, dissolved chloride, total ammonia plus organic nitrogen, and total ammonia at South Branch Raritan, Raritan, and Millstone Rivers; for dissolved oxygen at North Branch Raritan and Lamington Rivers; for total nitrite at Lamington, Raritan, and Millstone Rivers; for total boron at South Branch Raritan and Millstone Rivers; for total organic carbon at North Branch Raritan River; for suspended sediment and total nitrogen at Raritan River; and for hardness, total phosphorus, and total lead at Millstone River.

Performance of compost filtration practice for green infrastructure stormwater applications.

PubMed

Faucette, Britt; Cardoso, Fatima; Mulbry, Walter; Millner, Pat

2013-09-01

Urban storm water runoff poses a substantial threat of pollution to receiving surface waters. Green infrastructure, low impact development, green building ordinances, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) storm water permit compliance, and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) implementation strategies have become national priorities; however, designers need more sustainable, low-cost solutions to meet these goals and guidelines. The objective of this study was to determine the multiple-event removal efficiency and capacity of compost filter socks (FS) and filter socks with natural sorbents (NS) to remove soluble phosphorus, ammonium-nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, E. coli, Enterococcus, and oil from urban storm water runoff. Treatments were exposed to simulated storm water pollutant concentrations consistent with urban runoff originating from impervious surfaces, such as parking lots and roadways. Treatments were exposed to a maximum of 25 runoff events, or when removal efficiencies were < or = 25%, whichever occurred first. Experiments were conducted in triplicate. The filter socks with natural sorbents removed significantly greater soluble phosphorus than the filter socks alone, removing a total of 237 mg/linear m over eight runoff events, or an average of 34%. The filter socks with natural sorbents removed 54% of ammonium-nitrogen over 25 runoff events, or 533 mg/linear m, and only 11% of nitrate-nitrogen, or 228 mg/linear m. The filter socks and filter socks with natural sorbents both removed 99% of oil over 25 runoff events, or a total load of 38,486 mg/linear m. Over 25 runoff events the filter socks with natural sorbents removed E. coli and Enteroccocus at 85% and 65%, or a total load of 3.14 CFUs x 10(8)/ linear m and 1.5 CFUs x 10(9)/linear m, respectively; both were significantly greater than treatment by filter socks alone. Based on these experiments, this technique can be used to reduce soluble pollutants from storm water over multiple runoff events.

Effectiveness of a stormwater collection and detention system for reducing constituent loads from bridge runoff in Pinellas County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stoker, Y.E.

1996-01-01

The quantity and quality of stormwater runoff from the Bayside Bridge were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the stormwater collection and detention pond system of the bridge in reducing constituent loads to Old Tampa Bay. Water-quality samples of stormwater runoff from the bridge and outflow from the detention pond were collected during and after selected storms. These samples were used to compute loads for selected constituents. Stormwater on the Bayside Bridge drained rapidly during rain events. The volume of stormwater runoff from 24 storms measured during the study ranged from 4,086 to 103,705 cubic feet. Storms were most frequent during July through September and were least frequent from February through May. Concentrations of most constituents in stormwater runoff before the bridge opened to traffic were less than or equal to concentrations measured after the bridge was opened to traffic. However, concentrations of arsenic in the outflow from the detention pond generally were greater before the bridge opened than concentrations after, and concentrations of orthophosphorus in the stormwater runoff and outflow from the pond were greater before the bridge opened than during over half the sampled storms after the bridge opened. Concentrations of most constituents measured in stormwater runoff from the bridge were greatest at the beginning of the storm and decreased as the storm continued. Variations in suspended solids, nutrients, and trace element concentrations were not always concurrent with each other. The source of the measured constituent (rainfall or road debris) and the phase of the constituent (suspended or dissolved) probably affected the timing of concentration changes. The quality of stormwater runoff from the Bayside Bridge varied with total runoff volume, with the length of the dry period before the storm, and with season. Average concentrations of suspended solids, ammonia plus organic nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, orthophosphorus, phosphorus, total organic carbon, aluminum, arsenic, copper, and zinc in stormwater runoff generally were inversely related to runoff volume. The quality of outflow from the detention pond also varied during a storm event and with season. Maximum concentrations generally occurred near the beginning of a storm, and decreased as the storm continued. Maximum concentrations of many constituents occurred in June and July 1995. During the summer months, pH exceeded 9.0 while inorganic nitrogen concentrations were very low. These high pH values and low inorganic nitrogen concentrations are most likely associated with photosynthesis by algae or aquatic plants in the pond. Concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and nickel in stormwater runoff were correlated with total organic carbon concentrations. Concentrations of chromium, copper, iron, nickel, lead, and zinc in stormwater runoff were correlated with aluminum concentrations. The source of these metals is probably the bridge materials and metallic debris from vehicles. The northern detention pond system of the Bayside Bridge effectively reduced concentrations of suspended solids, ammonia nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, phosphorus, aluminum, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, nickel, and zinc in stormwater runoff before water discharged from the pond. However, concentrations of ammonia plus organic nitrogen, organic carbon, arsenic, and values for alkalinity, pH, and specific conductance generally were greater in outflow from the pond than in stormwater runoff from the bridge. Stormwater runoff and pond outflow for three storm events were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the detention pond system in removing selected constituents from the stormwater runoff. Most constituents and constituent loads were reduced in the outflow from the pond. Suspended solids loads were reduced about 30 to 45 percent, inorganic nitrogen loads were reduced by about 60 to 90 percent, and loads of most trace elements

Roofing Materials Assessment: Investigation of Five Metals in Runoff from Roofing Materials.

PubMed

Winters, Nancy; Granuke, Kyle; McCall, Melissa

2015-09-01

To assess the contribution of five toxic metals from new roofing materials to stormwater, runoff was collected from 14 types of roofing materials and controls during 20 rain events and analyzed for metals. Many of the new roofing materials evaluated did not show elevated metals concentrations in the runoff. Runoff from several other roofing materials was significantly higher than the controls for arsenic, copper, and zinc. Notably, treated wood shakes released arsenic and copper, copper roofing released copper, PVC roofing released arsenic, and Zincalume® and EPDM roofing released zinc. For the runoff from some of the roofing materials, metals concentrations decreased significantly over an approximately one-year period of aging. Metals concentrations in runoff were demonstrated to depend on a number of factors, such as roofing materials, age of the materials, and climatic conditions. Thus, application of runoff concentrations from roofing materials to estimate basin-wide releases should be undertaken cautiously.

Hydrologic conditions and water quality in an agricultural area in Kleberg and Nueces Counties, Texas, 1996-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ockerman, Darwin J.; Petri, Brian L.

2001-01-01

During 1996?98, rainfall and runoff were monitored on a 49,680-acre agricultural watershed in Kleberg and Nueces Counties in South Texas. Nineteen rainfall samples were analyzed for selected nutrients, and runoff samples from 29 storms were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, and pesticides. Loads of nutrients in rainfall and loads of nutrients and pesticides in runoff were computed. For a 40,540-acre part of the watershed (lower study area), constituent loads entering the watershed in rainfall, in runoff from the upper study area, and from agricultural chemical applications to the lower study area were compared with runoff loads exiting the lower study area. Total rainfall for 1996?98 averaged 25.86 inches per year, which is less than the long-term annual average rainfall of 29.80 inches for the area. Rainfall and runoff during 1996?98 were typical of historical patterns, with periods of below average rainfall and runoff interspersed with extreme events. Five individual storms accounted for about 38 percent of the total rainfall and 94 percent of the total runoff. During the 3-year study, the total nitrogen runoff yield from the lower study area was 1.3 pounds per acre per year, compared with 49 pounds per acre per year applied as fertilizer and 3.1 pounds per acre per year from rainfall. While almost all of the fertilizer and rainfall nitrogen was ammonia and nitrate, most of the nitrogen in runoff was particulate organic nitrogen, associated with crop residue. Total nitrogen exiting the lower study area in surface-water runoff was about 2.5 percent of the nitrogen inputs (fertilizer and rainfall nitrogen). Annual deposition of total nitrogen entering the lower study area in rainfall exceeded net yields of total nitrogen exiting the watershed in runoff because most of the rainfall does not contribute to runoff. During the study, the total phosphorus runoff yield from the lower study area was 0.48 pound per acre per year compared with 4.2 pounds per acre per year applied as fertilizer and 0.03 pound per acre per year from rainfall. Twenty-one pesticides were detected in runoff with varying degrees of frequency during the study. The herbicide atrazine was detected in all runoff samples. All of the most frequently detected pesticides (atrazine, trifluralin, simazine, pendimethalin, and diuron) exhibited higher concentrations during the pre-harvest period (March? May) than during the post-harvest period (August? October). During 1996?98, an average of 0.37 pound per acre per year of atrazine was applied to the lower study area. During the same period, 0.0027 pound per acre per year of atrazine and its breakdown product deethylatrazine exited the lower study area in runoff (about 0.7 percent of the total atrazine applied to the cropland). During 1997, when heavy rainfall occurred during the months of April and May, the atrazine plus deethylatrazine exiting the lower study area was 1.8 percent of the applied atrazine. The 1996?98 average sediment yield was 610 pounds per acre per year. Sediment loads from the study area are associated with large storm events. Of the 45,300 tons of sediment transported from the study area during 1996?98 about 87 percent was transported during the three largest runoff events (April 1997, October 1997, and October 1998). Runoff-weighted average concentrations were computed for selected nutrients and pesticides. The 1996?98 runoff-weighted concentrations for total nitrogen and total phosphorus were 1.3 and 0.50 milligrams per liter, respectively. The 1996?98 runoff-weighted concentration for atrazine plus deethylatrazine was 2.7 micrograms per liter.

A method of determining surface runoff by

Treesearch

Donald E. Whelan; Lemuel E. Miller; John B. Cavallero

1952-01-01

To determine the effects of watershed management on flood runoff, one must make a reliable estimate of how much the surface runoff can be reduced by a land-use program. Since surface runoff is the difference between precipitation and the amount of water that soaks into the soil, such an estimate must be based on the infiltration capacity of the soil.

The influences of changing weather patterns and land management on runoff biogeochemistry in a snowmelt dominated agricultural region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, H. F.; Elliott, J. A.; Glenn, A. J.

2017-12-01

Runoff generation and the associated export of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic carbon on the Northern Great Plains have historically been dominated by snowmelt runoff. In this region the transport of elements primarily occurs in dissolved rather than particulate forms, so cropland management practices designed to reduce particulate losses tend to be ineffective in reducing nutrient runoff. Over the last decade a higher frequency of high volume and intensity rainfall has been observed, leading to rainfall runoff and downstream flooding. To evaluate interactions between tillage, crop residue management, fertilization practices, weather, and runoff biogeochemistry a network of 18 single field scale watersheds (2-6 ha.) has been established in Manitoba, Canada over a range of fertilization (no input to high input) and tillage (zero tillage to frequent tillage). Soils in this network are typical of cropland in the region with clay or clay loam textures, but soil phosphorus differs greatly depending on input practices (3 to 25 mg kg-1 sodium bicarbonate extractable P). Monitoring of runoff chemistry and hydrology at these sites was initiated in 2013 and over the course of 5 years high volume snowmelt runoff from deep snowpack (125mm snow water equivalent), low volume snowmelt from shallow snowpack (25mm snow water equivalent) and extreme rainfall runoff events in spring have all been observed. Event based analyses of the drivers of runoff chemistry indicate that spring fertilization practices (depth, amount, and timing) influence concentrations of N and P in runoff during large rainfall runoff events, but for snowmelt runoff the near surface soil chemistry, tillage, and crop residue management are of greater importance. Management recommendations that might be suggested to reduce nutrient export and downstream eutrophication in the region differ for snowmelt and rainfall, but are not mutually exclusive.

Modeling phosphorus losses from soils amended with cattle manures and chemical fertilizers.

PubMed

Wang, Zhaozhi; Zhang, T Q; Tan, C S; Vadas, P; Qi, Z M; Wellen, C

2018-05-22

While applied manure/fertilizer is an important source of P loss in surface runoff, few models simulate the direct transfer of phosphorus (P) from soil-surface-applied manure/fertilizer to surface runoff. The SurPhos model was tested with 2008-2010 growing season daily surface runoff data from clay loam experimental plots subject to different manure/fertilizer applications. Model performance was evaluated on the basis of the coefficient of determination (R 2 ), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), percent bias (PBIAS), and the ratio of the root mean square error to the standard deviation of observed values (RSR). The model offered an acceptable performance in simulating soil labile P dynamics (R 2  = 0.75, NSE = 0.55, PBIAS = 10.43%, and RSR = 0.67) and dissolved reactive P (DRP) loss in surface runoff (R 2  ≥ 0.74 and NSE ≥ 0.69) for both solid and liquid cattle manure, as well as inorganic fertilizer. Simulated direct P loss in surface runoff from solid and liquid cattle manure accounted for 39% and 40% of total growing season DRP losses in surface runoff. To compensate for the unavailability of daily surface runoff observations under snow melt condition, the whole four years' (2008-2011) daily surface runoff predicted by EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate) was used as SurPhos input. The accuracy of simulated DRP loss in surface runoff under the different manure/fertilizer treatments was acceptable (R 2  ≥ 0.55 and NSE ≥ 0.50). For the solid cattle manure treatment, of all annual DRP losses, 19% were derived directly from the manure. Beyond offering a reliable prediction of manure/fertilizer P loss in surface runoff, SurPhos quantified different sources of DRP loss and dynamic labile P in soil, allowing a better critical assessment of different P management measures' effectiveness in mitigating DRP losses. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soil aggregate stability and rainfall-induced sediment transport on field plots as affected by amendment with organic matter inputs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Pu; Arter, Christian; Liu, Xingyu; Keller, Martin; Schulin, Rainer

2017-04-01

Aggregate stability is an important factor in soil resistance against erosion, and, by influencing the extent of sediment transport associated with surface runoff, it is thus also one of the key factors which determine on- and off-site effects of water erosion. As it strongly depends on soil organic matter, many studies have explored how aggregate stability can be improved by organic matter inputs into the soil. However, the focus of these studies has been on the relationship between aggregate stability and soil organic matter dynamics. How the effects of organic matter inputs on aggregate stability translate into soil erodibility under rainfall impacts has received much less attention. In this study, we performed field plot experiments to examine how organic matter inputs affect aggregate breakdown and surface sediment transport under field conditions in artificial rainfall events. Three pairs of plots were prepared by adding a mixture of grass and wheat straw to one of plots in each pair but not to the other, while all plots were treated in the same way otherwise. The rainfall events were applied some weeks later so that the applied organic residues had sufficient time for decomposition and incorporation into the soil. Surface runoff rate and sediment concentration showed substantial differences between the treatments with and without organic matter inputs. The plots with organic inputs had coarser and more stable aggregates and a rougher surface than the control plots without organic inputs, resulting in a higher infiltration rate and lower transport capacity of the surface runoff. Consequently, sediments exported from the amended plots were less concentrated but more enriched in suspended particles (<20 µm) than from the un-amended plots, indicating a more size-selective sediment transport. In contrast to the amended plots, there was an increase in the coarse particle fraction (> 250 µm) in the runoff from the plots with no organic matter inputs towards the end of the rainfall events due to emerging bed-load transport. The results show that a single application of organic matter can already cause a large difference in aggregate breakdown, surface sealing, and lateral sediment-associated matter transfer under rainfall impact. Furthermore, we will present terrestrial laser scanning data showing the treatment effects on soil surface structure, as well as data on carbon, phosphorus and heavy metal export associated with the translocation of the sediments.

Quality characterization and impact assessment of highway runoff in urban and rural area of Guangzhou, China.

PubMed

Gan, Huayang; Zhuo, Muning; Li, Dingqiang; Zhou, Yongzhang

2008-05-01

Accurate knowledge of the quality and environmental impact of the highway runoff in Pear River Delta, South China is required to assess this important non-point pollution source. This paper presents the quality characterization and environmental impact assessment of rainfall runoff from highways in urban and rural area of Guangzhou, the largest city of Pear River Delta over 1 year's investigation. Multiple regression and Pearson correlation analysis were used to determine influence of the rainfall characteristics on water quality and correlations among the constituents in highway runoff. The results and analysis indicates that the runoff water is nearly neutral with low biodegradability. Oil and grease (O&G), suspended solids (SS) and heavy metals are the dominant pollutants in contrast to the low level of nutrient constituents in runoff. Quality of highway runoff at rural site is better than that of at urban site for most constituents. Depth and antecedent dry period are the main rainfall factors influencing quality of highway runoff. The correlation patterns among constituents in highway runoff at urban site are consistent with their dominant phases in water. Strong correlations (r > or = 0.80) are found among chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus, Cu and Zn as well as conductivity, nitrate nitrogen and total nitrogen. O&G, COD, SS and Pb in highway runoff at urban site substantially exceed their concentrations in receiving water of Pear River. The soil directly discharged by highway runoff at rural site has contaminated seriously by heavy metals in surface layer accompanying with pH conversion from original acidic to alkaline at present.

Quantifying climate change impacts on runoff of zoonotic pathogens from land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sterk, Ankie; de Roda Husman, Ana Maria; Stergiadi, Maria; de Nijs, Ton; Schijven, Jack

2013-04-01

Several studies have shown a correlation between rainfall and waterborne disease outbreaks. One of the mechanisms whereby rainfall may cause outbreaks is through an increase in runoff of animal faeces from fields to surface waters. Faeces originating from wildlife, domestic animals or manure-fertilized fields, is considered an important source of zoonotic pathogens to which people may be exposed by water recreation or drinking-water consumption. Climate changes affect runoff because of increasing winter precipitation and more extreme precipitation events, as well as changes in evaporation. Furthermore, drier summers are leading to longer periods of high soil moisture deficits, increasing the hydrophobicity of soil and consequently changing infiltration capacities. A conceptual model is designed to describe the impacts of climate changes on the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, which are both directly and indirectly affecting pathogen loads in the environment and subsequent public health risks. One of the major outcomes was the lack of quantitative data and limited qualitative analyses of impacts of climate changes on pathogen runoff. Quantifying the processes by which micro-organisms are transported from fields to waters is important to be able to estimate such impacts to enable targeted implementation of effective intervention measures. A quantitative model using Mathematica software will be developed to estimate concentrations of pathogens originating from overland flow during runoff events. Different input sources will be included by applying different land-use scenarios, including point source faecal pollution from dairy cows and geese and diffuse source pollution by fertilization. Zoonotic pathogens, i.e. Cryptosporidium and Campylobacter, were selected based on transport properties, faecal loads and disease burden. Transport and survival rates of these pathogens are determined including effects of changes in precipitation but also temperature induced changes on die-off. Moreover, besides climate and surface variables, changes in soil or vegetation and adjustments in agricultural policy are considered. Output of this model can be used to assess how expected climate changes could affect pathogen concentrations in surface waters. The long term aim is to include this information in a larger framework, to quantify the impact of climate change on the infection and eventual disease risks due to exposure to water transmitted pathogens.

Storm water runoff measurements of copper from a naturally patinated roof and from a parking space. Aspects on environmental fate and chemical speciation.

PubMed

Odnevall Wallinder, I; Hedberg, Y; Dromberg, P

2009-12-01

Release of copper from a naturally aged copper roof on a shopping centre building in a suburban site of Stockholm has been measured during different rain events after its interaction with the internal drainage system and storm drains made of cast iron and concrete. Concentrations of copper removed by means of urban storm water from a nearby parking space have been determined for comparison. Predictions and measurements of the chemical speciation of released copper are discussed compared to the total concentration, and to threshold values for freshwater and drinking water. The results clearly illustrate that the major part of the released copper from the roof is readily retained already during transport through the internal drainage system of the building, a pathway that also changes the chemical speciation of released copper and its bioavailable fraction. Most copper, not retained by cast iron and concrete surfaces, was strongly complexed to organic matter. The median concentration of free cupric ions and weak copper complexes was less than, or within the range of reported no effect concentrations, NOECs, of copper in surface waters. The parking space contributed with significantly higher and time-dependent concentrations of total copper compared to measured concentrations of copper from the roof after the interaction with the drainage system. Most copper in the surface runoff water was strongly complexed with organic matter, hence reducing the bioavailable fraction significantly to concentrations within the NOEC range. Dilution with other sources of urban storm water will reduce the released concentration of copper even further. The results illustrate that already the internal drainage system and the storm drains made of cast iron and concrete act as efficient sinks for released copper which means that any installation of additional infiltration devices is redundant.

Environmental hormones and their impacts on sex differentiation in fathead minnows

EPA Science Inventory

Runoff from lands fertilized with animal manure from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is a source of hormones to surface water. To test the hypothesis that juvenile fathead minnows exposed to sex steroids singly and in a “typical” CAFO mixture while undergoing sex...

The impact of runoff generation mechanisms on the location of critical source areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyon, S.W.; McHale, M.R.; Walter, M.T.; Steenhuis, T.S.

2006-01-01

Identifying phosphorus (P) source areas and transport pathways is a key step in decreasing P loading to natural water systems. This study compared the effects of two modeled runoff generation processes - saturation excess and infiltration excess - on total phosphorus (TP) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations in 10 catchment streams of a Catskill mountain watershed in southeastern New York. The spatial distribution of runoff from forested land and agricultural land was generated for both runoff processes; results of both distributions were consistent with Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number (SCS-CN) theory. These spatial runoff distributions were then used to simulate stream concentrations of TP and SRP through a simple equation derived from an observed relation between P concentration and land use; empirical results indicate that TP and SRP concentrations increased with increasing percentage of agricultural land. Simulated TP and SRP stream concentrations predicted for the 10 catchments were strongly affected by the assumed runoff mechanism. The modeled TP and SRP concentrations produced by saturation excess distribution averaged 31 percent higher and 42 percent higher, respectively, than those produced by the infiltration excess distribution. Misrepresenting the primary runoff mechanism could not only produce erroneous concentrations, it could fail to correctly locate critical source areas for implementation of best management practices. Thus, identification of the primary runoff mechanism is critical in selection of appropriate models in the mitigation of nonpoint source pollution. Correct representation of runoff processes is also critical in the future development of biogeochemical transport models, especially those that address nutrient fluxes.

Assessment of chlorophyll variability along the northwestern coast of Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picado, A.; Alvarez, I.; Vaz, N.; Varela, R.; Gomez-Gesteira, M.; Dias, J. M.

2014-10-01

The northwestern coast of the Iberian Peninsula is characterized by a high primary production mainly supported by coastal upwelling, creating an extraordinary commercial interest for fisheries and aquaculture. Considering chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) as an indicator of primary production, its spatio-temporal variability was researched in this study in the surface water of this upwelling region from 1998 to 2007. Satellite derived Chl-a, Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Ekman transport data as well as the inflow of the main rivers discharging into the study area were used to investigate the origin of the Chl-a concentration. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis of weekly Chl-a images was performed, as well as correlation analysis between Chl-a concentration, Ekman transport and river discharge. EOF results suggest that the highest Chl-a concentration occurs near the coast up to 60 km offshore. The interannual variability of Chl-a, SST and Ekman transport was also studied considering summer and winter months. Generally, 2005, 2006 and 2007 were the most productive years during the summer months with high Chl-a concentrations along the coast associated to the strong upwelling conditions observed. Otherwise, 1998 seemed to be the most productive year during winter. The absence of upwelling favorable conditions together with localized low SST and considerable discharges, suggests that the high Chl-a concentrations observed during this period are mainly due to the entrance of nutrients through river runoff. However, in winter, high concentrations of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), associated with river runoff, are present in the ocean surface, leading to an erroneous strong signal of the satellite. During winter correlations of 0.58 and 0.49 were found between Chl-a concentration and Douro and Minho discharges, respectively, evidencing that high Chl-a concentration was related with river runoff. Otherwise, during summer, Chl-a and Ekman transport exhibited a correlation of - 0.38 indicating that high Chl-a is associated to upwelling events. In summary, it was found that the spatio-temporal variability of Chl-a along the northwestern coast of Iberian Peninsula exhibited the clear influence of upwelling events during summer. Conversely, the variability during winter was mainly due to entrance of nutrients through the rivers discharge which flow into the area.

Surface-water quality, Twin Ponies watershed, Pottawattamie and Mills counties, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Detroy, Mark G.

1981-01-01

It is probable that the variations between constituent concentrations in samples collected during runoff and those collected during low flow will be similar after grade-stabilization structures have been constructed on streams and after land-treatment measures have been implemented in the watershed as proposed by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service. Grade-stabilization structures should reduce gully and channel erosion in the watershed by dissipating the erosive energy of streamflow during significant runoff. Land-treatment measures to be implemented in conjunction with the project would help reduce sediment yield to stream channels. With the impoundments~ a decrease in velocity of the in-flowing water should produce a decrease of both the suspended~sediment concentrations and the chemical and biological constituents associated with the suspended sediMent in the impounded water.

Occurrence of alachlor and its sulfonated metabolite in rivers and reservoirs of the midwestern United States: The importance of sulfonation in the transport of chloroacetanilide herbicides

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thurman, E.M.; Goolsby, D.A.; Aga, D.S.; Pomes, M.L.; Meyer, M.T.

1996-01-01

Alachlor and its metabolite, 2-[(2',6'-diethylphenyl)- (methoxymethyl)amino]-2-oxoethanesulfonate (ESA), were identified in 76 reservoirs in the midwestern United States using immunoassay, liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The median concentration of ESA (0.48 ??g/L) exceeded the median concentration of alachlor (<0.05 ??g/L), with highest values in the upper Midwest. ESA also was detected in the Mississippi River from the mouth to the headwaters at concentrations of 0.2-1.5 ??g/L, exceeding the concentration of alachlor. In a field runoff study, alachlor rapidly formed ESA. It is hypothesized that a glutathione conjugate forms, which later oxidizes in soil to ESA. The removal of the chlorine atom lessens the toxicity of the parent compound and increases runoff potential. It is hypothesized further that sulfonic acid metabolites of other chloroacetanilides, including acetochlor, butachlor, metolachlor, and propachlor, also occur in surface water.

Hydrological modelling in sandstone rocks watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponížilová, Iva; Unucka, Jan

2015-04-01

The contribution is focused on the modelling of surface and subsurface runoff in the Ploučnice basin. The used rainfall-runoff model is HEC-HMS comprising of the method of SCS CN curves and a recession method. The geological subsurface consisting of sandstone is characterised by reduced surface runoff and, on the contrary, it contributes to subsurface runoff. The aim of this paper is comparison of the rate of influence of sandstone on reducing surface runoff. The recession method for subsurface runoff was used to determine the subsurface runoff. The HEC-HMS model allows semi- and fully distributed approaches to schematisation of the watershed and rainfall situations. To determine the volume of runoff the method of SCS CN curves is used, which results depend on hydrological conditions of the soils. The rainfall-runoff model assuming selection of so-called methods of event of the SCS-CN type is used to determine the hydrograph and peak flow rate based on simulation of surface runoff in precipitation exceeding the infiltration capacity of the soil. The recession method is used to solve the baseflow (subsurface) runoff. The method is based on the separation of hydrograph to direct runoff and subsurface or baseflow runoff. The study area for the simulation of runoff using the method of SCS CN curves to determine the hydrological transformation is the Ploučnice basin. The Ploučnice is a hydrologically significant river in the northern part of the Czech Republic, it is a right tributary of the Elbe river with a total basin area of 1.194 km2. The average value of CN curves for the Ploučnice basin is 72. The geological structure of the Ploučnice basin is predominantly formed by Mesozoic sandstone. Despite significant initial loss of rainfall the basin response to the causal rainfall was demonstrated by a rapid rise of the surface runoff from the watershed and reached culmination flow. Basically, only surface runoff occures in the catchment during the initial phase of this extreme event. The increase of the baseflow runoff is slower and remains constant after reaching a certain level. The rise of the baseflow runoff is showed in a descending part of the hydrograph. The recession method in this case shows almost 20 hours delay. Results from the HEC-HMS prove availability of both methods for the runoff modeling in this type of catchment. When simulating extreme short-term rainfall-runoff episodes, the influence of geological subsurface is not significant, but it is manifested. Using more relevant rainfall events would bring more satisfactory results.

Fertiliser management effects on dissolved inorganic nitrogen in runoff from Australian sugarcane farms.

PubMed

Fraser, Grant; Rohde, Ken; Silburn, Mark

2017-08-01

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) movement from Australian sugarcane farms is believed to be a major cause of crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks which have reduced the Great Barrier Reef coral cover by ~21% (1985-2012). We develop a daily model of DIN concentration in runoff based on >200 field monitored runoff events. Runoff DIN concentrations were related to nitrogen fertiliser application rates and decreased after application with time and cumulative rainfall. Runoff after liquid fertiliser applications had higher initial DIN concentrations, though these concentrations diminished more rapidly in comparison to granular fertiliser applications. The model was validated using an independent field dataset and provided reasonable estimates of runoff DIN concentrations based on a number of modelling efficiency score results. The runoff DIN concentration model was combined with a water balance cropping model to investigate temporal aspects of sugarcane fertiliser management. Nitrogen fertiliser application in December (start of wet season) had the highest risk of DIN movement, and this was further exacerbated in years with a climate forecast for 'wet' seasonal conditions. The potential utility of a climate forecasting system to predict forthcoming wet months and hence DIN loss risk is demonstrated. Earlier fertiliser application or reducing fertiliser application rates in seasons with a wet climate forecast may markedly reduce runoff DIN loads; however, it is recommended that these findings be tested at a broader scale.

Watershed Analysis for Runoff and Erosion Potential on Santa Cruz Watershed: Impact of Climate and Land Cover Changes

EPA Science Inventory

Many empirical studies have established the significant relationship between climate and runoff: climate change may potentially increase or decrease the surface runoff. Increased surface runoff can also increase the risk of soil erosion. Land cover change can alter rainfall-runof...

Dissipation and runoff transport of metazachlor herbicide in rapeseed cultivated and uncultivated plots in field conditions.

PubMed

Mantzos, Nikolaos; Hela, Dimitra; Karakitsou, Anastasia; Antonopoulou, Maria; Konstantinou, Ioannis

2016-10-01

The environmental fate of metazachlor herbicide was investigated under field conditions in rapeseed cultivated and uncultivated plots, over a period of 225 days. The cultivation was carried out in silty clay soil plots with two surface slopes, 1 and 5 %. The herbicide was detectable in soil up to 170 days after application (DAA), while the dissipation rate was best described by first-order kinetics and its half-life ranged between 10.92 and 12.68 days. The herbicide was detected in the soil layer of 10-20 cm from 5 to 48 DAA, and its vertical movement can be described by the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) in series model. Relatively low amounts of metazachlor (less than 0.31 % of the initial applied active ingredient) were transferred by runoff water. More than 80 % of the total losses were transferred at the first runoff event (12 DAA), with herbicide concentrations in runoff water ranging between 70.14 and 79.67 μg L -1 . Minor amounts of the herbicide (less than 0.07 % of the initial applied active ingredient) were transferred by the sediment, with a maximum concentration of 0.57 μg g -1 (12 DAA), in plots with 5 % inclination. Finally, in rapeseed plants, metazachlor was detected only in the first sampling (28 DAA) at concentrations slightly higher than the limit of quantification; when in seeds, no residues of the herbicide were detected.

[Variation Characteristics and Sources of Heavy Metals in an Urban Karst Groundwater System during Rainfall Event].

PubMed

Ren, Kun; Yang, Ping-heng; Jiang, Ze-li; Wang, Zun-bo; Shi, Yang; Wang, Feng-kang; Li, Xiao-chun

2015-04-01

The groundwater discharge and heavy metal concentrations (Mn, Pb, Cu and As) at the outlet of Nanshan Laolongdong karst subterranean river, located at the urban region in Chongqing, were observed during the rainfall events. Analysis of flow and concentrations curves was employed to study their responses to the rainfall events and explore the internal structure of karst hydrological system. Principal component analysis (PCA) and measurements were used to identify the sources of heavy metals during rainfall. The result showed that the discharge and concentrations of the heavy metals responded promptly to the rainfall event. The variation characteristics of flow indicated that Laolongdong subterranean river system belonged to a karst hydrological system including fractures together with conduits. Urban surface runoff containing large amounts of Mn, Pb and Cu went directly to subterranean river via sinkholes, shafts and karst windows. As a result, the peak concentrations of contaminants (Mn, Pb and Cu) flowed faster than those of discharge. The major sources of water pollution were derived from urban surface runoff, soil and water loss. Cave dripwater and rainwater could also bring a certain amount of Mn, Pb and As into the subterranean river. Urban construction in karst areas needs scientific and rational design, perfect facilities and well-educated population to prevent groundwater pollution from the source.

Practical data collection : establishing methods and procedures for measuring water clarity and turbidity of storm water run-off from active major highway construction sites.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-09-12

In anticipation of regulation involving numeric turbidity limit at highway construction sites, research was : done into the most appropriate, affordable methods for surface water monitoring. Measuring sediment : concentration in streams may be conduc...

Dispersion and Transport of Cryptosporidium Oocysts from Fecal Pats under Simulated Rainfall Events

PubMed Central

Davies, Cheryl M.; Ferguson, Christobel M.; Kaucner, Christine; Krogh, Martin; Altavilla, Nanda; Deere, Daniel A.; Ashbolt, Nicholas J.

2004-01-01

The dispersion and initial transport of Cryptosporidium oocysts from fecal pats were investigated during artificial rainfall events on intact soil blocks (1,500 by 900 by 300 mm). Rainfall events of 55 mm h−1 for 30 min and 25 mm h−1 for 180 min were applied to soil plots with artificial fecal pats seeded with approximately 107 oocysts. The soil plots were divided in two, with one side devoid of vegetation and the other left with natural vegetation cover. Each combination of event intensity and duration, vegetation status, and degree of slope (5° and 10°) was evaluated twice. Generally, a fivefold increase (P < 0.05) in runoff volume was generated on bare soil compared to vegetated soil, and significantly more infiltration, although highly variable, occurred through the vegetated soil blocks (P < 0.05). Runoff volume, event conditions (intensity and duration), vegetation status, degree of slope, and their interactions significantly affected the load of oocysts in the runoff. Surface runoff transported from 100.2 oocysts from vegetated loam soil (25-mm h−1, 180-min event on 10° slope) to up to 104.5 oocysts from unvegetated soil (55-mm h−1, 30-min event on 10° slope) over a 1-m distance. Surface soil samples downhill of the fecal pat contained significantly higher concentrations of oocysts on devegetated blocks than on vegetated blocks. Based on these results, there is a need to account for surface soil vegetation coverage as well as slope and rainfall runoff in future assessments of Cryptosporidium transport and when managing pathogen loads from stock grazing near streams within drinking water watersheds. PMID:14766600

Characterization of runoff from various urban catchments at different spatial scales in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Zhang, W; Che, W; Liu, D K; Gan, Y P; Lv, F F

2012-01-01

In order to investigate the characterization of runoff in storm sewer from various urban catchments, three monitoring systems at different spatial scales have been installed separately. They have been held since July 2010 in urban area of Beijing (China). The monitoring data revealed that chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and NH(3)-N values significantly exceed the Class V surface water quality standard developed by Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China (MEP). A surface solids buildup and wash off model for small watershed was adopted to analyze and discuss the process of a runoff pollutant discharge. More than a half of pollutant parameters presented a good fit to the model. However, a slightly worse-fit to the wash off model appeared in less than half of the data. Due to the influence of sewer sediments, sewer system characteristics, catchment characteristics, and other reasons, first flush was seldom observed in storm sewer runoff from these three survey areas. Meanwhile, the correlation between TSS and any other pollutant was analyzed according to cumulative load of pollutants in runoff events. An event mean concentrations (EMCs) approach was adopted to quantify the pollution of runoff. EMCs of various pollutants in storm sewer runoff between different rainfall events were slightly higher than the typical values observed in similar areas at home and abroad, according to other studies reported in literature. Based on quantitative analysis, it can be concluded that urban non-point source pollution is recognized as the major causes of quality deterioration in the receiving water bodies. This is after the point source pollution has been controlled substantially in Beijing. An integrated strategy, which combines centralized and decentralized control, along with the conditions of meteorology, hydrology, urban planning, existing drainage system, etc., will be an effective and economic approach to urban runoff pollution control.

Lateral, Vertical, and Longitudinal Source Area Connectivity Drive Runoff and Carbon Export Across Watershed Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmer, Margaret A.; McGlynn, Brian L.

2018-03-01

Watersheds are three-dimensional hydrologic systems where the longitudinal expansion/contraction of stream networks, vertical connection/disconnection between shallow and deep groundwater systems, and lateral connectivity of these water sources to streams mediate runoff production and nutrient export. The connectivity of runoff source areas during both baseflow and stormflow conditions and their combined influence on biogeochemical fluxes remain poorly understood. Here we focused on a set of 3.3 and 48.4 ha nested watersheds (North Carolina, USA). These watersheds comprise ephemeral and intermittent runoff-producing headwaters and perennial runoff-producing lowlands. Within these landscape elements, we characterized the timing and magnitude of precipitation, runoff, and runoff-generating flow paths. The active surface drainage network (ASDN) reflected connectivity to, and contributions from, source areas that differed under baseflow and stormflow conditions. The baseflow-associated ASDN expanded and contracted seasonally, driven by the rise and fall of the seasonal water table. Superimposed on this were event-activated source area contributions driven by connectivity to surficial and shallow subsurface flow paths. Frequently activated shallow flow paths also caused increased in-stream dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations with increases in runoff across both watershed scales. The spread and variability within this DOC-runoff relationship was driven by a seasonal depletion of DOC from continual shallow subsurface flow path activation and subsequent replenishment from autumn litterfall. Our findings suggest that hydrobiogeochemical signals at larger watershed outlets can be driven by the expansion, contraction, and connection of lateral, longitudinal, and vertical source areas with distinct runoff generation processes.

Reducing microbial contamination in storm runoff from high use areas on California coastal dairies.

PubMed

Lewis, D J; Atwill, E R; Lennox, M S; Pereira, M D G; Miller, W A; Conrad, P A; Tate, K W

2009-01-01

High use areas are a fundamental part of California coastal dairies and grazing livestock ranches as feeding areas, nurseries, and sick pens. High stocking densities and daily use in these areas lead to soil surfaces devoid of vegetation and covered in manure, with high potential for manure transport during winter rains to receiving waters regulated for shellfish harvesting and recreation. We characterized the association between California's Mediterranean climate and a series of existing and proposed management practices on fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) transport from high use areas on dairies and ranches. Results from 351 storm runoff samples collected below 35 high-use areas indicate that removal of cattle during winter, locating high use areas on level ground, application of straw and seeding, and vegetative buffer strip implementation were significantly associated with FCB concentration and load reductions. These results complement our findings for reductions of specific pathogens in runoff from these areas. These findings have practical significance because they document surface water quality benefits that the studied management practices provide in application on working farms and ranches. This direction is critical and timely for on-farm management efforts seeking to reduce microbial pollution in runoff and comply with indicator bacteria water quality criteria.

Silicic acid enrichment of subantarctic surface water from continental inputs along the Patagonian archipelago interior sea (41-56°S)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres, Rodrigo; Silva, Nelson; Reid, Brian; Frangopulos, Máximo

2014-12-01

We estimated Si∗, the surplus or deficit of orthosilicic acid (DSi) relative to nitrate available for diatom growth, in the Chilean Patagonian Archipelago Interior Sea (PAIS). Si∗ and salinity were negatively correlated in the PAIS because of the mixing of high nitrate, low DSi subantarctic surface water and high DSi, low nitrate continental freshwater runoff. Both the slope and the intercept of this relationship decreased from northern to southern Patagonia, which was likely a consequence of reduced DSi inputs from several overlapping hydrological, biological and geological drivers along this gradient. In general, lower freshwater DSi concentrations were expected below 46°S, and a lower total DSi load was expected from reduced runoff below 51°S. The north-south decreasing DSi concentration trend may be linked to dilutions from a higher proportion of runoff in latitudes with higher precipitation rates (45-53°S), the transition to more resistant granitic rocks and glacial melt-water from the Northern and Southern Patagonia Ice Fields (46-51°S) and a reduced density of volcanoes active during the Holocene (48-56°S). The intensification of a southward DSi deficit may be a forcing factor involved in the reported southward reductions in plankton biomass and a more frequent occurrence of non-diatom blooms in southern PAIS.

On-site infiltration of road runoff using pervious pavements with subjacent infiltration trenches as source control strategy.

PubMed

Fach, S; Dierkes, C

2011-01-01

The focus in this work was on subsoil infiltration of stormwater from parking lots. With regard to operation, reduced infiltration performance due to clogging and pollutants in seepage, which may contribute to contaminate groundwater, are of interest. The experimental investigation covered a pervious pavement with a subjacent infiltration trench draining an impervious area of 2 ha. In order to consider seasonal effects on the infiltration performance, the hydraulic conductivity was measured tri-monthly during monitoring with a mobile sprinkling unit. To assess natural deposits jointing, road bed, gravel of infiltration trenches and subsoil were analysed prior to commencement of monitoring for heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic and mineral oil type hydrocarbons. Furthermore, from 22 storm events, water samples of rainfall, surface runoff, seepage and ground water were analysed with regard to the above mentioned pollutants. The study showed that the material used for the joints had a major impact on the initial as well as the final infiltration rates. Due to its poor hydraulic conductivity, limestone gravel should not be used as jointing. Furthermore, it is recommended that materials for the infiltration facilities are ensured free of any contaminants prior to construction. Polycyclic aromatic and mineral oil type hydrocarbons were, with the exception of surface runoff, below detection limits. Heavy metal concentrations of groundwater were with the exception of lead (because of high background concentrations), below the permissible limits.

Influence of glacier runoff on ecosystem structure in Gulf of Alaska fjords

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arimitsu, Mayumi L.; Piatt, John F.; Mueter, Franz J.

2016-01-01

To better understand the influence of glacier runoff on fjord ecosystems, we sampled oceanographic conditions, nutrients, zooplankton, forage fish and seabirds within 4 fjords in coastal areas of the Gulf Alaska. We used generalized additive models and geostatistics to identify the range of glacier runoff influence into coastal waters within fjords of varying estuarine influence and topographic complexity. We also modeled the response of depth-integrated chlorophyll a concentration, copepod biomass, fish and seabird abundance to physical, nutrient and biotic predictor variables. The effects of glacial runoff were traced at least 10 km into coastal fjords by cold, turbid, stratified and generally nutrient-rich near-surface conditions. Glacially modified physical gradients, nutrient availability and among-fjord differences explained 67% of the variation in phytoplankton abundance, which is a driver of ecosystem structure at higher trophic levels. Copepod, euphausiid, fish and seabird distribution and abundance were related to environmental gradients that could be traced to glacial freshwater input, particularly turbidity and temperature. Seabird density was predicted by prey availability and silicate concentrations, which may be a proxy for upwelling areas where this nutrient is in excess. Similarities in ecosystem structure among fjords were attributable to an influx of cold, fresh and sediment-laden water, whereas differences were likely related to fjord topography and local differences in estuarine vs. ocean influence. We anticipate that continued changes in the timing and volume of glacial runoff will ultimately alter coastal ecosystems in the future.

Understanding the factors influencing the removal of heavy metals in urban stormwater runoff.

PubMed

Maniquiz-Redillas, Marla C; Kim, Lee-Hyung

2016-01-01

In this research, an infiltration trench equipped with an extensive pretreatment and filter bed consisting of woodchip, sand and gravel was utilized as a low impact development technique to manage stormwater runoff from a highly impervious road with particular emphasis on heavy metal removal. Findings revealed that the major factors influencing the removal of heavy metals were the concentration of the particulate matters and heavy metals in runoff, runoff volume and flow rates. The reduction of heavy metals was enhanced by sedimentation of particulates through pretreatment. Fine particles (<2 mm) had the most significant amount of heavy metals, thus, enhanced adsorption and filtration using various filter media were important design considerations. Sediment was most highly attached on the surface area of woodchip than to other filter media like sand, gravel and geotextile. It is suggested that maintenance must be performed after the end of the winter season wherein high sediment rate was observed to maintain the efficiency of the treatment system.

Comparison of Contaminant Transport in Agricultural Drainage Water and Urban Stormwater Runoff

PubMed Central

Ranaivoson, Andry Z.; Feyereisen, Gary W.; Rosen, Carl J.; Moncrief, John F.

2016-01-01

Transport of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural and urban landscapes to surface water bodies can cause adverse environmental impacts. The main objective of this long-term study was to quantify and compare contaminant transport in agricultural drainage water and urban stormwater runoff. We measured flow rate and contaminant concentration in stormwater runoff from Willmar, Minnesota, USA, and in drainage water from subsurface-drained fields with surface inlets, namely, Unfertilized and Fertilized Fields. Commercial fertilizer and turkey litter manure were applied to the Fertilized Field based on agronomic requirements. Results showed that the City Stormwater transported significantly higher loads per unit area of ammonium, total suspended solids (TSS), and total phosphorus (TP) than the Fertilized Field, but nitrate load was significantly lower. Nitrate load transport in drainage water from the Unfertilized Field was 58% of that from the Fertilized Field. Linear regression analysis indicated that a 1% increase in flow depth resulted in a 1.05% increase of TSS load from the City Stormwater, a 1.07% increase in nitrate load from the Fertilized Field, and a 1.11% increase in TP load from the Fertilized Field. This indicates an increase in concentration with a rise in flow depth, revealing that concentration variation was a significant factor influencing the dynamics of load transport. Further regression analysis showed the importance of targeting high flows to reduce contaminant transport. In conclusion, for watersheds similar to this one, management practices should be directed to load reduction of ammonium and TSS from urban areas, and nitrate from cropland while TP should be a target for both. PMID:27930684

Comparison of Contaminant Transport in Agricultural Drainage Water and Urban Stormwater Runoff.

PubMed

Ghane, Ehsan; Ranaivoson, Andry Z; Feyereisen, Gary W; Rosen, Carl J; Moncrief, John F

2016-01-01

Transport of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural and urban landscapes to surface water bodies can cause adverse environmental impacts. The main objective of this long-term study was to quantify and compare contaminant transport in agricultural drainage water and urban stormwater runoff. We measured flow rate and contaminant concentration in stormwater runoff from Willmar, Minnesota, USA, and in drainage water from subsurface-drained fields with surface inlets, namely, Unfertilized and Fertilized Fields. Commercial fertilizer and turkey litter manure were applied to the Fertilized Field based on agronomic requirements. Results showed that the City Stormwater transported significantly higher loads per unit area of ammonium, total suspended solids (TSS), and total phosphorus (TP) than the Fertilized Field, but nitrate load was significantly lower. Nitrate load transport in drainage water from the Unfertilized Field was 58% of that from the Fertilized Field. Linear regression analysis indicated that a 1% increase in flow depth resulted in a 1.05% increase of TSS load from the City Stormwater, a 1.07% increase in nitrate load from the Fertilized Field, and a 1.11% increase in TP load from the Fertilized Field. This indicates an increase in concentration with a rise in flow depth, revealing that concentration variation was a significant factor influencing the dynamics of load transport. Further regression analysis showed the importance of targeting high flows to reduce contaminant transport. In conclusion, for watersheds similar to this one, management practices should be directed to load reduction of ammonium and TSS from urban areas, and nitrate from cropland while TP should be a target for both.

Assessment of surface runoff depth changes in S\\varǎţel River basin, Romania using GIS techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romulus, Costache; Iulia, Fontanine; Ema, Corodescu

2014-09-01

S\\varǎţel River basin, which is located in Curvature Subcarpahian area, has been facing an obvious increase in frequency of hydrological risk phenomena, associated with torrential events, during the last years. This trend is highly related to the increase in frequency of the extreme climatic phenomena and to the land use changes. The present study is aimed to highlight the spatial and quantitative changes occurred in surface runoff depth in S\\varǎţel catchment, between 1990-2006. This purpose was reached by estimating the surface runoff depth assignable to the average annual rainfall, by means of SCS-CN method, which was integrated into the GIS environment through the ArcCN-Runoff extension, for ArcGIS 10.1. In order to compute the surface runoff depth, by CN method, the land cover and the hydrological soil classes were introduced as vector (polygon data), while the curve number and the average annual rainfall were introduced as tables. After spatially modeling the surface runoff depth for the two years, the 1990 raster dataset was subtracted from the 2006 raster dataset, in order to highlight the changes in surface runoff depth.

Long-term phosphorus immobilization by a drinking water treatment residual.

PubMed

Agyin-Birikorang, Sampson; O'Connor, George A; Jacobs, Lee W; Makris, Konstantinos C; Brinton, Scott R

2007-01-01

Excessive soluble P in runoff is a common cause of eutrophication in fresh waters. Evidence indicates that drinking water treatment residuals (WTRs) can reduce soluble P concentrations in P-impacted soils in the short term (days to weeks). The long-term (years) stability of WTR-immobilized P has been inferred, but validating field data are scarce. This research was undertaken at two Michigan field sites with a history of heavy manure applications to study the longevity of alum-based WTR (Al-WTR) effects on P solubility over time (7.5 yr). At both sites, amendment with Al-WTR reduced water-soluble P (WSP) concentration by >or=60% as compared to the control plots, and the Al-WTR-immobilized P (WTR-P) remained stable 7.5 yr after Al-WTR application. Rainfall simulation techniques were utilized to investigate P losses in runoff and leachate from surface soils of the field sites at 7.5 yr after Al-WTR application. At both sites, amendment with Al-WTR reduced dissolved P and bioavailable P (BAP) by >50% as compared to the control plots, showing that WTR-immobilized P remained nonlabile even 7.5 yr after Al-WTR amendment. Thus, WTR-immobilized P would not be expected to dissolve into runoff and leachate to contaminate surface waters or groundwater. Even if WTR-P is lost via erosion to surface waters, the bioavailability of the immobilized P should be minimal and should have negligible effects on water quality. However, if the WTR particles are destroyed by extreme conditions, P loss to water could pose a eutrophication risk.

Mechanism of the surface runoff generation processes of a permafrost watershed in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genxu, W.

2017-12-01

There is a lack of knowledge about how to quantify runoff generation and the hydrological processes operating in permafrost catchments on permafrost-dominant catchments. To understand the mechanism of runoff generation processes in permafrost catchments, a typical headwater catchment with continuous permafrost on the Tibetan Plateau was measured. A new approach is presented in this study to account for runoff processes on the spring thawing period and autumn freezing period, when runoff generation clearly differs from that of non-permafrost catchments. This approach introduces a soil temperature-based water saturation function and modifies the soil water storage curve with a soil temperature threshold. The results show that surface soil thawing induced saturation excess runoff and subsurface interflow account for approximately 66-86% and 14-34% of total spring runoff, respectively, and the soil temperature significantly affects the runoff generation pattern, the runoff composition and the runoff coefficient with the enlargement of the active layer. The suprapermafrost groundwater discharge decreases exponentially with active layer frozen processes during autumn runoff recession, whereas the ratio of groundwater discharge to total runoff and the direct surface runoff coefficient simultaneously increase. The bidirectional freezing of the active layer controls and changes the autumn runoff processes and runoff composition. The new approach could be used to further develop hydrological models of cold regions dominated by permafrost.

Summary of Surface-Water Quality Data from the Illinois River Basin in Northeast Oklahoma, 1970-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andrews, William J.; Becker, Mark F.; Smith, S. Jerrod; Tortorelli, Robert L.

2009-01-01

The quality of streams in the Illinois River Basin of northeastern Oklahoma is potentially threatened by increased quantities of wastes discharged from increasing human populations, grazing of about 160,000 cattle, and confined animal feeding operations raising about 20 million chickens. Increasing numbers of humans and livestock in the basin contribute nutrients and bacteria to surface water and groundwater, causing greater than the typical concentrations of those constituents for this region. Consequences of increasing contributions of these substances can include increased algal growth (eutrophication) in streams and lakes; impairment of habitat for native aquatic animals, including desirable game fish species; impairment of drinking-water quality by sediments, turbidity, taste-and-odor causing chemicals, toxic algal compounds, and bacteria; and reduction in the aesthetic quality of the streams. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission, prepared this report to summarize the surface-water-quality data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey at five long-term surface-water-quality monitoring sites. The data summarized include major ions, nutrients, sediment, and fecal-indicator bacteria from the Illinois River Basin in Oklahoma for 1970 through 2007. General water chemistry, concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, chlorophyll-a (an indicator of algal biomass), fecal-indicator bacteria counts, and sediment concentrations were similar among the five long-term monitoring sites in the Illinois River Basin in northeast Oklahoma. Most water samples were phosphorus-limited, meaning that they contained a smaller proportion of phosphorus, relative to nitrogen, than typically occurs in algal tissues. Greater degrees of nitrogen limitation occurred at three of the five sites which were sampled back to the 1970s, probably due to use of detergents containing greater concentrations of phosphorus than in subsequent periods. Concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment, and counts of bacteria generally increased with streamflow at the five sites, probably due to runoff from the land surface and re-suspension of streambed sediments. Phosphorus concentrations typically exceeded the Oklahoma standard of 0.037 milligrams per liter for Scenic Rivers. Concentrations of chlorophyll-a in phytoplankton in water samples collected at the five sites were not well correlated with streamflow, nor to concentrations of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, probably because much of the algae growing in these streams are periphyton attached to streambed cobbles and other debris, rather than phytoplankton in the water column. Sediment concentrations correlated with phosphorus concentrations in water samples collected at the sites, probably due to sorption of phosphorus to soil particles and streambed sediments and runoff of soils and animal wastes at the land surface and resuspension of streambed sediments and phosphorus during wet, high-flow periods. Fecal coliform bacteria counts at the five sites sometimes exceeded the Oklahoma Primary Body Contact Standard of 400 colonies per 100 milliliters when streamflows were greater than 1000 cubic feet per second. Ultimately, Lake Tenkiller, an important ecological and economic resource for the region, receives the compounds that runoff the land surface or seep to local streams from groundwater in the basin. Because of eutrophication from increased nutrient loading, Lake Tenkiller is listed for impairment by diminished dissolved oxygen concentrations, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a by the State of Oklahoma in evaluation of surface-water quality required by section 303d of the Clean Water Act. Stored phosphorus in soils and streambed and lakebed sediments may continue to provide phosphorus to local streams and lakes for decades to come. Steps are being made to reduce local sources of phosphorus, including upgrades in capacity and effective

A study of the effect of controlled drainage on surface runoff

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There is uncertainty about the impact of drainage water management (DWM) on surface runoff, and concern that DWM may increase runoff. To examine this concern, water was applied by sprinkler irrigation to 8 plots which were individually equipped with instrumentation to measure both surface and subsur...

Land cover effects on thresholds for surface runoff generation in Eastern Madagascar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Meerveld, Ilja H. J.; Prasad Ghimire, Chandra; Zwartendijk, Bob W.; Ravelona, Maafaka; Lahitiana, Jaona; Bruijnzeel, L. Adrian

2016-04-01

Reforestation and natural regrowth in the tropics are promoted for a wide range of benefits, including carbon sequestration, land rehabilitation and streamflow regulation. However, their effects on runoff generation mechanisms and streamflow are still poorly understood. Evaporative losses (transpiration and interception) likely increase with forest regrowth, while infiltration rates are expected to increase and surface runoff occurrence is, therefore, expected to decrease. As part of a larger project investigating the effects of land use on hydrological processes in upland Eastern Madagascar, this presentation reports on a comparison of the thresholds for surface runoff generation at a degraded grassland site, a young secondary forest site (5-7 years; LAI 1.83) and a mature secondary forest site (ca. 20 years; LAI 3.39). Surface runoff was measured on two (young and mature secondary forest) or three (degraded site) 3 m by 10 m plots over a one-year period (October 2014-September 2015). Soil moisture was measured at four (degraded site) to six depths (both forests), while perched groundwater levels were measured in piezometers installed at 30 cm below the soil surface. Soil hydraulic conductivity was measured in situ at the surface and at 10-20 and 20-30 cm depths at three locations in each plot. Porosity, moisture content at field capacity and bulk density were determined from soil cores taken at 2.5-7.5, 12.5-17.5 and 22.5-27.5 cm depth. The porosity and texture of the different plots were comparable. The hydraulic conductivity of the soil differed between the different land uses and declined sharply at 20-30 cm below the soil surface. Total surface runoff during the study period was 11% of incident rainfall at the degraded site vs. 2% for the two secondary forest sites. Maximum monthly runoff coefficients were 22%, 3.5% and 2.7% for the degraded site, the young forest site and the mature forest site, respectively, but individual event runoff coefficients could be as high as 45%, 12%, and 10%, respectively. Initial analyses indicate that a threshold rainfall amount was required before surface runoff occurs. Comparison of surface runoff occurrence with perched groundwater levels and soil moisture data showed that surface runoff was generated once the top-soil (0-20 cm) became saturated because of impeded drainage to the low hydraulic conductivity deeper layers. Thresholds for saturation overland flow generation were higher at the two forested sites compared to the degraded grassland due to their greater percolation to deeper layers, faster shallow lateral flow, and larger available storage in the top layers. The detailed analyses of the soil moisture and rainfall thresholds for surface runoff generation and their temporal variation will be used to develop a bucket-based conceptual model for runoff generation at these upland tropical sites. Key words: Runoff plot, rainfall threshold, soil moisture, saturation overland flow, secondary forest, soil hydraulic conductivity, Madagascar, p4ges project

Nutrient contributions to the Santa Barbara Channel, California, from the ephemeral Santa Clara River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warrick, J.A.; Washburn, L.; Brzezinski, Mark A.; Siegel, D.A.

2005-01-01

The Santa Clara River delivers nutrient rich runoff to the eastern Santa Barbara Channel during brief (???1-3 day) episodic events. Using both river and oceanographic measurements, we evaluate river loading and dispersal of dissolved macronutrients (silicate, inorganic N and P) and comment on the biological implications of these nutrient contributions. Both river and ocean observations suggest that river nutrient concentrations are inversely related to river flow rates. Land use is suggested to influence these concentrations, since runoff from a subwatershed with substantial agriculture and urban areas had much higher nitrate than runoff from a wooded subwatershed. During runoff events, river nutrients were observed to conservatively mix into the buoyant, surface plume immediately seaward of the Santa Clara River mouth. Dispersal of these river nutrients extended 10s of km into the channel. Growth of phytoplankton and nutrient uptake was low during our observations (1-3 days following runoff), presumably due to the very low light levels resulting from high turbidity. However, nutrient quality of runoff (Si:N:P = 16:5:1) was found to be significantly different than upwelling inputs (13:10:1), which may influence different algal responses once sediments settle. Evaluation of total river nitrate loads suggests that most of the annual river nutrient fluxes to the ocean occur during the brief winter flooding events. Wet winters (such as El Nin??o) contribute nutrients at rates approximately an order-of-magnitude greater than "average" winters. Although total river nitrate delivery is considerably less than that supplied by upwelling, the timing and location of these types of events are very different, with river discharge (upwelling) occurring predominantly in the winter (summer) and in the eastern (western) channel. ?? 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation on the effectiveness of pretreatment in stormwater management technologies.

PubMed

Maniquiz-Redillas, Marla C; Geronimo, Franz Kevin F; Kim, Lee-Hyung

2014-09-01

The effectiveness of presettling basins as component of stormwater best management practice (BMP) technologies was investigated. Storm event monitoring and sediment collection were conducted from May 2009 to November 2012 on the presettling basins of the three BMP technologies designed to capture and treat stormwater runoff from highly impervious roads and parking lots. Data on captured runoff and sediment, total suspended solids (TSS) loadings, rainfall and runoff rate, sediment accumulation rate, as well as particle distribution and pollutant concentrations of sediment were gathered and analyzed along with the physical design characteristics of the presettling basins such as surface area and storage volume. Regression models were generated to determine significant relationships between design parameters. Results revealed that the storage volume ratio (ratio of storage volume of presettling basin to BMP) was an important parameter in designing the presettling basin of the BMP. For practicality, optimizing the design of the presettling basin means that the storage volume ratio should be determined based on the desired captured amount of runoff and sediment from runoff to limit the frequency of maintenance caused by the accumulation of sediment. It was recommended that pretreatment of runoff should be employed when the site in which the BMP is to be sited has high TSS loading and runoff rate, and is subjected to high intensity rainfall. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Extension of coupled multispecies metal transport and speciation (TRANSPEC) model to soil.

PubMed

Bhavsar, Satyendra P; Gandhi, Nilima; Diamond, Miriam L

2008-01-01

Atmospheric deposition of metals emitted from mining operations has raised metal concentrations in the surrounding soils. This repository may be remobilized and act as a source of metals to nearby surface aquatic systems. It is important to understand metal dynamics and the impact of various chemistry and fate parameters on metal movement in the soil environment in order to evaluate risk associated with metals in terrestrial ecosystems and accurately establish critical discharge limits that are protective of aquatic biota. Here we extend our previously developed coupled multispecies metal fate-TRANsport and SPECiation/complexation (TRANSPEC) model, which was applicable to surface aquatic systems. The extended TRANSPEC, termed TRANSPEC-II, estimates the partition coefficient, K(d), between the soil-solid and -soluble phases using site-specific data and a semi-empirical regression model obtained from literature. A geochemical model calculates metal and species fractions in the dissolved and colloidal phases of the soil solution. The multispecies fugacity/aquivalence based fate-transport model then estimates inter-media transport rates such as leaching from soil, soil runoff, and water-sediment exchanges of each metal species. The model is illustratively applied to Ni in the Kelly Lake watershed (Sudbury, Ontario, Canada), where several mining operations are located. The model results suggest that the current atmospheric fallout supplies only 4% of Ni removed from soil through soil runoff and leaching. Soil runoff contributes about 20% of Ni entering into Kelly Lake with the rest coming from other sources. Leaching to groundwater, apart from runoff, is also a major loss process for Ni in the soil. A sensitivity analysis indicates that raising soil pH to above 6 may substantially reduce metal runoff and improve water quality of nearby water bodies that are impacted by runoff.

Modeling phosphorus losses from soils amended with cattle manure and chemical fertilizers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

While applied manure/fertilizer is an important source of P loss in surface runoff, few models simulate the direct transfer of phosphorus (P) from soil-surface-applied manure/fertilizer to runoff. The SurPhos model was tested with 2008-2010 growing season, daily surface runoff data from clay loam ex...

Topographic effects on flow path and surface water chemistry of the Llyn Brianne catchments in Wales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolock, D.M.; Hornberger, G.M.; Musgrove, T.J.

1990-01-01

Topographic shape is a watershed attribute thought to influence the flow path followed by water as it traverses a catchment. Flow path, in turn, may affect the chemical composition of surface waters. Topography is quantified in the hydrological model TOPMODEL as the relative frequency distribution of the index ln( a tanB), where a is the upslope area per unit contour that drains past a point and tanB is the local surface slope. Spatial distributions of ln( a tanB) were calculated for eight catchments in Wales on a 25 m ?? 25 m grid. Among the catchments, mean observed stream H+ concentration during high flow periods was highly correlated with the mean of the ln( a tanB) distribution. The steady-state gain of a transfer function (time series) model relating H+ to discharge was positively correlated with the mean of the ln( a tanB) distribution. These results suggest that during high flow periods, both the average stream acidity and the magnitude of fluctuations in H+ are conditioned by the topographic shape of the catchment. By performing a sensitivity analysis on TOPMODEL, we also show that as the mean of the ln( a tanB) distribution for a catchment increases, so does its theoretical likelihood to produce significant quantities of surface and near-surface runoff. Our observed results in the Llyn Brianne catchments are consistent with this theoretical expectation in that surface or near-surface runoff is often higher in acidity than are deeper sources of hillslope runoff. ?? 1990.

Exploiting Soil Moisture, Precipitation, and Streamflow Observations to Evaluate Soil Moisture/Runoff Coupling in Land Surface Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crow, W. T.; Chen, F.; Reichle, R. H.; Xia, Y.; Liu, Q.

2018-05-01

Accurate partitioning of precipitation into infiltration and runoff is a fundamental objective of land surface models tasked with characterizing the surface water and energy balance. Temporal variability in this partitioning is due, in part, to changes in prestorm soil moisture, which determine soil infiltration capacity and unsaturated storage. Utilizing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Soil Moisture Active Passive Level-4 soil moisture product in combination with streamflow and precipitation observations, we demonstrate that land surface models (LSMs) generally underestimate the strength of the positive rank correlation between prestorm soil moisture and event runoff coefficients (i.e., the fraction of rainfall accumulation volume converted into stormflow runoff during a storm event). Underestimation is largest for LSMs employing an infiltration-excess approach for stormflow runoff generation. More accurate coupling strength is found in LSMs that explicitly represent subsurface stormflow or saturation-excess runoff generation processes.

Pesticides and pesticide degradation products in stormwater runoff: Sacramento River Basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.

1996-01-01

Pesticides in stormwater runoff, within the Sacramento River Basin, California, were assessed during a storm that occurred in January 1994. Two organophosphate insecticides (diazinon and methidathion), two carbamate pesticides (molinate and carbofuran), and one triazine herbicide (simazine) were detected. Organophosphate pesticide concentrations increased with the rising stage of the hydrographs; peak concentrations were measured near peak discharge. Diazinon oxon, a toxic degradation product of diazinon, made up approximately 1 to 3 percent of the diazinon load. The Feather River was the principal source of organophosphate pesticides to the Sacramento River during this storm. The concentrations of molinate and carbofuran, pesticides applied to rice fields during May and June, were relatively constant during and after the storm. Their presence in surface water was attributed to the flooding and subsequent drainage, as a management practice to degrade rice stubble prior to the next planting. A photodegradation product of molinate, 4-keto molinate, was in all samples where molinate was detected and made up approximately 50 percent of the total molinate load. Simazine, a herbicide used in orchards and to control weeds along the roadways, was detected in the storm runoff, but it was not possible to differentiate the two sources of that pesticide to the Sacramento River.

Effects of agricultural management, land use, and watershed scale on E. coli concentrations in runoff and streamflow

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fecal contamination of surface waters is a critical water quality concern with serious human health implications. Many states use Escherichia coli (E. coli) as an indicator organism for fecal contamination and apply watershed models to develop and support bacterial Total Maximum Daily Loads; howeve...

REGIONAL ANALYSIS OF INORGANIC NITROGEN YIELD AND RETENTION IN HIGH-ELEVATION ECOSYSTEMS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA AND ROCKY MOUNTAINS

EPA Science Inventory

Yields and retention of inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and nitrate concentrations in surface runoff are summarized for 28 high elevation watersheds in the Sierra Nevada, California and Rocky Mountains of Wyoming and Colorado. Catchments ranged in elevation from 2475 to 3603 m and from...

Joint variability of global runoff and global sea surface temperatures

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCabe, G.J.; Wolock, D.M.

2008-01-01

Global land surface runoff and sea surface temperatures (SST) are analyzed to identify the primary modes of variability of these hydroclimatic data for the period 1905-2002. A monthly water-balance model first is used with global monthly temperature and precipitation data to compute time series of annual gridded runoff for the analysis period. The annual runoff time series data are combined with gridded annual sea surface temperature data, and the combined dataset is subjected to a principal components analysis (PCA) to identify the primary modes of variability. The first three components from the PCA explain 29% of the total variability in the combined runoff/SST dataset. The first component explains 15% of the total variance and primarily represents long-term trends in the data. The long-term trends in SSTs are evident as warming in all of the oceans. The associated long-term trends in runoff suggest increasing flows for parts of North America, South America, Eurasia, and Australia; decreasing runoff is most notable in western Africa. The second principal component explains 9% of the total variance and reflects variability of the El Ni??o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and its associated influence on global annual runoff patterns. The third component explains 5% of the total variance and indicates a response of global annual runoff to variability in North Aflantic SSTs. The association between runoff and North Atlantic SSTs may explain an apparent steplike change in runoff that occurred around 1970 for a number of continental regions.

A field evaluation of subsurface and surface runoff. II. Runoff processes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pilgrim, D.H.; Huff, D.D.; Steele, T.D.

1978-01-01

Combined use of radioisotope tracer, flow rate, specific conductance and suspended-sediment measurements on a large field plot near Stanford, California, has provided more detailed information on surface and subsurface storm runoff processes than would be possible from any single approach used in isolation. Although the plot was surficially uniform, the runoff processes were shown to be grossly nonuniform, both spatially over the plot, and laterally and vertically within the soil. The three types of processes that have been suggested as sources of storm runoff (Horton-type surface runoff, saturated overland flow, and rapid subsurface throughflow) all occurred on the plot. The nonuniformity of the processes supports the partial- and variable-source area concepts. Subsurface storm runoff occurred in a saturated layer above the subsoil horizon, and short travel times resulted from flow through macropores rather than the soil matrix. Consideration of these observations would be necessary for physically realistic modeling of the storm runoff process. ?? 1978.

Comparative assessment of herbicide and fungicide runoff risk: a case study for peanut production in the Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain (USA).

PubMed

Potter, Thomas L; Bosch, David D; Strickland, Timothy C

2014-08-15

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is produced intensively in the southern Atlantic Coastal Plain of the eastern USA. To effectively protect the region's water quality data are needed which quantify runoff of pesticides used to protect these crops. Fungicides are used intensively yet there is little published data which describe their potential for loss in surface runoff. This study compared runoff of a fungicide, tebuconazole (α-[2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]-α-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol), and an herbicide, metolachlor (2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide) from 0.2 ha fields in strip (ST), a commonly used conservation-tillage practice, and conventional tillage (CT) near Tifton, GA (USA). Following their first application, metolachlor and tebuconazole were detected at high frequency in runoff. Concentrations and their annual losses increased with application frequency and runoff event timing and frequency with respect to applications, and when fields were positioned at the top of the slope and CT was practiced. Runoff one day after treatment (DAT) contributed to high tebuconazole runoff loss, up to 9.8% of the amount applied on an annual basis. In all cases, metolachlor loss was more than 10 times less even though total application was 45% higher. This was linked to the fact that the one metolachlor application to each crop was in May, one of the region's driest months. In sum, studies showed that fungicide runoff rates may be relatively high and emphasize the need to focus on these products in future studies on peanut and other crops. The study also showed that peanut farmers should be encouraged to use conservation tillage practices like ST which can substantially reduce pesticide runoff. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A case study demonstrating analysis of stormflows, concentrations, and loads of nutrients in highway runoff and swale discharge with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Granato, Gregory E.; Jones, Susan C.

2015-01-01

The case study is hypothetical, but was formulated by using actual data from selected monitoring sites in New England. Data representing streamflow and water-quality were collected at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgage 01208950 Sasco Brook near Southport, CT, which has a drainage area of 7.38 square miles. In this hypothetical case study a 4-lane highway would replace the current 2-lane road and would have a contributing area of 2.2 acres between the topographic basin divides. Concentrations of TN and TP in highway runoff were simulated with data from USGS highway-runoff monitoring station 423027071291301 along State Route 2 in Littleton Massachusetts. Results of a highway-runoff analysis are shown in relation to three hypothetical discharge criteria for TN and two hypothetical discharge criteria for TP. The risks for exceeding TN discharge criteria of 3, 5, and 8 mg/L for highway runoff are 7.4, 0.83, and 0.13 percent of 1,721 runoff events that may occur during a stochastic 30-year simulation. If a grassy swale is used to treat the runoff, the risks for TN exceedances are reduced to 3.2, 0.33 and 0.03 percent, respectively. The risks for exceeding TP discharge criteria of 0.1 and 0.5 mg/L for highway runoff are 49 and 1.2 percent, respectively. If a grassy swale is used to treat the runoff, the risks for TP exceedances are 57 and 0.8 percent, respectively. The risks for the 0.1 mg/L criterion increase because swales can be a source of TP if pavement concentrations are low. The risks for the 0.5 mg/L criterion decrease because the swale is effective for reducing high TP concentrations. Although the results are mixed for storm-event concentrations, the grassy swale effectively reduces annual loads. Annual loads from the swale are, on average, about 49 percent of highway loads for TN and 62 percent of highway loads of TP because the swale reduces high runoff concentrations and stormflow volumes. Analysis of upstream and downstream concentrations indicates that runoff from the site of interest does not have a substantial effect on instream stormflow concentrations in this example simulation.

Field-testing competing runoff source and hydrochemical conceptualisations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Western, A. W.; Saffarpour, S.; Adams, R.; Costelloe, J. F.; McDonnell, J.

2014-12-01

There are competing conceptualisations of heterogeneity in catchment systems. It is often convenient to divide catchments into zones, for example the soil profile, groundwater aquifers (saturated zone), riparian zones, etc. We also often divide flow sources into distinct categories such as surface runoff, interflow and baseflow, implying a few distinct stores of water. In tracer hydrology we typically assume water from such zones has distinct and invariant chemistry that is used to infer the runoff source mixture through conservative mixing model techniques such as End-Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA). An alternative conceptualisation is that catchments consist of a large number of stores with varying residence times. In this case individual stores contribute a variable proportion of flow and may have a temporally varying composition due to processes such as evapo-concentration. Hence they have a variable influence on the hydrochemistry of runoff. In this presentation, examples from two field studies in southern Australia will be presented that examine the relationships between hydrologic and hydrochemical conceptualisations and the relative variation within and between different hydrologic zones. The implications for water quality behaviour will be examined and the additional behavioural complexities associated with interactions between runoff pathways for non-conservative chemical species will be discussed.

The Effects of Changing Land Use and Climate on the Hydrology and Carbon Budget of Lake Simcoe Watershed, Ontario, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oni, Stephen Kayode

The Lake Simcoe watershed (LSW) has experienced significant population growth and is under pressure from development. This has led to land use changes in the watershed in addition to the global climate change that is impacting every region of the world. In this thesis, remote sensing analysis, statistics and process-based modelling approaches were used to better understand dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and runoff dynamics in the changing landscape of LSW. The process-based approach involved the use of the HBV (Hydrologiska Byrans Vattenbalansavdelning) rainfall runoff model and the Integrated Catchment Model for Carbon (INCA-C). Statistical downscaling of the Canadian General Circulation Model (CGCM3) was used to predict the impact of climate change under the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) A1B and A2 scenarios. There was a significant land use change in LSW between 1994 and 2009 with a positive monotonic trend in runoff ratio across tributaries. Large increase in runoff ratio without corresponding increase in precipitation suggested that runoff drains more quickly over the land surfaces; an indication of increasing urban-induced impervious surfaces. However, there was a significant increase in air temperature (MK = 0.315; p<0.01) and precipitation (MK = 0.290; p<0.01) outside the fifteen year (1994-2009) window. This translated to an increase in air temperature of ˜0.7°C and precipitation by ˜6.3% at the end of the forty year period (1960-2000). This suggested that historical meteorological conditions in the LSW have evolved to a warmer-wetter condition in the recent time and this might serve as a pointer of future conditions if the current trend persists. Both A1B and A2 scenarios predicted an increase in air temperature by a maximum of 1.4°C by 2050 and up to 3.5°C by 2100 relative to the baseline period (1960-2000). HBV predicted a largest variability in the spring and winter season's runoff regimes (2020-2050) under both A1B and A2 scenarios. A 5% increase in DOC concentration and a 6% increase in flux were observed between period 1 (1994-1997) and period 2 (2007-2009). The observed increases were driven by spring (20%) and summer (26%). INCA-C predicted a positive monotonic increase in long-term DOC concentrations (2020-2100) in surface waters draining into Lake Simcoe under both scenarios with the largest seasonal variations in DOC concentrations predicted to occur in the summer months. This indicates the sensitivity of surface water quantity-quality to rising air temperature with the possibility of an increase in CO2 emissions from the rivers in the future. Understanding the processes that mediate DOC mobilization into Lake Simcoe from its catchment may lead to improvements in watershed management and a better understanding of other carbon dependent biogeochemical processes such as mercury. Keywords: CGCM, Climate change, Dissolved organic carbon, Environmental modelling, HBV model, Hydrology, INCA-C, Lake Simcoe, Land use change, Remote sensing, SDSM, Statistical downscaling.

Quantity and quality of runoff reduction and recharge enhancement from constructed rain gardens and vegetated retention ponds in Austin, Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eljuri, A. G.; Moffett, K. B.

2013-12-01

Rain gardens and retention ponds are intended to reduce storm water and pollutant runoff to rivers and streams, rain gardens by enhancing infiltration and retention ponds by promoting evaporation. The City of Austin, Texas is actively investing money and time into these storm water management solutions, but there are no data comparing their effectiveness. In particular, comparisons of rain gardens against control plots and new wetland-vegetated retention pond designs against traditional grassy pond designs are lacking. This study quantifies the quantity and quality of storm runoff to and from five sites: three engineered sites, two rain gardens receiving direct runoff from the same residential roof and a planted retention pond receiving municipal parking lot runoff, and two control sites, a mulched residential lawn receiving direct roof runoff and a grassy municipal retention pond receiving parking lot runoff. A locally installed rain gauge monitors precipitation rates and we collect and analyze rainwater chemistry. Each site is instrumented with bottles to collect direct runoff samples and suction lysimeters within and below the root zone, at 10 cm and 40 cm depth, from which to collect soil water. Soil moisture sensors at 5 cm, 25 cm, and 50 cm depth are used to monitor changes in soil moisture profiles over time. Evapotranspiration rates were determined using local meteorological data and stomatal conductance measurements at the sites. Infiltrometer tests, soil characterizations, and vegetation surveys were also conducted at each site. The soil at the rain gardens are highly mixed with pebbles at the top and become a more uniform soil towards the bottom of the root zone. This differs from the control site where the soil is uniform except for the thin layer of wood chips at the surface. The water samples were analyzed for pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and cations (incl. cadmium, iron, zinc, and lead) and anions (incl. ammonia and nitrate). Samples of waters are taken immediately after rain events and soil moisture is taken both immediately after and two days after events. Austin summers experience fewer rainy days than the spring, fall, and winter, but summer storms are usually high-intensity and short-duration, increasing the potential for flooding. Seasonally, rainfall is somewhat more concentrated around May and October. We find that the negligible constituent concentrations of rainfall quickly become enriched in metals and nutrients from contact with impervious surfaces and that the presence of vegetation is critical, both as canopy over the surface, which promotes substantially higher nutrient levels in runoff (e.g., 1.45 ppm ammonia and 1.68 ppm nitrate under an overhanging tree compared to 0.57 ppm and 0.13 ppm not under the tree), and as plantings in the pond and gardens, which promote infiltration. These field data and a GIS study comparing different possible distributions of future rain gardens and vegetated retention ponds across the city provide much needed data and analysis to support decision making regarding these green storm water management solutions in central Texas.

Pollutant concentrations and pollution loads in stormwater runoff from different land uses in Chongqing.

PubMed

Wang, Shumin; He, Qiang; Ai, Hainan; Wang, Zhentao; Zhang, Qianqian

2013-03-01

To investigate the distribution of pollutant concentrations and pollution loads in stormwater runoff in Chongqing, six typical land use types were selected and studied from August 2009 to September 2011. Statistical analysis on the distribution of pollutant concentrations in all water samples shows that pollutant concentrations fluctuate greatly in rainfall-runoff, and the concentrations of the same pollutant also vary greatly in different rainfall events. In addition, it indicates that the event mean concentrations (EMCs) of total suspended solids (TSS) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from urban traffic roads (UTR) are significantly higher than those from residential roads (RR), commercial areas (CA), concrete roofs (CR), tile roofs (TRoof), and campus catchment areas (CCA); and the EMCs of total phosphorus (TP) and NH3-N from UTR and CA are 2.35-5 and 3 times of the class-II standard values specified in the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water (GB 3838-2002). The EMCs of Fe, Pb and Cd are also much higher than the class-III standard values. The analysis of pollution load producing coefficients (PLPC) reveals that the main pollution source of TSS, COD and TP is UTR. The analysis of correlations between rainfall factors and EMCs/PLPC indicates that rainfall duration is correlated with EMCs/PLPC of TSS for TRoof and TP for UTR, while rainfall intensity is correlated with EMCs/PLPC of TP for both CR and CCA. The results of this study provide a reference for better management of non-point source pollution in urban regions.

Phosphorus transport pathways to streams in tile-drained agricultural watersheds.

PubMed

Gentry, L E; David, M B; Royer, T V; Mitchell, C A; Starks, K M

2007-01-01

Agriculture is a major nonpoint source of phosphorus (P) in the Midwest, but how surface runoff and tile drainage interact to affect temporal concentrations and fluxes of both dissolved and particulate P remains unclear. Our objective was to determine the dominant form of P in streams (dissolved or particulate) and identify the mode of transport of this P from fields to streams in tile-drained agricultural watersheds. We measured dissolved reactive P (DRP) and total P (TP) concentrations and loads in stream and tile water in the upper reaches of three watersheds in east-central Illinois (Embarras River, Lake Fork of the Kaskaskia River, and Big Ditch of the Sangamon River). For all 16 water year by watershed combinations examined, annual flow-weighted mean TP concentrations were >0.1 mg L(-1), and seven water year by watershed combinations exceeded 0.2 mg L(-1). Concentrations of DRP and particulate P (PP) increased with stream discharge; however, particulate P was the dominant form during overland runoff events, which greatly affected annual TP loads. Concentrations of DRP and PP in tiles increased with discharge, indicating tiles were a source of P to streams. Across watersheds, the greatest DRP concentrations (as high as 1.25 mg L(-1)) were associated with a precipitation event that followed widespread application of P fertilizer on frozen soils. Although eliminating this practice would reduce the potential for overland runoff of P, soil erosion and tile drainage would continue to be important transport pathways of P to streams in east-central Illinois.

Permeable pavement study (Edison)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

While permeable pavement is increasingly being used to control stormwater runoff, field-based, side-by-side investigations on the effects different pavement types have on nutrient concentrations present in stormwater runoff are limited. In 2009, the U.S. EPA constructed a 0.4-ha parking lot in Edison, New Jersey, that incorporated permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP), pervious concrete (PC), and porous asphalt (PA). Each permeable pavement type has four, 54.9-m2, lined sections that direct all infiltrate into 5.7-m3 tanks enabling complete volume collection and sampling. This paper highlights the results from a 12-month period when samples were collected from 13 rainfall/runoff events and analyzed for nitrogen species, orthophosphate, and organic carbon. Differences in infiltrate concentrations among the three permeable pavement types were assessed and compared with concentrations in rainwater samples and impervious asphalt runoff samples, which were collected as controls. Contrary to expectations based on the literature, the PA infiltrate had significantly larger total nitrogen (TN) concentrations than runoff and infiltrate from the other two permeable pavement types, indicating that nitrogen leached from materials in the PA strata. There was no significant difference in TN concentration between runoff and infiltrate from either PICP or PC, but TN in runoff was significantly larger than in the rainwater, suggesting meaningful inter-event dry de

Rainfall-runoff of anthropogenic waste indicators from agricultural fields applied with municipal biosolids.

PubMed

Gray, James L; Borch, Thomas; Furlong, Edward T; Davis, Jessica G; Yager, Tracy J; Yang, Yun-Ya; Kolpin, Dana W

2017-02-15

The presence of anthropogenic contaminants such as antimicrobials, flame-retardants, and plasticizers in runoff from agricultural fields applied with municipal biosolids may pose a potential threat to the environment. This study assesses the potential for rainfall-induced runoff of 69 anthropogenic waste indicators (AWIs), widely found in household and industrial products, from biosolids amended field plots. The agricultural field containing the test plots was treated with biosolids for the first time immediately prior to this study. AWIs present in soil and biosolids were isolated by continuous liquid-liquid extraction and analyzed by full-scan gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results for 18 AWIs were not evaluated due to their presence in field blank QC samples, and another 34 did not have sufficient detection frequency in samples to analyze trends in data. A total of 17 AWIs, including 4-nonylphenol, triclosan, and tris(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate, were present in runoff with acceptable data quality and frequency for subsequent interpretation. Runoff samples were collected 5days prior to and 1, 9, and 35days after biosolids application. Of the 17 AWIs considered, 14 were not detected in pre-application samples, or their concentrations were much smaller than in the sample collected one day after application. A range of trends was observed for individual AWI concentrations (typically from 0.1 to 10μg/L) over the course of the study, depending on the combination of partitioning and degradation mechanisms affecting each compound most strongly. Overall, these results indicate that rainfall can mobilize anthropogenic contaminants from biosolids-amended agricultural fields, directly to surface waters and redistribute them to terrestrial sites away from the point of application via runoff. For 14 of 17 compounds examined, the potential for runoff remobilization during rainstorms persists even after three 100-year rainstorm-equivalent simulations and the passage of a month. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Rainfall-runoff of anthropogenic waste indicators from agricultural fields applied with municipal biosolids

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, James L.; Borch, Thomas; Furlong, Edward T.; Davis, Jessica; Yager, Tracy; Yang, Yun-Ya; Kolpin, Dana W.

2017-01-01

The presence of anthropogenic contaminants such as antimicrobials, flame-retardants, and plasticizers in runoff from agricultural fields applied with municipal biosolids may pose a potential threat to the environment. This study assesses the potential for rainfall-induced runoff of 69 anthropogenic waste indicators (AWIs), widely found in household and industrial products, from biosolids amended field plots. The agricultural field containing the test plots was treated with biosolids for the first time immediately prior to this study. AWIs present in soil and biosolids were isolated by continuous liquid-liquid extraction and analyzed by full-scan gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results for 18 AWIs were not evaluated due to their presence in field blank QC samples, and another 34 did not have sufficient detection frequency in samples to analyze trends in data. A total of 17 AWIs, including 4-nonylphenol, triclosan, and tris(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate, were present in runoff with acceptable data quality and frequency for subsequent interpretation. Runoff samples were collected 5 days prior to and 1, 9, and 35 days after biosolids application. Of the 17 AWIs considered, 14 were not detected in pre-application samples, or their concentrations were much smaller than in the sample collected one day after application. A range of trends was observed for individual AWI concentrations (typically from 0.1 to 10 μg/L) over the course of the study, depending on the combination of partitioning and degradation mechanisms affecting each compound most strongly. Overall, these results indicate that rainfall can mobilize anthropogenic contaminants from biosolids-amended agricultural fields, directly to surface waters and redistribute them to terrestrial sites away from the point of application via runoff. For 14 of 17 compounds examined, the potential for runoff remobilization during rainstorms persists even after three 100-year rainstorm-equivalent simulations and the passage of a month.

Reopening abandoned forest roads in northern Idaho, USA: Quantification of runoff, sediment concentration, infiltration, and interrill erosion parameters

Treesearch

R. B. Foltz; N. S. Copeland; W. J. Elliot

2009-01-01

This study measured runoff and sediment concentration from the tire track and from the non-tire track to determine infiltration, interrill erodibility, and vegetative cover impacts of reopening an abandoned forest road. Runoff was lowest on the non-track portion of the abandoned road and highest on the reopened road. Sediment concentrations were significantly higher on...

Nutrient infiltrate concentrations from three permeable pavement types.

PubMed

Brown, Robert A; Borst, Michael

2015-12-01

While permeable pavement is increasingly being used to control stormwater runoff, field-based, side-by-side investigations on the effects different pavement types have on nutrient concentrations present in stormwater runoff are limited. In 2009, the U.S. EPA constructed a 0.4-ha parking lot in Edison, New Jersey, that incorporated permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP), pervious concrete (PC), and porous asphalt (PA). Each permeable pavement type has four, 54.9-m(2), lined sections that direct all infiltrate into 5.7-m(3) tanks enabling complete volume collection and sampling. This paper highlights the results from a 12-month period when samples were collected from 13 rainfall/runoff events and analyzed for nitrogen species, orthophosphate, and organic carbon. Differences in infiltrate concentrations among the three permeable pavement types were assessed and compared with concentrations in rainwater samples and impervious asphalt runoff samples, which were collected as controls. Contrary to expectations based on the literature, the PA infiltrate had significantly larger total nitrogen (TN) concentrations than runoff and infiltrate from the other two permeable pavement types, indicating that nitrogen leached from materials in the PA strata. There was no significant difference in TN concentration between runoff and infiltrate from either PICP or PC, but TN in runoff was significantly larger than in the rainwater, suggesting meaningful inter-event dry deposition. Similar to other permeable pavement studies, nitrate was the dominant nitrogen species in the infiltrate. The PA infiltrate had significantly larger nitrite and ammonia concentrations than PICP and PC, and this was presumably linked to unexpectedly high pH in the PA infiltrate that greatly exceeded the optimal pH range for nitrifying bacteria. Contrary to the nitrogen results, the PA infiltrate had significantly smaller orthophosphate concentrations than in rainwater, runoff, and infiltrate from PICP and PC, and this was attributed to the high pH in PA infiltrate possibly causing rapid precipitation of orthophosphate with metal cations. Orthophosphate was exported from the PICP and PC, as evidenced by the significantly larger infiltrate concentrations compared with influent sources of rainwater and runoff. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Grain size distribution of road-deposited sediment and its contribution to heavy metal pollution in urban runoff in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Zhao, Hongtao; Li, Xuyong; Wang, Xiaomei; Tian, Di

2010-11-15

Pollutant washoff from road-deposited sediment (RDS) is an increasing problem associated with the rapid urbanization of China that results in urban non-point source pollution. Here, we analyzed the RDS grain size distribution and its potential impact on heavy metal pollution in urban runoff from impervious surfaces of urban villages, colleges and residences, and main traffic roads in the Haidian District, Beijing, China. RDS with smaller grain size had a higher metal concentration. Specifically, particles with the smallest grain size (<44 μm) had the highest metal concentration in most areas (unit: mg/kg): Cd 0.28-1.31, Cr 57.9-154, Cu 68.1-142, Ni 25.8-78.0, Pb 73.1-222 and Zn 264-664. Particles with smaller grain size (<250 μm) contributed more than 80% of the total metal loads in RDS washoff, while suspended solids with a grain size <44 μm in runoff water accounted for greater than 70% of the metal mass in the total suspended solids (TSS). The heavy metal content in the TSS was 2.21-6.52% of that in the RDS. These findings will facilitate our understanding of the importance of RDS grain size distribution in heavy metal pollution caused by urban storm runoff. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of green roofs on stormwater quality in a South Australian urban environment.

PubMed

Razzaghmanesh, M; Beecham, S; Kazemi, F

2014-02-01

Green roofs are an increasingly important component of water sensitive urban design systems and can potentially improve the quality of urban runoff. However, there is evidence that they can occasionally act as a source rather than a sink for pollutants. In this study, the water quality of the outflow from both intensive and extensive green roof systems were studied in the city of Adelaide, South Australia over a period of nine months. The aim was to examine the effects of different green roof configurations on stormwater quality and to compare this with runoff from aluminium and asphalt roofs as control surfaces. The contaminant concentrations in runoff from both intensive and extensive green roofs generally decreased during the study period. A comparison between the two types of green roof showed that except for some events for EC, TDS and chloride, the values of the parameters such as pH, turbidity, nitrate, phosphate and potassium in intensive green roof outflows were higher than in the outflows from the extensive green roofs. These concentrations were compared to local, state, national and international water quality guidelines in order to investigate the potential for outflow runoff from green roofs to be reused for potable and non-potable purposes. The study found that green roof outflow can provide an alternative water source for non-potable purposes such as urban landscape irrigation and toilet flushing. © 2013.

Capacity of biochar application to maintain energy crop productivity: soil chemistry, sorghum growth, and runoff water quality effects.

PubMed

Schnell, Ronnie W; Vietor, Donald M; Provin, Tony L; Munster, Clyde L; Capareda, Sergio

2012-01-01

Pyrolysis of crop biomass generates a by-product, biochar, which can be recycled to sustain nutrient and organic C concentrations in biomass production fields. We evaluated effects of biochar rate and application method on soil properties, nutrient balance, biomass production, and water quality. Three replications of eight sorghum [ (L.) Moench] treatments were installed in box lysimeters under greenhouse conditions. Treatments comprised increasing rates (0, 1.5, and 3.0 Mg ha) of topdressed or incorporated biochar supplemented with N fertilizer or N, P, and K fertilizer. Simulated rain was applied at 21 and 34 d after planting, and mass runoff loss of N, P, and K was measured. A mass balance of total N, P, and K was performed after 45 d. Returning 3.0 Mg ha of biochar did not affect sorghum biomass, soil total, or Mehlich-3-extractable nutrients compared to control soil. Yet, biochar contributed to increased concentration of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and mass loss of total phosphorus (TP) in simulated runoff, especially if topdressed. It was estimated that up to 20% of TP in topdressed biochar was lost in surface runoff after two rain events. Poor recovery of nutrients during pyrolysis and excessive runoff loss of nutrients for topdressed biochar, especially K, resulted in negative nutrient balances. Efforts to conserve nutrients during pyrolysis and incorporation of biochar at rates derived from annual biomass yields will be necessary for biochar use in sustainable energy crop production. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Decline in Soluble Phosphorus Mobility from Land-Applied Dairy Manure - Modeling and Practical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archibald, J. A.; Walter, M. T.; Peterson, M.; Richards, B. K.; Giri, S. K.

2014-12-01

Non-point source transport of soluble-reactive phosphorus (SRP) from agricultural systems to freshwater ecosystems is a significant water quality concern. Although farmers are encouraged to avoid manure or fertilizer application before runoff events, the implications of these management choices remain largely unquantified. We conducted soil box experiments to test how manure application timing and temperature or moisture conditions impact SRP concentration in runoff. We found that SRP concentrations dropped off exponentially over time, and that higher temperatures accelerated the decline in SRP in overland runoff over time. During the first runoff events after manure application, infiltration depth prior to runoff was not a primary driver of SRP concentrations. This research has implications for incorporating manure spreading timing into watershed models.

Modelling of catchment nitrogen concentrations response to observed varying fertilizer application intensities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jomaa, Seifeddine; Jiang, Sanyuan; Yang, Xiaoqiang; Rode, Michael

2016-04-01

Eutrophication is a serious environmental problem. Despite numerous experimental and modelling efforts, understanding of the effect of land use and agriculture practices on in-stream nitrogen fluxes is still not fully achieved. This study combined intensive field monitoring and numerical modelling using 30 years of surface water quality data of a drinking water reservoir catchment in central Germany. The Weida catchment (99.5 km2) is part of the Elbe river basin and has a share of 67% of agricultural land use with significant changes in agricultural practices within the investigation period. The geology of the Weida catchment is characterized by clay schists and eruptive rocks, where rocks have low permeability. The semi-distributed hydrological water quality HYPE (Hydrological Predictions for the Environment) model was used to reproduce the measured data. First, the model was calibrated for discharge and nitrate-N concentrations (NO3-N) during the period 1997-2000. Then, the HYPE model was validated successfully for three different periods 1983-1987, 1989-1996 and 2000-2003, which are charaterized by different fertilizer application rates (with lowest discharge prediction performance of NSE = 0.78 and PBIAS = 3.74%, considering calibration and validation periods). Results showed that the measured as well as simulated in-stream nitrate-N concentration respond quickly to fertilizer application changes (increase/decrease). This rapid response can be explained with short residence times of interflow and baseflow runoff components due to the hardrock geological properties of the catchment. Results revealed that the surface runoff and interflow are the most dominant runoff components. HYPE model could reproduce reasonably well the NO3-N daily loads for varying fertilizer application, when detailed input data in terms of crop management (field-specific survey) are considered.

Direct measurements of meltwater runoff on the Greenland ice sheet surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Laurence C.; Yang, Kang; Pitcher, Lincoln H.; Overstreet, Brandon T.; Chu, Vena W.; Rennermalm, Åsa K.; Ryan, Jonathan C.; Cooper, Matthew G.; Gleason, Colin J.; Tedesco, Marco; Jeyaratnam, Jeyavinoth; van As, Dirk; van den Broeke, Michiel R.; van de Berg, Willem Jan; Noël, Brice; Langen, Peter L.; Cullather, Richard I.; Zhao, Bin; Willis, Michael J.; Hubbard, Alun; Box, Jason E.; Jenner, Brittany A.; Behar, Alberto E.

2017-12-01

Meltwater runoff from the Greenland ice sheet surface influences surface mass balance (SMB), ice dynamics, and global sea level rise, but is estimated with climate models and thus difficult to validate. We present a way to measure ice surface runoff directly, from hourly in situ supraglacial river discharge measurements and simultaneous high-resolution satellite/drone remote sensing of upstream fluvial catchment area. A first 72-h trial for a 63.1-km2 moulin-terminating internally drained catchment (IDC) on Greenland's midelevation (1,207–1,381 m above sea level) ablation zone is compared with melt and runoff simulations from HIRHAM5, MAR3.6, RACMO2.3, MERRA-2, and SEB climate/SMB models. Current models cannot reproduce peak discharges or timing of runoff entering moulins but are improved using synthetic unit hydrograph (SUH) theory. Retroactive SUH applications to two older field studies reproduce their findings, signifying that remotely sensed IDC area, shape, and supraglacial river length are useful for predicting delays in peak runoff delivery to moulins. Applying SUH to HIRHAM5, MAR3.6, and RACMO2.3 gridded melt products for 799 surrounding IDCs suggests their terminal moulins receive lower peak discharges, less diurnal variability, and asynchronous runoff timing relative to climate/SMB model output alone. Conversely, large IDCs produce high moulin discharges, even at high elevations where melt rates are low. During this particular field experiment, models overestimated runoff by +21 to +58%, linked to overestimated surface ablation and possible meltwater retention in bare, porous, low-density ice. Direct measurements of ice surface runoff will improve climate/SMB models, and incorporating remotely sensed IDCs will aid coupling of SMB with ice dynamics and subglacial systems.

Direct measurements of meltwater runoff on the Greenland ice sheet surface.

PubMed

Smith, Laurence C; Yang, Kang; Pitcher, Lincoln H; Overstreet, Brandon T; Chu, Vena W; Rennermalm, Åsa K; Ryan, Jonathan C; Cooper, Matthew G; Gleason, Colin J; Tedesco, Marco; Jeyaratnam, Jeyavinoth; van As, Dirk; van den Broeke, Michiel R; van de Berg, Willem Jan; Noël, Brice; Langen, Peter L; Cullather, Richard I; Zhao, Bin; Willis, Michael J; Hubbard, Alun; Box, Jason E; Jenner, Brittany A; Behar, Alberto E

2017-12-12

Meltwater runoff from the Greenland ice sheet surface influences surface mass balance (SMB), ice dynamics, and global sea level rise, but is estimated with climate models and thus difficult to validate. We present a way to measure ice surface runoff directly, from hourly in situ supraglacial river discharge measurements and simultaneous high-resolution satellite/drone remote sensing of upstream fluvial catchment area. A first 72-h trial for a 63.1-km 2 moulin-terminating internally drained catchment (IDC) on Greenland's midelevation (1,207-1,381 m above sea level) ablation zone is compared with melt and runoff simulations from HIRHAM5, MAR3.6, RACMO2.3, MERRA-2, and SEB climate/SMB models. Current models cannot reproduce peak discharges or timing of runoff entering moulins but are improved using synthetic unit hydrograph (SUH) theory. Retroactive SUH applications to two older field studies reproduce their findings, signifying that remotely sensed IDC area, shape, and supraglacial river length are useful for predicting delays in peak runoff delivery to moulins. Applying SUH to HIRHAM5, MAR3.6, and RACMO2.3 gridded melt products for 799 surrounding IDCs suggests their terminal moulins receive lower peak discharges, less diurnal variability, and asynchronous runoff timing relative to climate/SMB model output alone. Conversely, large IDCs produce high moulin discharges, even at high elevations where melt rates are low. During this particular field experiment, models overestimated runoff by +21 to +58%, linked to overestimated surface ablation and possible meltwater retention in bare, porous, low-density ice. Direct measurements of ice surface runoff will improve climate/SMB models, and incorporating remotely sensed IDCs will aid coupling of SMB with ice dynamics and subglacial systems. Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Direct measurements of meltwater runoff on the Greenland ice sheet surface

PubMed Central

Smith, Laurence C.; Yang, Kang; Pitcher, Lincoln H; Overstreet, Brandon T.; Chu, Vena W.; Rennermalm, Åsa K.; Ryan, Jonathan C.; Cooper, Matthew G.; Gleason, Colin J.; Tedesco, Marco; Jeyaratnam, Jeyavinoth; van As, Dirk; van den Broeke, Michiel R.; van de Berg, Willem Jan; Noël, Brice; Langen, Peter L.; Cullather, Richard I.; Zhao, Bin; Hubbard, Alun; Box, Jason E.; Jenner, Brittany A.; Behar, Alberto E.

2017-01-01

Meltwater runoff from the Greenland ice sheet surface influences surface mass balance (SMB), ice dynamics, and global sea level rise, but is estimated with climate models and thus difficult to validate. We present a way to measure ice surface runoff directly, from hourly in situ supraglacial river discharge measurements and simultaneous high-resolution satellite/drone remote sensing of upstream fluvial catchment area. A first 72-h trial for a 63.1-km2 moulin-terminating internally drained catchment (IDC) on Greenland’s midelevation (1,207–1,381 m above sea level) ablation zone is compared with melt and runoff simulations from HIRHAM5, MAR3.6, RACMO2.3, MERRA-2, and SEB climate/SMB models. Current models cannot reproduce peak discharges or timing of runoff entering moulins but are improved using synthetic unit hydrograph (SUH) theory. Retroactive SUH applications to two older field studies reproduce their findings, signifying that remotely sensed IDC area, shape, and supraglacial river length are useful for predicting delays in peak runoff delivery to moulins. Applying SUH to HIRHAM5, MAR3.6, and RACMO2.3 gridded melt products for 799 surrounding IDCs suggests their terminal moulins receive lower peak discharges, less diurnal variability, and asynchronous runoff timing relative to climate/SMB model output alone. Conversely, large IDCs produce high moulin discharges, even at high elevations where melt rates are low. During this particular field experiment, models overestimated runoff by +21 to +58%, linked to overestimated surface ablation and possible meltwater retention in bare, porous, low-density ice. Direct measurements of ice surface runoff will improve climate/SMB models, and incorporating remotely sensed IDCs will aid coupling of SMB with ice dynamics and subglacial systems. PMID:29208716

Projections of Declining Surface-Water Availability for the Southwestern United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seager, Richard; Ting, Mingfang; Li, Cuihua; Naik, Naomi; Cook, Benjamin; Nakamura, Jennifer; Liu, Haibo

2012-01-01

Global warming driven by rising greenhouse-gas concentrations is expected to cause wet regions of the tropics and mid to high latitudes to get wetter and subtropical dry regions to get drier and expand polewards. Over southwest North America, models project a steady drop in precipitation minus evapotranspiration, P -- E, the net flux of water at the land surface, leading to, for example, a decline in Colorado River flow. This would cause widespread and important social and ecological consequences. Here, using new simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Five, to be assessed in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report Five, we extend previous work by examining changes in P, E, runoff and soil moisture by season and for three different water resource regions. Focusing on the near future, 2021-2040, the new simulations project declines in surface-water availability across the southwest that translate into reduced soil moisture and runoff in California and Nevada, the Colorado River headwaters and Texas.

Simulation of torrential rain as a means for assessment of surface runoff coefficients and calculation of recurrent design events in alpine catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markart, Gerhard; Kohl, Bernhard; Sotier, Bernadette; Klebinder, Klaus; Schauer, Thomas; Bunza, Günther

2010-05-01

Simulation of heavy rain is an established method for studying infiltration characteristics, runoff and erosion behaviour in alpine catchments. Accordingly for characterization and differentiation of various runoff producing areas in alpine catchments transportable spray irrigation installations for large plots have been developed at the BFW, Department of Natural Hazards and Alpine Timberline, in Innsbruck, Austria. One installation has been designed for assessment of surface runoff coefficients under convective torrential rain with applicable precipitation intensities between 30 and 120 mm*h-1 and a plot size between 50 and 100 m2. The second device is used for simulation of persistent rain events (rain intensity about 10 mm*h-1, plot size: 400-1200 m2). Very reasonable results have been achieved during the comparison with spray irrigations from other institutions (e.g. Bavarian Environmental Agency in Munich) in the field. Rain simulations at BFW are mostly combined with comprehensive additional investigations on land-use, vegetation cover, soil physical characteristics, soil humidity, hydrogeology and other features of the test-sites. This allows proper interpretation of the achieved runoff data. At the moment results from more than 280 rain simulations are available from about 25 catchments / regions of the Eastern Alps at the BFW. Results show that the surface runoff coefficient, when runoff is constant at the test site (φconst) increases only slightly between rain intensities from 30 to 120 mm*h-1 (increment is 6%). Therefore φconst shall be used for assessment of runoff behaviour of runoff contributing areas, because it is less dependent form system conditions than φtot. BFW-data have been consolidated with results of the LfU (Bavarian Environmental Agency in Munich) in a data base and formed the basis for the development of a simple code of practice for assessment of surface runoff coefficients in torrential rain. The manual is freely available under: http://bfw.ac.at/rz/bfwcms.web?dok=4342 (in German language). The runoff contributing areas delineated by use of the manual in the field can be compiled in digital surface runoff coefficient maps and surface roughness maps. These maps in Austria form the basis for calculation of recurrent design events by use of precipitation/runoff models (P/R-models) like ZEMOKOST (optimized runtime method after Zeller = ZEller MOdified by KOhl and STepanek) or HEC-HMS. The result is substantial information on runoff disposition in each sub-catchment and hydrographs showing peak runoff and runoff freight. The code of practice for assessment of surface runoff coefficients has become the standard procedure in Austria to derive input parameters for P/R-models in practice. Recent investigations done at the Institute of Geography at the University of Berne show that the code of practice is suitable for application in catchments at the northern edge of the Swiss Alps too.

[A field experiment of runoff and sediment yielding processes from residues in Shenfu-Dongsheng Coalfield].

PubMed

Li, Jian-Ming; Wang, Wen-Long; Wang, Zhen; Luo, Ting; Li, Hong-Wei; Jin, Jian

2013-12-01

The processes of runoff and sediment yields from and the benefits of water and sediment reductions by the residues produced in the Shenfu-Dongsheng Coalfield were investigated by a simulated field rainfall experiment. The runoff generation time generally presented a decreasing trend with increasing rainfall intensity, but varied widely with the change of residue compositions. Runoff from the slag reached a steady velocity faster than that from the spoil, and the average velocities of runoff from the residues were gradually decreased in the spoil, the slag with more sand and less stone, and the slag with less sand and more stone. Runoff rates for the residues reached a steady rate 6 min after runoff generation, and were significantly correlated with the rainfall intensities. Erosion on the residues mainly occurred in the first 6 min after runoff generation. Average sediment concentrations in the first 6 min were 0.43-4.27 times of those thereafter for the spoil, and 1.43-54.93 times for the slag. The runoff volume was a linear function of the rainfall intensity for the spoil and the slag with more sand and less stone, and was a power function of rainfall intensity for the slag with less sand and more stone. The relationships between single erosion and rainfall intensity for the spoil and the slag with less sand and more stone can be described by exponential and power functions, respectively. For the spoil, the erosion rate was a linear function of the runoff volume. When fish-scale pits and vegetation coverage were adopted on the surface of the slag, the generation of runoff lagged 24 min behind initial rainfall applications at intensities of 1.0 and 1.5 mm x min(-1), and the runoff and sediment yields were reduced by 29.5%-52.9% and 85.7%-97.9%, respectively.

Characteristics of the event mean concentration (EMC) from rainfall runoff on an urban highway.

PubMed

Lee, Ju Young; Kim, Hyoungjun; Kim, Youngjin; Han, Moo Young

2011-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characterization of the event mean concentration (EMC) of runoff during heavy precipitation events on highways. Highway runoff quality data were collected from the 7th highway, in South Korea during 2007-2009. The samples were analyzed for runoff quantity and quality parameters such as COD(cr), TSS, TPHs, TKN, NO₃, TP, PO₄ and six heavy metals, e.g., As, Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn. Analysis of resulting hydrographs and pollutant graphs indicates that the peak of the pollutant concentrations in runoff occurs 20 min after the first rainfall runoff occurrence. The first flush effect depends on the preceding dry period and the rainfall intensity. The results of this study can be used as a reference for water quality management of urban highways. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling Urban diffuse pollution in groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jato, Musa; Smith, Martin; Cundy, Andrew

2017-04-01

Diffuse urban pollution of surface and ground waters is a growing concern in many cities and towns. Traffic-derived pollutants such as salts, heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may wash off road surfaces in soluble or particulate forms which later drain through soils and drainage systems into surface waters and groundwater. In Brighton, about 90% of drinking water supply comes from groundwater (derived from the Brighton Chalk block). In common with many groundwater sources the Chalk aquifer has been relatively extensively monitored and assessed for diffuse rural contaminants such as nitrate, but knowledge on the extent of contamination from road run-off is currently lacking. This project examines the transfer of traffic-derived contaminants from the road surface to the Chalk aquifer, via urban drainage systems. A transect of five boreholes have been sampled on a monthly basis and groundwater samples analysed to examine the concentrations of key, mainly road run-off derived, hydrocarbon and heavy metal contaminants in groundwater across the Brighton area. Trace concentrations of heavy metals and phenols have been observed in groundwater. Electrical conductivity changes in groundwater have also been used to assess local changes in ionic strength which may be associated with road-derived contaminants. This has been supplemented by systematic water and sediment sampling from urban gully pots, with further sampling planned from drainage and settlement ponds adjacent to major roads, to examine initial road to drainage system transport of major contaminants.

A Simple, Efficient and Effective Modeling Approach to Determine Baseflow Based on Concentration-Discharge Relationships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, F.; Miller, M. P.; Conklin, M. H.

2017-12-01

Concentration-discharge relationships in streamflow are a precursor for diagnosing endmember mixing. With a strong power-law relationship between concentration and discharge, previous studies have shown that conservative solute concentrations in streamflow can be explained by mixing of two endmembers, i.e., quick runoff (QR) and baseflow (BF). This current study showed that the unique concentration-discharge power-law curve provides two characteristic values of solute concentrations at extremely high and low flows and these envelope values can be used to aid two-endmember mixing models. In an example conducted in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB), daily specific conductance (SC) and discharge were strongly correlated by a power-law function on both rising and falling limbs from 1983 to 2015 (R2 > 0.9 for all years). The high envelope SC value in each year was directly used to characterize baseflow for that year, while the low envelope SC value was adjusted to represent quick runoff, a collective term for surface runoff and responsive shallow subsurface runoff. The peak flow was considered to be dominated by QR with only a small portion of BF. The ratio of minimum to maximum flows was used to calibrate the low envelope SC value. This ratio represents the least fraction of baseflow to total flow at the peak flow, as baseflow increases with total flow based on published studies. The SC value at the peak flow was considered to be a mixture of QR and BF with the minimum/maximum flow ratio as baseflow fraction and thus SC value in QR was determined with a mass balance equation. The baseflow fractions determined in two-endmember mixing models by this characterization of QR from 1983 to 2011 match those by Miller et al. [2014] very well (R2 = 0.96, slope = 1.07, intercept = -0.13). Baseflow fractions were slightly under-estimated by this approach mainly due to the fact that responsive shallow subsurface runoff was considered to be part of quick flow in this study rather than part of baseflow. This approach provides a simple, efficient and effective modeling tool for estimating baseflow without requiring any samples from endmembers in catchments with a strong power-law relation.

Stormwater runoff plumes in the Southern California Bight: A comparison study with SAR and MODIS imagery.

PubMed

Holt, Benjamin; Trinh, Rebecca; Gierach, Michelle M

2017-05-15

Stormwater runoff is the largest source of pollution in the Southern California Bight (SCB), resulting from untreated runoff and pollutants from urban watersheds entering the coastal waters after rainstorms. We make use of both satellite SAR and MODIS-Aqua ocean color imagery to examine two different components of runoff plumes, the surface slick and the sediment discharge. We expand on earlier satellite SAR studies by examining an extensive collection of multi-platform SAR imagery, spanning from 1992 to 2014, that provides a more comprehensive view of the plume surface slick characteristics, illustrated with distribution maps of the extent and flow direction of the plumes. The SAR-detected surface plumes are compared with coincident rain and runoff measurements, and with available measured shoreline fecal bacteria loads. We illustrate differences in the detection of SAR surface plumes with the sediment-related discharge plumes derived from MODIS imagery. A conceptual satellite stormwater runoff monitoring approach is presented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of suspended solids concentration in highway runoff and its treatment implication.

PubMed

Hallberg, M; Renman, G

2006-09-01

It is understood that the major pollution from storm water is related to the content of particulate matter. One treatment practice is based on the first flush, i.e. detention of the initial part of the runoff that is considered to contain the highest concentrations of pollutants. This study has evaluated the concentration of total suspended solids in 30 consecutive runoff events during the winter season for an area of 6.7 hectares. A six-lane highway (E4) that has an annual average daily traffic load of 120,000 dominates the area and road de-icing salt (NaCl) and studded tires were in regular use during the studied period. The effluent standard for wastewater of 60 mg TSS per litre applied in EU was used to assess the treatment requirement of storm water. In only two of the events the event mean concentration was below 60 mg 1(-1). In four runoff events a partial event mean concentration below 60 mg 1(-1) was found, in 26 %, 12 %, 11 %, and 2 % respectively of the runoff volume. This would suggest that a capture of the initial part of the runoff for subsequent treatment is less applicable in this type of urban watershed.

Colloidal mobilization of arsenic from mining-affected soils by surface runoff.

PubMed

Gomez-Gonzalez, Miguel Angel; Voegelin, Andreas; Garcia-Guinea, Javier; Bolea, Eduardo; Laborda, Francisco; Garrido, Fernando

2016-02-01

Scorodite-rich wastes left as a legacy of mining and smelting operations pose a threat to environmental health. Colloids formed by the weathering of processing wastes may control the release of arsenic (As) into surface waters. At a former mine site in Madrid (Spain), we investigated the mobilization of colloidal As by surface runoff from weathered processing wastes and from sediments in the bed of a draining creek and a downstream sedimentation-pond. Colloids mobilized by surface runoff during simulated rain events were characterized for their composition, structure and mode of As uptake using asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation coupled to inductively plasma mass spectrometry (AF4-ICP-MS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the As and Fe K-edges. Colloidal scorodite mobilized in surface runoff from the waste pile is acting as a mobile As carrier. In surface runoff from the river bed and the sedimentation pond, ferrihydrite was identified as the dominant As-bearing colloidal phase. The results from this study suggest that mobilization of As-bearing colloids by surface runoff may play an important role in the dispersion of As from metallurgical wastes deposited above ground and needs to be considered in risk assessment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

At-grade stabilization structure impact on surface water quality of an agricultural watershed.

PubMed

Minks, Kyle R; Ruark, Matthew D; Lowery, Birl; Madison, Fred W; Frame, Dennis; Stuntebeck, Todd D; Komiskey, Matthew J; Kraft, George J

2015-04-15

Decades of farming and fertilization of farm land in the unglaciated/Driftless Area (DA) of southwestern Wisconsin have resulted in the build-up of P and to some extent, N, in soils. This build-up, combined with steep topography and upper and lower elevation farming (tiered farming), exacerbates problems associated with runoff and nutrient transport in these landscapes. Use of an at-grade stabilization structure (AGSS) as an additional conservation practice to contour strip cropping and no-tillage, proved to be successful in reducing organic and sediment bound N and P within an agricultural watershed located in the DA. The research site was designed as a paired watershed study, in which monitoring stations were installed on the perennial streams draining both control and treatment watersheds. Linear mixed effects statistics were used to determine significant changes in nutrient concentrations before and after installation of an AGSS. Results indicate a significant reduction in storm event total P (TP) concentrations (P = 0.01) within the agricultural watershed after installation of the AGSS, but not total dissolved P (P = 0.23). This indicates that the reduction in P concentration is that of the particulate form. Storm event organic N concentrations were also significantly reduced (P = 0.03) after the AGSS was installed. We conclude that AGSS was successful in reducing the organic and sediment bound N and P concentrations in runoff waters thus reducing their delivery to nearby surface waters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of rainfall timing and tillage on the transport of steroid hormones in runoff from manure amended row crop fields

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Manure generated from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) represents one of the major sources of steroid hormones found in surface water. This paper presents results of a study conducted near Concord, NE to determine the effects of manure handling (compost vs. stockpile), tillage (no-till...

Engineering Design and Operation Report: Biological Treatment Process for the Removal of Ammonia from a Small Drinking Water System in Iowa: Pilot to Full-Scale

EPA Science Inventory

Many regions in the United States have excessive levels of ammonia in their drinking water sources (e.g., ground and surface waters) as a result of naturally occurring processes, agricultural and urban runoff, concentrated animal feeding operations, municipal wastewater treatment...

Innovative Biological Treatment Process for the Removal of Ammonia, Arsenic, Iron and Manganese from a Small Drinking Water System in Gilbert, Iowa (Phase 1: Pilot Evaluation)

EPA Science Inventory

Many regions in the United States have excessive levels of ammonia in their drinking water sources (e.g., ground and surface waters) as a result of naturally occurring processes, agricultural and urban runoff, concentrated animal feeding operations, municipal wastewater treatment...

Storm flow dynamics and loads of fecal bacteria associated with ponds in southern piedmont and coastal plain watersheds with animal agriculture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Storm events that increase hydrologic flow rates can disturb sediments and produce overland runoff in watersheds with animal agriculture, and, thus, can increase surface water concentrations of fecal bacteria and risk to public health. We tested the hypothesis that strategically placed ponds in wate...

Contribution of environmental forcings to US runoff changes for the period 1950–2010

DOE PAGES

Forbes, Whitney L.; Mao, Jiafu; Jin, Mingzhou; ...

2018-05-04

Runoff in the United States is changing, and this study finds that the measured change is dependent on the geographic region and varies seasonally. Specifically, observed annual total runoff had an insignificant increasing trend in the US between 1950 and 2010, but this insignificance was due to regional heterogeneity with both significant and insignificant increases in the eastern, northern, and southern US, and a greater significant decrease in the western US. Trends for seasonal mean runoff also differed across regions. By region, the season with the largest observed trend was autumn for the east (positive), spring for the north (positive),more » winter for the south (positive), winter for the west (negative), and autumn for the US as a whole (positive). Based on the detection and attribution analysis using gridded WaterWatch runoff observations along with semi-factorial land surface model simulations from the Multi-scale Synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project (MsTMIP), we found that while the roles of CO 2 concentration, nitrogen deposition, and land use and land cover were inconsistent regionally and seasonally, the effect of climatic variations was detected for all regions and seasons, and the change in runoff could be attributed to climate change in summer and autumn in the south and in autumn in the west. It was also found that the climate-only and historical transient simulations consistently underestimated the runoff trends, possibly due to precipitation bias in the MsTMIP driver or within the models themselves.« less

Contribution of environmental forcings to US runoff changes for the period 1950–2010

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Forbes, Whitney L.; Mao, Jiafu; Jin, Mingzhou

Runoff in the United States is changing, and this study finds that the measured change is dependent on the geographic region and varies seasonally. Specifically, observed annual total runoff had an insignificant increasing trend in the US between 1950 and 2010, but this insignificance was due to regional heterogeneity with both significant and insignificant increases in the eastern, northern, and southern US, and a greater significant decrease in the western US. Trends for seasonal mean runoff also differed across regions. By region, the season with the largest observed trend was autumn for the east (positive), spring for the north (positive),more » winter for the south (positive), winter for the west (negative), and autumn for the US as a whole (positive). Based on the detection and attribution analysis using gridded WaterWatch runoff observations along with semi-factorial land surface model simulations from the Multi-scale Synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project (MsTMIP), we found that while the roles of CO 2 concentration, nitrogen deposition, and land use and land cover were inconsistent regionally and seasonally, the effect of climatic variations was detected for all regions and seasons, and the change in runoff could be attributed to climate change in summer and autumn in the south and in autumn in the west. It was also found that the climate-only and historical transient simulations consistently underestimated the runoff trends, possibly due to precipitation bias in the MsTMIP driver or within the models themselves.« less

Runoff processes in catchments with a small scale topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feyen, H.; Leuenberger, J.; Papritz, A.; Gysi, M.; Flühler, H.; Schleppi, P.

1996-05-01

How do runoff processes influence nitrogen export from forested catchments? To support nitrogen balance studies for three experimental catchments (1500m 2) in the Northern Swiss prealps water flow processes in the two dominating soil types are monitored. Here we present the results for an experimental wetland catchment (1500m 2) and for a delineated sloped soil plot (10m 2), both with a muck humus topsoil. Runoff measurements on both the catchment and the soil plot showed fast reactions of surface and subsurface runoff to rainfall inputs, indicating the dominance of fast-flow paths such as cracks and fissures. Three quarters of the runoff from the soil plot can be attributed to water flow in the gleyic, clayey subsoil, 20% to flow in the humic A horizon and only 5% to surface runoff. The water balance for the wetland catchment was closed. The water balance of the soil plot did not close. Due to vertical upward flow from the saturated subsoil into the upper layers, the surface runoff plus subsurface runoff exceeded the input (precipitation) to the plot.

Geo-referenced modelling of metal concentrations in river basins at the catchment scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hüffmeyer, N.; Berlekamp, J.; Klasmeier, J.

2009-04-01

1. Introduction The European Water Framework Directive demands the good ecological and chemical state of surface waters [1]. This implies the reduction of unwanted metal concentrations in surface waters. To define reasonable environmental target values and to develop promising mitigation strategies a detailed exposure assessment is required. This includes the identification of emission sources and the evaluation of their effect on local and regional surface water concentrations. Point source emissions via municipal or industrial wastewater that collect metal loads from a wide variety of applications and products are important anthropogenic pathways into receiving waters. Natural background and historical influences from ore-mining activities may be another important factor. Non-point emissions occur via surface runoff and erosion from drained land area. Besides deposition metals can be deposited by fertilizer application or the use of metal products such as wires or metal fences. Surface water concentrations vary according to the emission strength of sources located nearby and upstream of the considered location. A direct link between specific emission sources and pathways on the one hand and observed concentrations can hardly be established by monitoring alone. Geo-referenced models such as GREAT-ER (Geo-referenced Regional Exposure Assessment Tool for European Rivers) deliver spatially resolved concentrations in a whole river basin and allow for evaluating the causal relationship between specific emissions and resulting concentrations. This study summarizes the results of investigations for the metals zinc and copper in three German catchments. 2. The model GREAT-ER The geo-referenced model GREAT-ER has originally been developed to simulate and assess chemical burden of European river systems from multiple emission sources [2]. Emission loads from private households and rainwater runoff are individually estimated based on average consumption figures, runoff rates and the site-specific population and surface area (roof, gutter, street) connected to the local sewer system. For emissions from industry and mine drainage quantitative data on average annual loads are collected. WWTP effluent loads additionally consider average removal during wastewater treatment. Runoff from non-point sources such as agricultural areas and unsealed soils is estimated from average wash-off rates per area multiplied with the total area drained into a specified river reach of the river system. Groundwater infiltration is considered in quantities equal to the base flow in the respective river stretch. The model simulates the steady-state concentration distribution in the whole river basin considering transport and removal processes in the river system. The only major removal process for metals in surface water is sedimentation. Simulations have been carried out exemplary for zinc and copper in the German river basins Main (27,292 km2), Ruhr (4,485 km2) and Sieg (2,832 km2). 3. Results and discussion Model estimations of effluent loads for selected WWTPs agreed well with available surveillance data so that the emission module outcome can be assumed as appropriate starting point for surface water modeling. A detailed comparison of simulated surface water concentrations with monitoring data was performed for zinc in the Ruhr river basin. Good agreement between monitoring data and model simulations was achieved at 20 monitoring sites in the Ruhr River and its major tributaries. GREAT-ER was able to simulate zinc concentrations in surface waters based on estimation of loads from several emission sources and via different emission pathways. A wide applicability of the model was corroborated by successful simulations of zinc concentrations in the Main river basin and simulations for copper in both catchments. The functionality of the model allows for running scenarios with different emission assumptions that can be easily compared. Such case studies can be used to demonstrate the effect of specific mitigation strategies such as improved treatment of rainwater, reduction of metal products exposed to rain or reduced input from mine drainage. The model can thus be a valuable tool for setting up management plans as required in the Water Framework Directive with a special emphasis on promising mitigation strategies in case of exceedance of target values. 4. References [1] Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU Water Framework Directive) [2] Feijtel T.C.J., Boeije G., Matthies M., Young A., Morris G., Gandolfi C., Hansen B., Fox K., Holt M., Koch V., Schröder R., Cassani G., Schowanek D., Rosenblom J. and Niessen H.; Chemosphere 34, 2351-2374, 1997. Acknowledgement - We would like to thank the International Zinc Association (IZA) and the European Copper Insitute (ECI) for financial support.

Trees and Streets as Drivers of Urban Stormwater Nutrient Pollution.

PubMed

Janke, Benjamin D; Finlay, Jacques C; Hobbie, Sarah E

2017-09-05

Expansion of tree cover is a major management goal in cities because of the substantial benefits provided to people, and potentially to water quality through reduction of stormwater volume by interception. However, few studies have addressed the full range of potential impacts of trees on urban runoff, which includes deposition of nutrient-rich leaf litter onto streets connected to storm drains. We analyzed the influence of trees on stormwater nitrogen and phosphorus export across 19 urban watersheds in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, U.S.A., and at the scale of individual streets within one residential watershed. Stormwater nutrient concentrations were highly variable across watersheds and strongly related to tree canopy over streets, especially for phosphorus. Stormwater nutrient loads were primarily related to road density, the dominant control over runoff volume. Street canopy exerted opposing effects on loading, where elevated nutrient concentrations from trees near roads outweighed the weak influence of trees on runoff reduction. These results demonstrate that vegetation near streets contributes substantially to stormwater nutrient pollution, and therefore to eutrophication of urban surface waters. Urban landscape design and management that account for trees as nutrient pollution sources could improve water quality outcomes, while allowing cities to enjoy the myriad benefits of urban forests.

Urban and agricultural sources of pyrethroid insecticides to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California.

PubMed

Weston, Donald P; Lydy, Michael J

2010-03-01

While studies have documented the presence of pyrethroid insecticides at acutely toxic concentrations in sediments, little quantitative data on sources exist. Urban runoff, municipal wastewater treatment plants and agricultural drains in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta were sampled to understand their importance as contributors of these pesticides to surface waters. Nearly all residential runoff samples were toxic to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and contained pyrethroids at concentrations exceeding acutely toxic thresholds, in many cases by 10-fold. Toxicity identification evaluation data were consistent with pyrethroids, particularly bifenthrin and cyfluthrin, as the cause of toxicity. Pyrethroids passed through secondary treatment systems at municipal wastewater treatment facilities and were commonly found in the final effluent, usually near H. azteca 96-h EC(50) thresholds. Agricultural discharges in the study area only occasionally contained pyrethroids and were also occasional sources of toxicity related to the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos. Discharge of the pyrethroid bifenthrin via urban stormwater runoff was sufficient to cause water column toxicity in two urban creeks, over at least a 30 km reach of the American River, and at one site in the San Joaquin River, though not in the Sacramento River.

Relating runoff generation mechanisms to concentration-discharge relationships in catchments with well-characterized Critical Zone structures and hydrologic dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahm, W. J.; Wang, J.; Druhan, J. L.; Rempe, D.; Dietrich, W. E.

2017-12-01

Stream solute concentration-discharge (C-Q) relationships integrate catchment-scale hydrologic and geochemical processes, potentially yielding valuable information about runoff generation and weathering mechanisms. However, recent compilations have established that chemostasis—the condition where solute concentrations are invariant across large ranges of runoff—is observed in watersheds of diverse lithology, climate, and topography, suggesting an equifinality of the C-Q relationship independent of hydrologic process. Here we explore C-Q signals in contrasting catchments of the Eel River Critical Zone (CZ) Observatory in the Northern California Coast Ranges, where, unlike most watersheds where chemostasis has been observed, hillslope hydrologic processes are well characterized via years of intensive hydrologic monitoring. Our two catchments in the Franciscan Complex have radically different runoff generation mechanisms arising from differences in CZ structure: at Elder Creek (Coastal Belt), rain passes vertically as unsaturated flow through soil, saprolite, and a thick weathered rock zone before perching as groundwater on fresh bedrock and flowing laterally through fractures to generate streamflow, resulting in nearly chemostatic major cation behavior (power law C-Q slopes (B) ≈ 0 to -0.1). At Dry Creek (Central Belt), the thin (2 to 3 m) hydrologically active CZ completely saturates in most storm events, generating saturation overland flow across the landscape. New data from Dry Creek reveal log-log C-Q relationships for major cations that exhibit negative curvature, indicating a trend towards increasing dilution at higher flow rates and a possible C-Q signature of overland flow. High geomorphic channel drainage density (16.9 km/km2) results in short flow paths and, presumably, short water hillslope residence times at high runoff when overland flow dominates (> 50 mm d-1). Surprisingly, even at these high runoff rates, pure dilution does not occur (high runoff B ≈ -0.5), suggesting a role for extremely rapid cation exchange reactions and equilibration as water flows over and through the soil surface, and underscoring limitations on the ability to interpret hydrologic processes from C-Q behavior.

On the estimate of the Vegetation effects on the surface runoff through a plot scale rainfall simulator in Sardinia, Italy.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corona, R.; Montaldo, N.; Cortis, C.; Albertson, J. D.

2012-04-01

In semi-arid regions with the Mediterranean climate of cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers, precipitation timing and amount, vegetation growth, and surface runoff are tightly intertwined. In the experimental site of Sardinia, the main source of water is surface reservoirs that are recharged by surface runoff in the rainy winter season. However, changes in climate are expected to bring both an overall decrease in winter precipitation and increased interannual variability of precipitation to this region. These changes may affect characteristics of the water-limited vegetation growth such as timing and production, and consequently change the amount of overland flow and reservoir recharge. Currently, there is little research on the combination of these effects; therefore, the goal of this research is to assess the runoff response of the land surface with varying vegetation states to ultimately predict how changes in the climate of Mediterranean watersheds may affect the needs of water resource management. A 4 m by 4 m rainfall simulator was designed, constructed, and tested as the first stage of this research. The rainfall simulator consisted of four independent lines of low-cost pressure washing nozzles operated at a pressure of 80 mbar, with the number of nozzles determining the rainfall intensity delivered to the plot. The rainfall intensity of the simulator varies from approximately 26 to 52 mm/h with a coefficient of uniformity ranging from 0.40 to 0.59. Measurements taken include surface runoff using a tipping bucket flow meter and soil moisture throughout the plot. Literature models for surface runoff predictions (Philips, Horton, Green Ampt, Soil conservation Service model, bucket model) are widely tested highlighting the typical hortonian behavior of this soil. The simulator was used to monitor changes in the surface runoff throughout the seasons (July 2010, August 2010, June 2011, July 2011, December 2011, January 2012) as the vegetation changes. Results shows the great impact of changes in vegetation cover on soil runoff processes: the increase of LAI from values of 0 to 1.5 produces a decrease of surface runoff of the 50%.

Predicting organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations in runoff from peat extraction sites using partial least squares regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuukkanen, T.; Marttila, H.; Kløve, B.

2017-07-01

Organic matter and nutrient export from drained peatlands is affected by complex hydrological and biogeochemical interactions. Here partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to relate various soil and catchment characteristics to variations in chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in runoff. Peat core samples and water quality data were collected from 15 peat extraction sites in Finland. PLSR models constructed by cross-validation and variable selection routines predicted 92, 88, and 95% of the variation in mean COD, TN, and TP concentration in runoff, respectively. The results showed that variations in COD were mainly related to net production (temperature and water-extractable dissolved organic carbon (DOC)), hydrology (topographical relief), and solubility of dissolved organic matter (peat sulfur (S) and calcium (Ca) concentrations). Negative correlations for peat S and runoff COD indicated that acidity from oxidation of organic S stored in peat may be an important mechanism suppressing organic matter leaching. Moreover, runoff COD was associated with peat aluminum (Al), P, and sodium (Na) concentrations. Hydrological controls on TN and COD were similar (i.e., related to topography), whereas degree of humification, bulk density, and water-extractable COD and Al provided additional explanations for TN concentration. Variations in runoff TP concentration were attributed to erosion of particulate P, as indicated by a positive correlation with suspended sediment concentration (SSC), and factors associated with metal-humic complexation and P adsorption (peat Al, water-extractable P, and water-extractable iron (Fe)).

A 3-step framework for understanding the added value of surface soil moisture measurements for large-scale runoff prediction via data assimilation - a synthetic study in the Arkansas-Red River basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Y.; Crow, W. T.; Nijssen, B.

2017-12-01

Soil moisture (SM) plays an important role in runoff generation both by partitioning infiltration and surface runoff during rainfall events and by controlling the rate of subsurface flow during inter-storm periods. Therefore, more accurate SM state estimation in hydrologic models is potentially beneficial for streamflow prediction. Various previous studies have explored the potential of assimilating SM data into hydrologic models for streamflow improvement. These studies have drawn inconsistent conclusions, ranging from significantly improved runoff via SM data assimilation (DA) to limited or degraded runoff. These studies commonly treat the whole assimilation procedure as a black box without separating the contribution of each step in the procedure, making it difficult to attribute the underlying causes of runoff improvement (or the lack thereof). In this study, we decompose the overall DA process into three steps by answering the following questions (3-step framework): 1) how much can assimilation of surface SM measurements improve surface SM state in a hydrologic model? 2) how much does surface SM improvement propagate to deeper layers? 3) How much does (surface and deeper-layer) SM improvement propagate into runoff improvement? A synthetic twin experiment is carried out in the Arkansas-Red River basin ( 600,000 km2) where a synthetic "truth" run, an open-loop run (without DA) and a DA run (where synthetic surface SM measurements are assimilated) are generated. All model runs are performed at 1/8 degree resolution and over a 10-year period using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrologic model at a 3-hourly time step. For the DA run, the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) method is applied. The updated surface and deeper-layer SM states with DA are compared to the open-loop SM to quantitatively evaluate the first two steps in the framework. To quantify the third step, a set of perfect-state runs are generated where the "true" SM states are directly inserted in the model to assess the maximum possible runoff improvement that can be achieved by improving SM states alone. Our results show that the 3-step framework is able to effectively identify the potential as well as bottleneck of runoff improvement and point out the cases where runoff improvement via assimilation of surface SM is prone to failure.

Short-term transport of glyphosate with erosion in Chinese loess soil--a flume experiment.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaomei; Wang, Fei; Bento, Célia P M; Xue, Sha; Gai, Lingtong; van Dam, Ruud; Mol, Hans; Ritsema, Coen J; Geissen, Violette

2015-04-15

Repeated applications of glyphosate may contaminate the soil and water and threaten their quality both within the environmental system and beyond it through water erosion related processes and leaching. In this study, we focused on the transport of glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) related to soil erosion at two slope gradients (10 and 20°), two rates of pesticide with a formulation of glyphosate (Roundup®) application (360 and 720 mg m(-2)), and a rain intensity of 1.0 mm min(-1) for 1 h on bare soil in hydraulic flumes. Runoff and erosion rate were significantly different within slope gradients (p<0.05) while suspended load concentration was relatively constant after 15 min of rainfall. The glyphosate and AMPA concentration in the runoff and suspended load gradually decreased. Significant power and exponent function relationship were observed between rainfall duration and the concentration of glyphosate and AMPA (p<0.01) in runoff and suspended load, respectively. Meanwhile, glyphosate and AMPA content in the eroded material depended more on the initial rate of application than on the slope gradients. The transport rate of glyphosate by runoff and suspended load was approximately 14% of the applied amount, and the chemicals were mainly transported in the suspended load. The glyphosate and AMPA content in the flume soil at the end of the experiment decreased significantly with depth (p<0.05), and approximately 72, 2, and 3% of the applied glyphosate (including AMPA) remained in the 0-2, 2-5, and 5-10 cm soil layers, respectively. The risk of contamination in deep soil and the groundwater was thus low, but 5% of the initial application did reach the 2-10 cm soil layer. The risk of contamination of surface water through runoff and sedimentation, however, can be considerable, especially in regions where rain-induced soil erosion is common. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of foam-based and traditional green roofs in reducing nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon and suspended solids in urban installations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacAvoy, S. E.; Mucha, S.; Williamson, G.

2017-12-01

While green roofs have well understood benefits for retaining runoff, there is less of a consensus regarding the potential for retaining and absorbing nutrients or suspended solids from roof runoff that would otherwise travel to waterways. Additionally, there are numerous designs, materials and maintenance plans associated with "green" roofs/surfaces that may greatly impact not only their hydrological benefit but also their pollution mitigation potential. Here we examine the NO3, NH4, total organic carbon (TOC), total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS) retention potential from planted and unplanted foam roofs and traditional soil roofs. Direct precipitation, untreated runoff and throughflow from the different roof types were collected for 3 to 11 rain events over a year (depending on roof). Unplanted and traditional roofs reduced TSS by 80% or better relative to runoff. Traditional roofs showed 50% lower TP than runoff or other roof types. TOC was higher than direct precipitation for all treatments, although there were no differences among the treatments themselves. Taken as averages over the 11 events, NO3 and NH4 concentrations were highly variable for runoff and treatments and significant differences were not detected. Preliminary analysis suggests there were no differences between performance of traditional versus foam-based roofs, although a greater sample size is required to be definitive.

Effects of combined-sewer overflows and urban runoff on the water quality of Fall Creek, Indianapolis, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, Jeffrey D.

1995-01-01

Concentrations of dissolved oxygen measured at the station in the middle of the combined-sewer overflows were less than the Indiana minimum ambient water-quality standard of 4.0 milligrams per liter during all storms. Concentrations of ammonia, oxygen demand, copper, lead, zinc, and fecal coliform bacteria at the stations downstream from the combined-sewer overflows were much higher in storm runoff than in base flow. Increased concentrations of oxygen demand in runoff probably were caused by combined-sewer overflows, urban runoff, and the resuspension of organic material deposited on the streambed. Some of the increased concentrations of lead, zinc, and probably copper can be attributed to the discharge and resuspension of filter backwash

[Hydrology and pollution characteristics of urban runoff: Beijing as a sample].

PubMed

Dong, Xin; Du, Peng-Fei; Li, Zhi-Yi; Yu, Zheng-Rong; Wang, Rui; Huang, Jin-Liang

2008-03-01

The purpose of this study is identification and characterization of hydrological process of urban runoff, as well as concentration variation of pollutants in it. Samples were collected in 4 rainfall events in Beijing from Jun. 2006 to Aug. 2006. Hydrology and pollution of the rainfall-runoff process were analyzed on roof and road. Study results show that the shapes of hydrological curves of runoff, despite for a 5 - 20 min delay and a milder tendency, are similar to rainfall curves. Runoff coefficients of roof are 0.80 - 0.98, while 0.87 - 0.97 of road. Event mean concentrations (EMC) of pollutants are influenced by build-up and wash-off features, which leads to a higher concentration in road runoff than in roof runoff. Major pollutants that excess the water quality standards are COD, TN, and TP. Evident correlations (> 0.1) are found between pollutants. Correlation with particles are higher for COD and SO4(2-) (> 0.5), while lower for nutrients (<0.5). First flush effects (FFE) are found and affected by several factors, such as pollutant variety, types of land covers, and rainfall intensity. FFE are found more intense in SS, more frequently in road runoff, and more difficult to form for COD and nutrients with low rainfall intensity. Therefore, control of first period of runoff would be an effective approach for runoff management in Beijing.

Predicted impact of transgenic, herbicidetolerant corn on drinking water quality in vulnerable watersheds of the mid-western USA.

PubMed

Wauchope, R Don; Estes, Tammara L; Allen, Richard; Baker, James L; Hornsby, Arthur G; Jones, Russell L; Richards, R Peter; Gustafson, David I

2002-02-01

In the intensely farmed corn-growing regions of the mid-western USA, surface waters have often been contaminated by herbicides, principally as a result of rainfall runoff occurring shortly after application of these to corn and other crops. In some vulnerable watersheds, water quality criteria for chronic human exposure through drinking water are occasionally exceeded. We selected three settings representative of vulnerable corn-region watersheds, and used the PRZM-EXAMS model with the Index Reservoir scenario to predict corn herbicide concentrations in the reservoirs as a function of herbicide properties and use pattern, site characteristics and weather in the watersheds. We compared herbicide application scenarios, including broadcast surface pre-plant atrazine and alachlor applications with a glyphosate pre-plant application, scenarios in which losses of herbicides were mitigated by incorporation or banding, and scenarios in which only glyphosate or glufosinate post-emergent herbicides were used with corn genetically modified to be resistant to them. In the absence of drift, in almost all years a single runoff event dominates the input into the reservoir. As a result, annual average pesticide concentrations are highly correlated with annual maximum daily values. The modeled concentrations were generally higher than those derived from monitoring data, even for no-drift model scenarios. Because of their lower post-emergent application rates and greater soil sorptivity, glyphosate and glufosinate loads in runoff were generally one-fifth to one-tenth those of atrazine and alachlor. These model results indicate that the replacement of pre-emergent corn herbicides with the post-emergent herbicides allowed by genetic modification of crops would dramatically reduce herbicide concentrations in vulnerable watersheds. Given the significantly lower chronic mammalian toxicity of these compounds, and their vulnerability to breakdown in the drinking water treatment process, risks to human populations through drinking water would also be reduced.

Selected Metals in Sediments and Streams in the Oklahoma Part of the Tri-State Mining District, 2000-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andrews, William J.; Becker, Mark F.; Mashburn, Shana L.; Smith, S. Jerrod

2009-01-01

The abandoned Tri-State mining district includes 1,188 square miles in northeastern Oklahoma, southeastern Kansas, and southwestern Missouri. The most productive part of the Tri-State mining district was the 40-square mile part in Oklahoma, commonly referred to as 'the Picher mining district' in north-central Ottawa County, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma part of the Tri-State mining district was a primary producing area of lead and zinc in the United States during the first half of the 20th century. Sulfide minerals of cadmium, iron, lead, and zinc that remained in flooded underground mine workings and in mine tailings on the land surface oxidized and dissolved with time, forming a variety of oxide, hydroxide, and hydroxycarbonate metallic minerals on the land surface and in streams that drain the district. Metals in water and sediments in streams draining the mining district can potentially impair the habitat and health of many forms of aquatic and terrestrial life. Lakebed, streambed and floodplain sediments and/or stream water were sampled at 30 sites in the Oklahoma part of the Tri-State mining district by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality from 2000 to 2006 in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Quapaw and Seneca-Cayuga Tribes of Oklahoma. Aluminum and iron concentrations of several thousand milligrams per kilogram were measured in sediments collected from the upstream end of Grand Lake O' the Cherokees. Manganese and zinc concentrations in those sediments were several hundred milligrams per kilogram. Lead and cadmium concentrations in those sediments were about 10 percent and 0.1 percent of zinc concentrations, respectively. Sediment cores collected in a transect across the floodplain of Tar Creek near Miami, Oklahoma, in 2004 had similar or greater concentrations of those metals than sediment cores collected at the upstream end of Grand Lake O' the Cherokees. The greatest concentrations of cadmium, iron, lead, and zinc were detected in sediments beneath an intermittent tributary to Tar Creek, a slough which drains mined areas near Commerce, Oklahoma. In surface water, aluminum and iron concentrations were greatest in the Neosho River, perhaps a result of runoff from areas underlain by shales. The greatest aqueous concentrations of cadmium, lead, manganese, and zinc were measured in water from Tar Creek, the primary small stream draining the Picher mining district with the largest proportion of mined area. Water from the Spring River had greater zinc concentrations than water from the Neosho River, perhaps as a result of a greater proportion of mined area in the Spring River Basin. Dissolved metals concentrations were generally much less than total metals concentrations, except for manganese and zinc at sites on Tar Creek, where seepage of ground water from the mine workings, saturated mine tailings, and/or metalliferous streambed sediments may be sources of these dissolved metals. Iron and lead concentrations generally decreased with increasing streamflow in upstream reaches of Tar Creek, indicating dilution of metals-rich ground water by runoff. Farther downstream in Tar Creek, and in the Neosho and Spring Rivers, metals concentrations tended to increase with increasing streamflow, indicating that most metals in these parts of these streams were associated with runoff and re-suspension of metals precipitated as oxide, hydroxide, and hydroxycarbonate minerals on land surface and streambeds. Estimated total aluminum, cadmium, iron, manganese, and zinc loads generally were greatest in water from the Neosho and Spring Rivers, primarily because of comparatively large streamflows in those rivers. Slight increases in metal loads in the downstream directions on those rivers indicated contributions of metals from inflows of small tributaries such as Tar Creek and from runoff.

Pan-Arctic distributions of continental runoff in the Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Fichot, Cédric G; Kaiser, Karl; Hooker, Stanford B; Amon, Rainer M W; Babin, Marcel; Bélanger, Simon; Walker, Sally A; Benner, Ronald

2013-01-01

Continental runoff is a major source of freshwater, nutrients and terrigenous material to the Arctic Ocean. As such, it influences water column stratification, light attenuation, surface heating, gas exchange, biological productivity and carbon sequestration. Increasing river discharge and thawing permafrost suggest that the impacts of continental runoff on these processes are changing. Here, a new optical proxy was developed and implemented with remote sensing to determine the first pan-Arctic distribution of terrigenous dissolved organic matter (tDOM) and continental runoff in the surface Arctic Ocean. Retrospective analyses revealed connections between the routing of North American runoff and the recent freshening of the Canada Basin, and indicated a correspondence between climate-driven changes in river discharge and tDOM inventories in the Kara Sea. By facilitating the real-time, synoptic monitoring of tDOM and freshwater runoff in surface polar waters, this novel approach will help understand the manifestations of climate change in this remote region.

The immediate effectiveness of barley straw mulch in reducing soil erodibility and surface runoff generation in Mediterranean vineyards.

PubMed

Prosdocimi, Massimo; Jordán, Antonio; Tarolli, Paolo; Keesstra, Saskia; Novara, Agata; Cerdà, Artemi

2016-03-15

Soil and water loss in agriculture is a major problem throughout the world, and especially in Mediterranean areas. Non-conservation agricultural practices have further aggravated the situation, especially in vineyards, which are affected by one of the highest rates of soil loss among cultivated lands. Therefore, it is necessary to find the right soil practices for more sustainable viticulture. In this regard, straw mulching has proven to be effective in other crop and fire affected soils, but, nonetheless, little research has been carried out in vineyards. This research tests the effect of barley straw mulching on soil erosion and surface runoff on vineyards in Eastern Spain where the soil and water losses are non-sustainable. An experiment was setup using rainfall simulation tests at 55 mm h(-1) over 1h on forty paired plots of 0.24 m(2): twenty bare and twenty straw covered. Straw cover varied from 48 to 90% with a median value of 59% as a result of the application of 75 g of straw per m(2). The use of straw mulch resulted in delayed ponding and runoff generation and, as a consequence, the median water loss decreased from 52.59 to 39.27% of the total rainfall. The straw cover reduced the median sediment concentration in runoff from 9.8 to 3.0 g L(-1) and the median total sediment detached from 70.34 to 15.62 g per experiment. The median soil erosion rate decreased from 2.81 to 0.63 Mg ha(-1)h(-1) due to the straw mulch protection. Straw mulch is very effective in reducing soil erodibility and surface runoff, and this benefit was achieved immediately after the application of the straw. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessing the toxicity and risk of salt-impacted winter road runoff to the early life stages of freshwater mussels in the Canadian province of Ontario.

PubMed

Prosser, R S; Rochfort, Q; McInnis, R; Exall, K; Gillis, P L

2017-11-01

In temperate urbanized areas where road salting is used for winter road maintenance, the level of chloride in surface waters has been increasing. While a number of studies have shown that the early-life stages of freshwater mussels are particularly sensitive to salt; few studies have examined the toxicity of salt-impacted winter road runoff to the early-life stages of freshwater mussels to confirm that chloride is the driver of toxicity in this mixture. This study examines the acute toxicity of field-collected winter road runoff to the glochidia of wavy-rayed lampmussels (Lampsilis fasciola) (48 h exposure) and newly released juvenile fatmucket mussels (Lampsilis siliquoidea) (<1 week old; 96 h exposure) under different water hardness. The chronic toxicity (28 d) to older juvenile L. siliquoidea (7-12 months old) was also investigated. The 48-h EC50 and 96-h LC50 for L. fasciola glochidia and L. siliquoidea juveniles exposed to different dilutions of road run-off created with moderately hard synthetic water (∼80 mg CaCO 3 /L) were 1177 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1011-1344 mg Cl - /L) and 2276 mg Cl - /L (95% CI: 1698-2854 mg Cl - /L), respectively. These effect concentrations correspond with the toxicity of chloride reported in other studies, indicating that chloride is likely the driver of toxicity in salt-impacted road-runoff, with other contaminants (e.g., metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) playing a de minimis role. Toxicity data from the current study and literature and concentrations of chloride in the surface waters of Ontario were used to conduct a probabilistic risk assessment of chloride to early-life stage freshwater mussels. The assessment indicated that chronic exposure to elevated chloride levels could pose a risk to freshwater mussels; further investigation is warranted to ensure that the most sensitive organisms are protected. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of urban runoff pollution between dissolved and particulate phases.

PubMed

Wei, Zhang; Simin, Li; Fengbing, Tang

2013-01-01

To develop urban stormwater management effectively, characterization of urban runoff pollution between dissolved and particulate phases was studied by 12 rainfall events monitored for five typical urban catchments. The average event mean concentration (AEMC) of runoff pollutants in different phases was evaluated. The AEMC values of runoff pollutants in different phases from urban roads were higher than the ones from urban roofs. The proportions of total dissolved solids, total dissolved nitrogen, and total dissolved phosphorus in total ones for all the catchments were 26.19%-30.91%, 83.29%-90.51%, and 61.54-68.09%, respectively. During rainfall events, the pollutant concentration at the initial stage of rainfall was high and then sharply decreased to a low value. Affected by catchments characterization and rainfall distribution, the highest concentration of road pollutants might appear in the later period of rainfall. Strong correlations were also found among runoffs pollutants in different phases. Total suspended solid could be considered as a surrogate for particulate matters in both road and roof runoff, while dissolved chemical oxygen demand could be regarded as a surrogate for dissolved matters in roof runoff.

Effect of Soil Slope on the Appearance of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Water Running off Grassland Soil after Application of Contaminated Slurry

PubMed Central

Alfaro, M.; Salazar, F.; Troncoso, E.; Mitchell, R. M.; Ramirez, L.; Naguil, A.; Zamorano, P.; Collins, M. T.

2013-01-01

The study assessed the effect of soil slope on Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis transport into rainwater runoff from agricultural soil after application of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-contaminated slurry. Under field conditions, 24 plots of undisturbed loamy soil 1 by 2 m2 were placed on platforms. Twelve plots were used for water runoff: 6 plots at a 3% slope and 6 plots at a 15% slope. Half of the plots of each slope were treated with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-contaminated slurry, and half were not treated. Using the same experimental design, 12 plots were established for soil sampling on a monthly basis using the same spiked slurry application and soil slopes. Runoff following natural rainfall was collected and analyzed for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis, coliforms, and turbidity. M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis was detected in runoff from all plots treated with contaminated slurry and one control plot. A higher slope (15%) increased the likelihood of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis detection but did not affect the likelihood of finding coliforms. Daily rainfall increased the likelihood that runoff would have coliforms and the coliform concentration, but it decreased the M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis concentration in the runoff. When there was no runoff, rain was associated with increased M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis concentrations. Coliform counts in runoff were related to runoff turbidity. M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis presence/absence, however, was related to turbidity. Study duration decreased bacterial detection and concentration. These findings demonstrate the high likelihood that M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in slurry spread on pastures will contaminate water runoff, particularly during seasons with high rainfall. M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis contamination of water has potential consequences for both animal and human health. PMID:23542616

Modeling the temporal variability of zinc concentrations in zinc roof runoff-experimental study and uncertainty analysis.

PubMed

Sage, Jérémie; El Oreibi, Elissar; Saad, Mohamed; Gromaire, Marie-Christine

2016-08-01

This study investigates the temporal variability of zinc concentrations from zinc roof runoff. The influence of rainfall characteristics and dry period duration is evaluated by combining laboratory experiment on small zinc sheets and in situ measurements under real weather conditions from a 1.6-m(2) zinc panel. A reformulation of a commonly used conceptual runoff quality model is introduced and its ability to simulate the evolution of zinc concentrations is evaluated. A systematic and sharp decrease from initially high to relatively low and stable zinc concentrations after 0.5 to 2 mm of rainfall is observed for both experiments, suggesting that highly soluble corrosion products are removed at early stages of runoff. A moderate dependence between antecedent dry period duration and the magnitude of zinc concentrations at the beginning of a rain event is evidenced. Contrariwise, results indicate that concentrations are not significantly influenced by rainfall intensities. Simulated rainfall experiment nonetheless suggests that a slight effect of rainfall intensities may be expected after the initial decrease of concentrations. Finally, this study shows that relatively simple conceptual runoff quality models may be adopted to simulate the variability of zinc concentrations during a rain event and from a rain event to another.

Critical review: Copper runoff from outdoor copper surfaces at atmospheric conditions.

PubMed

Hedberg, Yolanda S; Hedberg, Jonas F; Herting, Gunilla; Goidanich, Sara; Odnevall Wallinder, Inger

2014-01-01

This review on copper runoff dispersed from unsheltered naturally patinated copper used for roofing and facades summarizes and discusses influencing factors, available literature, and predictive models, and the importance of fate and speciation for environmental risk assessment. Copper runoff from outdoor surfaces is predominantly governed by electrochemical and chemical reactions and is highly dependent on given exposure conditions (size, inclination, geometry, degree of sheltering, and orientation), surface parameters (age, patina composition, and thickness), and site-specific environmental conditions (gaseous pollutants, chlorides, rainfall characteristics (amount, intensity, pH), wind direction, temperature, time of wetness, season). The corrosion rate cannot be used to assess the runoff rate. The extent of released copper varies largely between different rain events and is related to dry and wet periods, dry deposition prior to the rain event and prevailing rain and patina characteristics. Interpretation and use of copper runoff data for environmental risk assessment and management need therefore to consider site-specific factors and focus on average data of long-term studies (several years). Risk assessments require furthermore that changes in copper speciation, bioavailability aspects, and potential irreversible retention on solid surfaces are considered, factors that determine the environmental fate of copper runoff from outdoor surfaces.

Atmospheric mercury accumulation and washoff processes on impervious urban surfaces

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eckley, C.S.; Branfireun, B.; Diamond, M.; Van Metre, P.C.; Heitmuller, F.

2008-01-01

The deposition and transport of mercury (Hg) has been studied extensively in rural environments but is less understood in urbanized catchments, where elevated atmospheric Hg concentrations and impervious surfaces may efficiently deliver Hg to waterways in stormwater runoff. We determined the rate at which atmospheric Hg accumulates on windows, identified the importance of washoff in removing accumulated Hg, and measured atmospheric Hg concentrations to help understand the relationship between deposition and surface accumulation. The main study location was Toronto, Ontario. Similar samples were also collected from Austin, Texas for comparison of Hg accumulation between cities. Windows provided a good sampling surface because they are ubiquitous in urban environments and are easy to clean/blank allowing the assessment of contemporary Hg accumulation. Hg Accumulation rates were spatially variable ranging from 0.82 to 2.7 ng m-2 d-1 in Toronto and showed similar variability in Austin. The highest accumulation rate in Toronto was at the city center and was 5?? higher than the rural comparison site (0.58 ng m-2 d-1). The atmospheric total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations were less than 2?? higher between the rural and urban locations (1.7 ?? 0.3 and 2.7 ?? 1.1 ng m-3, respectively). The atmospheric particulate bound fraction (HgP), however, was more than 3?? higher between the rural and urban sites, which may have contributed to the higher urban Hg accumulation rates. Windows exposed to precipitation had 73 ?? 9% lower accumulation rates than windows sheltered from precipitation. Runoff collected from simulated rain events confirmed that most Hg accumulated on windows was easily removed and that most of the Hg in washoff was HgP. Our results indicate that the Hg flux from urban catchments will respond rapidly to changes in atmospheric concentrations due to the mobilization of the majority of the surface accumulated Hg during precipitation events. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd.

Why can postwildfire runoff and erosion vary from negligible to extreme?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noske, P.; Nyman, P.; Lane, P. N. J.; Van der Sant, R.; Sheridan, G. J.

2016-12-01

Soil surface properties vary with aridity, as does runoff and erosion after wildfire. Here we draw on studies conducted in different upland eucalypt forests of Victoria Australia, to compare and contrast the hydrological effects of wildfire. The study central to this presentation was conducted in two small (0.2-0.3 ha) dry forested headwater catchments burned during the 2009 Black Saturday wildfire. Surface runoff ratios during rainfall events approached 0.45 in the first year postwildfire. High runoff ratios in these dry forests were attributed to wildfire-induced soil water repellency and inherently low hydraulic conductivity. Average annual sediment yields peaked at 10 t ha-1 during the first year before declining dramatically to background levels, suggesting high-magnitude erosion processes may become limited by sediment availability on hillslopes. Surface runoff and erosion differed substantially between the equatorial and polar-facing catchments; this was most likely due to higher rates of infiltration and surface roughness on polar-facing slopes. Data collected from a plot scale study from 5 different burned forest locations of differing aridity produced a range of runoff ratios that support the findings of the central study. Additional data from burned catchments supporting wetter forests are also presented to further illustrate the contrast in rates of runoff and recovery from a different forest type. Results show that rates of postwildfire erosion and runoff in eucalypt forests in south-east Australia are highly variable. Large differences in erosion and runoff occur with relatively small changes in aridity.

Evaluating GCM land surface hydrology parameterizations by computing river discharges using a runoff routing model: Application to the Mississippi basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liston, G. E.; Sud, Y. C.; Wood, E. F.

1994-01-01

To relate general circulation model (GCM) hydrologic output to readily available river hydrographic data, a runoff routing scheme that routes gridded runoffs through regional- or continental-scale river drainage basins is developed. By following the basin overland flow paths, the routing model generates river discharge hydrographs that can be compared to observed river discharges, thus allowing an analysis of the GCM representation of monthly, seasonal, and annual water balances over large regions. The runoff routing model consists of two linear reservoirs, a surface reservoir and a groundwater reservoir, which store and transport water. The water transport mechanisms operating within these two reservoirs are differentiated by their time scales; the groundwater reservoir transports water much more slowly than the surface reservior. The groundwater reservior feeds the corresponding surface store, and the surface stores are connected via the river network. The routing model is implemented over the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Continental-Scale International Project Mississippi River basin on a rectangular grid of 2 deg X 2.5 deg. Two land surface hydrology parameterizations provide the gridded runoff data required to run the runoff routing scheme: the variable infiltration capacity model, and the soil moisture component of the simple biosphere model. These parameterizations are driven with 4 deg X 5 deg gridded climatological potential evapotranspiration and 1979 First Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) Global Experiment precipitation. These investigations have quantified the importance of physically realistic soil moisture holding capacities, evaporation parameters, and runoff mechanisms in land surface hydrology formulations.

Impacts of absorbing aerosol deposition on snowpack and hydrologic cycle in the Rocky Mountain region based on variable-resolution CESM (VR-CESM) simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Chenglai; Liu, Xiaohong; Lin, Zhaohui; Rahimi-Esfarjani, Stefan R.; Lu, Zheng

2018-01-01

The deposition of light-absorbing aerosols (LAAs), such as black carbon (BC) and dust, onto snow cover has been suggested to reduce the snow albedo and modulate the snowpack and consequent hydrologic cycle. In this study we use the variable-resolution Community Earth System Model (VR-CESM) with a regionally refined high-resolution (0.125°) grid to quantify the impacts of LAAs in snow in the Rocky Mountain region during the period 1981-2005. We first evaluate the model simulation of LAA concentrations both near the surface and in snow and then investigate the snowpack and runoff changes induced by LAAs in snow. The model simulates similar magnitudes of near-surface atmospheric dust concentrations as observations in the Rocky Mountain region. Although the model underestimates near-surface atmospheric BC concentrations, the model overestimates BC-in-snow concentrations by 35 % on average. The regional mean surface radiative effect (SRE) due to LAAs in snow reaches up to 0.6-1.7 W m-2 in spring, and dust contributes to about 21-42 % of total SRE. Due to positive snow albedo feedbacks induced by the LAA SRE, snow water equivalent is reduced by 2-50 mm and snow cover fraction by 5-20 % in the two regions around the mountains (eastern Snake River Plain and southwestern Wyoming), corresponding to an increase in surface air temperature by 0.9-1.1 °C. During the snow melting period, LAAs accelerate the hydrologic cycle with monthly runoff increases of 0.15-1.00 mm day-1 in April-May and reductions of 0.04-0.18 mm day-1 in June-July in the mountainous regions. Of all the mountainous regions, the Southern Rockies experience the largest reduction of total runoff by 15 % during the later stage of snowmelt (i.e., June and July). Compared to previous studies based on field observations, our estimation of dust-induced SRE is generally 1 order of magnitude smaller in the Southern Rockies, which is ascribed to the omission of larger dust particles (with the diameter > 10 µm) in the model. This calls for the inclusion of larger dust particles in the model to reduce the discrepancies. Overall these results highlight the potentially important role of LAA interactions with snowpack and the subsequent impacts on the hydrologic cycles across the Rocky Mountains.

Does anthropogenic nitrogen enrichment increase organic nitrogen concentrations in runoff from forested and human-dominated watersheds?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pellerin, B.A.; Kaushal, S.S.; McDowell, W.H.

2006-01-01

Although the effects of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) inputs on the dynamics of inorganic N in watersheds have been studied extensively, "the influence of N enrichment on organic N loss" is not as well understood. We compiled and synthesized data on surface water N concentrations from 348 forested and human-dominated watersheds with a range of N loads (from less than 100 to 7,100 kg N km-2 y-1) to evaluate the effects of N loading via atmospheric deposition, fertilization, and wastewater on dissolved organic N (DON) concentrations. Our results indicate that, on average, DON accounts for half of the total dissolved N (TDN) concentrations from forested watersheds, but it accounts for a smaller fraction of TDN in runoff from urban and agricultural watersheds with higher N loading. A significant but weak correlation (r 2 = 0.06) suggests that N loading has little influence on DON concentrations in forested watersheds. This result contrasts with observations from some plot-scale N fertilization studies and suggests that variability in watershed characteristics and climate among forested watersheds may be a more important control on DON losses than N loading from atmospheric sources. Mean DON concentrations were positively correlated, however, with N load across the entire land-use gradient (r 2 = 0.37, P < 0.01), with the highest concentrations found in agricultural and urban watersheds. We hypothesize that both direct contributions of DON from wastewater and agricultural amendments and indirect transformations of inorganic N to organic N represent important sources of DON to surface waters in human-dominated watersheds. We conclude that DON is an important component of N loss in surface waters draining forested and human-dominated watersheds and suggest several research priorities that may be useful in elucidating the role of N enrichment in watershed DON dynamics. ?? 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

Urban Land: Study of Surface Run-off Composition and Its Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palagin, E. D.; Gridneva, M. A.; Bykova, P. G.

2017-11-01

The qualitative composition of urban land surface run-off is liable to significant variations. To study surface run-off dynamics, to examine its behaviour and to discover reasons of these variations, it is relevant to use the mathematical apparatus technique of time series analysis. A seasonal decomposition procedure was applied to a temporary series of monthly dynamics with the annual frequency of seasonal variations in connection with a multiplicative model. The results of the quantitative chemical analysis of surface wastewater of the 22nd Partsjezd outlet in Samara for the period of 2004-2016 were used as basic data. As a result of the analysis, a seasonal pattern of variations in the composition of surface run-off in Samara was identified. Seasonal indices upon 15 waste-water quality indicators were defined. BOD (full), suspended materials, mineralization, chlorides, sulphates, ammonium-ion, nitrite-anion, nitrate-anion, phosphates (phosphorus), iron general, copper, zinc, aluminium, petroleum products, synthetic surfactants (anion-active). Based on the seasonal decomposition of the time series data, the contribution of trends, seasonal and accidental components of the variability of the surface run-off indicators was estimated.

EPA Permeable Surface Research - Poster

EPA Science Inventory

EPA recognizes permeable surfaces as an effective post-construction infiltration-based Best Management Practice to mitigate the adverse effects of stormwater runoff. The professional user community conceptually embraces permeable surfaces as a tool for making runoff more closely...

EPA Permeable Surface Research

EPA Science Inventory

EPA recognizes permeable surfaces as an effective post-construction infiltration-based Best Management Practice to mitigate the adverse effects of stormwater runoff. The professional user community conceptually embraces permeable surfaces as a tool for making runoff more closely...

Soil Erodibility Parameters Under Various Cropping Systems of Maize

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Dijk, P. M.; van der Zijp, M.; Kwaad, F. J. P. M.

1996-08-01

For four years, runoff and soil loss from seven cropping systems of fodder maize have been measured on experimental plots under natural and simulated rainfall. Besides runoff and soil loss, several variables have also been measured, including rainfall kinetic energy, degree of slaking, surface roughness, aggregate stability, soil moisture content, crop cover, shear strength and topsoil porosity. These variables explain a large part of the variance in measured runoff, soil loss and splash erosion under the various cropping systems. The following conclusions were drawn from the erosion measurements on the experimental plots (these conclusions apply to the spatial level at which the measurements were carried out). (1) Soil tillage after maize harvest strongly reduced surface runoff and soil loss during the winter; sowing of winter rye further reduced winter erosion, though the difference with a merely tilled soil is small. (2) During spring and the growing season, soil loss is reduced strongly if the soil surface is partly covered by plant residues; the presence of plant residue on the surface appeared to be essential in achieving erosion reduction in summer. (3) Soil loss reductions were much higher than runoff reductions; significant runoff reduction is only achieved by the straw system having flat-lying, non-fixed plant residue on the soil surface; the other systems, though effective in reducing soil loss, were not effective in reducing runoff.

Evaluating the Soil Vulnerability Index (SVI), an index to characterize inherent vulnerability of croplands to runoff and leaching

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil erosion and nutrient loss from surface runoff and sub-surface flows are critical problems for croplands in the United States. Assessing cropland vulnerability to runoff and leaching is needed for watershed or regional land use and land management planning and conservation resources allocation. ...

Transport of dissolved trace elements in surface runoff and leachate from a coastal plain soil after poultry litter application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The application of poultry (Gallus gallus domesticus) litter to agricultural soils may exacerbate losses of trace elements in runoff water, an emerging concern to water quality. We evaluated trace elements (arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, selenium and zinc) in surface runoff and ...

Meltwater flux and runoff modeling in the abalation area of jakobshavn Isbrae, West Greenland

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mernild, Sebastian Haugard; Chylek, Petr; Liston, Glen

2009-01-01

The temporal variability in surface snow and glacier melt flux and runoff were investigated for the ablation area of lakobshavn Isbrae, West Greenland. High-resolution meteorological observations both on and outside the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) were used as model input. Realistic descriptions of snow accumulation, snow and glacier-ice melt, and runoff are essential to understand trends in ice sheet surface properties and processes. SnowModel, a physically based, spatially distributed meteorological and snow-evolution modeling system was used to simulate the temporal variability of lakobshavn Isbrre accumulation and ablation processes for 2000/01-2006/07. Winter snow-depth observations and MODIS satellite-derived summer melt observations weremore » used for model validation of accumulation and ablation. Simulations agreed well with observed values. Simulated annual surface melt varied from as low as 3.83 x 10{sup 9} m{sup 3} (2001/02) to as high as 8.64 x 10{sup 9} m{sup 3} (2004/05). Modeled surface melt occurred at elevations reaching 1,870 m a.s.l. for 2004/05, while the equilibrium line altitude (ELA) fluctuated from 990 to 1,210 m a.s.l. during the simulation period. The SnowModel meltwater retention and refreezing routines considerably reduce the amount of meltwater available as ice sheet runoff; without these routines the lakobshavn surface runoff would be overestimated by an average of 80%. From September/October through May/June no runoff events were simulated. The modeled interannual runoff variability varied from 1.81 x 10{sup 9} m{sup 3} (2001/02) to 5.21 x 10{sup 9} m{sup 3} (2004/05), yielding a cumulative runoff at the Jakobshavn glacier terminus of {approx}2.25 m w.eq. to {approx}4.5 m w.eq., respectively. The average modeled lakobshavn runoff of {approx}3.4 km{sup 3} y{sup -1} was merged with previous estimates of Jakobshavn ice discharge to quantify the freshwater flux to Illulissat Icefiord. For both runoff and ice discharge the average trends are similar, indicating increasing (insignificant) influx of freshwater to the Illulissat Icefiord for the period 2000/01-2006/07. This study suggests that surface runoff forms a minor part of the overall Jakobshavn freshwater flux to the fiord: around 7% ({approx}3.4 km{sup 3} y{sup -1}) of the average annual freshwater flux of {approx}51.0 km{sup 3} y{sup -1} originates from the surface runoff.« less

Sensitivity of agricultural runoff loads to rising levels of CO2 and climate change in the San Joaquin Valley watershed of California.

PubMed

Ficklin, Darren L; Luo, Yuzhou; Luedeling, Eike; Gatzke, Sarah E; Zhang, Minghua

2010-01-01

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to assess the impact of climate change on sediment, nitrate, phosphorus and pesticide (diazinon and chlorpyrifos) runoff in the San Joaquin watershed in California. This study used modeling techniques that include variations of CO(2), temperature, and precipitation to quantify these responses. Precipitation had a greater impact on agricultural runoff compared to changes in either CO(2) concentration or temperature. Increase of precipitation by +/-10% and +/-20% generally changed agricultural runoff proportionally. Solely increasing CO(2) concentration resulted in an increase in nitrate, phosphorus, and chlorpyrifos yield by 4.2, 7.8, and 6.4%, respectively, and a decrease in sediment and diazinon yield by 6.3 and 5.3%, respectively, in comparison to the present-day reference scenario. Only increasing temperature reduced yields of all agricultural runoff components. The results suggest that agricultural runoff in the San Joaquin watershed is sensitive to precipitation, temperature, and CO(2) concentration changes.

Nutrient loss in leachate and surface runoff from surface-broadcast and subsurface-banded broiler litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Subsurface band application of poultry litter has been shown to reduce the transport of nutrients from fields in surface runoff, compared to the conventional surface broadcast application. Little in situ research has been conducted to determine effects of surface broadcast application and subsurfac...

Changing patterns in water toxicity associated with current use pesticides in three California agriculture regions.

PubMed

Anderson, Brian S; Phillips, Bryn M; Voorhees, Jennifer P; Deng, Xin; Geraci, Jeff; Worcester, Karen; Tjeerdema, Ron S

2018-03-01

Regulation of agriculture irrigation water discharges in California, USA, is assessed and controlled by its 9 Regional Water Quality Control Boards under the jurisdiction of the California State Water Resources Control Board. Each Regional Water Board has developed programs to control pesticides in runoff as part of the waste discharge requirements implemented through each region's Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program. The present study assessed how pesticide use patterns differ in the Imperial (Imperial County) and the Salinas and Santa Maria (Monterey County) valleys, which host 3 of California's prime agriculture areas. Surface-water toxicity associated with current use pesticides was monitored at several sites in these areas in 2014 and 2015, and results were linked to changes in pesticide use patterns in these areas. Pesticide use patterns appeared to coincide with differences in the way agriculture programs were implemented by the 2 respective Regional Water Quality Control Boards, and these programs differed in the 2 Water Board Regions. Different pesticide use patterns affected the occurrence of pesticides in agriculture runoff, and this influenced toxicity test results. Greater detection frequency and higher concentrations of the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos were detected in agriculture runoff in Imperial County compared to Monterey County, likely due to more rigorous monitoring requirements for growers using this pesticide in Monterey County. Monterey County agriculture runoff contained toxic concentrations of pyrethroid and neonicotinoid pesticides, which impacted amphipods (Hyalella azteca) and midge larvae (Chironomus dilutus) in toxicity tests. Study results illustrate how monitoring strategies need to evolve as regulatory actions affect change in pesticide use and demonstrate the importance of using toxicity test indicator species appropriate for the suite of contaminants in runoff in order to accurately assess environmental risk. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:270-281. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Using chloride and other ions to trace sewage and road salt in the Illinois Waterway

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelly, W.R.; Panno, S.V.; Hackley, Keith C.; Hwang, H.-H.; Martinsek, A.T.; Markus, M.

2010-01-01

Chloride concentrations in waterways of northern USA are increasing at alarming rates and road salt is commonly assumed to be the cause. However, there are additional sources of Cl- in metropolitan areas, such as treated wastewater (TWW) and water conditioning salts, which may be contributing to Cl- loads entering surface waters. In this study, the potential sources of Cl- and Cl- loads in the Illinois River Basin from the Chicago area to the Illinois River's confluence with the Mississippi River were investigated using halide data in stream samples and published Cl- and river discharge data. The investigation showed that road salt runoff and TWW from the Chicago region dominate Cl- loads in the Illinois Waterway, defined as the navigable sections of the Illinois River and two major tributaries in the Chicago region. Treated wastewater discharges at a relatively constant rate throughout the year and is the primary source of Cl- and other elements such as F- and B. Chloride loads are highest in the winter and early spring as a result of road salt runoff which can increase Cl- concentrations by up to several hundred mg/L. Chloride concentrations decrease downstream in the Illinois Waterway due to dilution, but are always elevated relative to tributaries downriver from Chicago. The TWW component is especially noticeable downstream under low discharge conditions during summer and early autumn when surface drainage is at a minimum and agricultural drain tiles are not flowing. Increases in population, urban and residential areas, and roadways in the Chicago area have caused an increase in the flux of Cl- from both road salt and TWW. Chloride concentrations have been increasing in the Illinois Waterway since around 1960 at a rate of about 1 mg/L/a. The increase is largest in the winter months due to road salt runoff. Shallow groundwater Cl- concentrations are also increasing, potentially producing higher base flow concentrations. Projected increases in population and urbanization over the next several decades suggest that the trend of increasing Cl- concentrations and loads will continue. Given the susceptibility of aquatic ecosystems to increasing Cl- concentrations, especially short-term spikes following snow melts, deleterious effects on riverine ecosystems would be expected. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Urban Runoff and Nutrients Loading Control from Sustainable BMPs (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Q.

2009-12-01

Climate change alters hydrodynamic and nutrient dynamic in both large and small geographic scales. These changes in our freshwater system directly affect drinking water, food production, business, and all aspects of our life. Along with climate change is increasing urbanization which alters natural landscape. Urban runoff has been identified as one of many potential drivers of the decline of pelagic fishes in san Francisco Bay-Delta region. Recent found of Pyrethroids in American River has increased scientists, public, and policy makers’ concern about our fresh water system. Increasing our understanding about the fundamental hydrodynamic, nutrient dynamics, and the transport mechanics of runoff and nutrients are important for future water resource and ecosystem management. Urbanization has resulted in significantly increasing the amount of impervious land cover. Most impervious land covers are hydrophobic that alters surface runoff because of the effects on surface retention storage, rainfall interception, and infiltration. Large volumes of excess storm runoff from urbanized areas cause flooding, water pollution, groundwater recharge deficits, destroyed habitat, beach closures, and toxicity to aquatic organisms. Parking lot alone accounts for more than 11% of these impervious surfaces. Contrast to impervious parking lot, turfgrass can accouter for 12% of urban land in California. Irrigated urban landscapes create considerable benefits to our daily living. However, the use of fertilizers and pesticides has caused environmental problems. Preventing fertilizers and pesticides from entering storm drains is an important goal for both landscape and storm runoff managers. Studies of urban runoff have found that the most fertilizers and pesticides are from dry weather runoff which conveys pollutants to sidewalks, streets, and storm drains. Controlling surface runoff is critical to preventing these pollutants from entering storm drains and water bodies. Large scale construction of runoff retention basins and treatment facilities to meet TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) regulations are not cost-effective or practical. An alternative approach is to control runoff and nutrients on-site through installation of decentralized BMPs that detain and infiltrate runoff before it reaches storm drains. Recent developed green-infrastructure which integrating engineered soil and trees to reduce runoff and nutrients loading is a self-sustained best management practice (BMP). This BMP has been testing and used in urban runoff control. In Davis, CA this type of BMPs were installed in a parking lot and a residential property to evaluate the system’s effectiveness on reducing storm runoff and pollutant loading from the parking lot and irrigated landscape. Storm runoff and pollutant loading were measured and monitored during February 2007 thru May 2009 from the parking lot. The BMP reduced surface runoff and nutrients by 88.8% and 95.3%, respectively. In the residential irrigated landscape, the dry-weather runoff was monitored during 2007 irrigation season, the BMP captured almost all dry weather runoff. The performance of these BMPs demonstrated their potential use for reducing runoff and nutrients loading. Control urban runoff from these 23% landscape (i.e., parking lot and irrigated turf grass) could largely alter the runoff and nutrients transport and their dynamic in our water system.

Dissolved free and combined amino acids in surface runoff and drainage waters from drained and undrained grassland under different fertilizer management.

PubMed

Hawkins, Jane M B; Scholefield, David; Braven, Jim

2006-08-15

Organic matter is a valuable resource on which the sustainability and productivity of soils relies heavily. Thus, it is important to understand the mechanisms for the loss of organic compounds from soil. It is also essential to determine how these losses can be minimized, especially those resulting from anthropogenic activity. Grazed grassland lysimeters (1 hectare) were used to examine the contribution and distribution patterns of dissolved free and combined amino acids to dissolved organic nitrogen and carbon in surface runoff and drainage waters from a grassland soil over three winter drainage periods. The waters were collected from soils beneath drained and undrained permanent ryegrass swards, receiving 0 and 280 kg ha(-1) year(-1) mineral nitrogen (N) input. Total dissolved free amino acid (DFAA) and dissolved combined amino acid (DCAA) concentrations ranged between 1.9 nM and 6.1 microM and between 1.3 and 87 microM, respectively. Although addition of mineral N fertilizer increased both DFAA and DCAA concentrations in waters, there was no detectable effect of soil hydrology or fertilizer addition on distribution patterns.

Decreasing phosphorus runoff losses from land-applied poultry litter with dietary modifications and alum addition.

PubMed

Smith, Douglas R; Moore, P A; Miles, D M; Haggard, B E; Daniel, T C

2004-01-01

Phosphorus (P) losses from pastures fertilized with poultry litter contribute to the degradation of surface water quality in the United States. Dietary modification and manure amendments may reduce potential P runoff losses from pastures. In the current study, broilers were fed a normal diet, phytase diet, high available phosphorus (HAP) corn diet, or HAP corn + phytase diet. Litter treatments were untreated control and alum added at 10% by weight between flocks. Phytase and HAP corn diets reduced litter dissolved P content in poultry litter by 10 and 35%, respectively, compared with the normal diet (789 mg P kg(-1)). Alum treatment of poultry litter reduced the amount of dissolved P by 47%, while a 74% reduction was noted after alum treatment of litter from the HAP corn + phytase diet. The P concentrations in runoff water were highest from plots receiving poultry litter from the normal diet, whereas plots receiving poultry litter from phytase and HAP corn diets had reduced P concentrations. The addition of alum to the various poultry litters reduced P runoff by 52 to 69%; the greatest reduction occurred when alum was used in conjunction with HAP corn and phytase. This study demonstrates the potential added benefits of using dietary modification in conjunction with manure amendments in poultry operations. Integrators and producers should consider the use of phytase, HAP corn, and alum to reduce potential P losses associated with poultry litter application to pastures.

[Performance of Grass Swales for Controlling Pollution of Roadway Runoff in Field Experiments].

PubMed

Huang, Jun-jie; Shen, Qing-ran; Li, Tian

2015-06-01

Two different styles of grass swales were built in new Binhu region of Hefei city to monitor the flux and quality of the influent and effluent water under actual precipitation conditions, in order to evaluate the performance of water quality purification and pollution load control for roadway runoff. The results showed that both of the grass swales could effectively remove the pollutants such as TSS, COD, Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn in roadway runoff; the median EMC removal efficiencies of TSS and COD were 67.1%, 46.7% respectively,for facility I, and the median EMC removal efficiencies of TSS and COD were 78.6%, 58.6% respectively, for facility II; the concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn in the effluent of facility II could meet the requirements of the surface water quality class V; release of nitrogen and phosphorus occurred in both facilities I and I[ in several rainfall events, mainly in heavy storms; the removal efficiencies of TP in the two grass swales were improved with the increase of influent concentration; the mean removal efficiencies of TP in facilities I and II were 14.7% and 45.4%, respectively; the load control performance of facility II for pollutants such as TSS, COD, TP, TN, NH4+ -N and NO3- -N was better than that of facility I; in the district with poor soil permeability and low ground slope, application of dry swale could achieve better performance in water quality control and pollution load reduction of roadway runoff.

A Synopsis of Technical Issues for Monitoring Sediment in Highway and Urban Runoff

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bent, Gardner C.; Gray, John R.; Smith, Kirk P.; Glysson, G. Douglas

2000-01-01

Accurate and representative sediment data are critical for assessing the potential effects of highway and urban runoff on receiving waters. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identified sediment as the most widespread pollutant in the Nation's rivers and streams, affecting aquatic habitat, drinking water treatment processes, and recreational uses of rivers, lakes, and estuaries. Representative sediment data are also necessary for quantifying and interpreting concentrations, loads, and effects of trace elements and organic constituents associated with highway and urban runoff. Many technical issues associated with the collecting, processing, and analyzing of samples must be addressed to produce valid (useful for intended purposes), current, complete, and technically defensible data for local, regional, and national information needs. All aspects of sediment data-collection programs need to be evaluated, and adequate quality-control data must be collected and documented so that the comparability and representativeness of data obtained for highway- and urban-runoff studies may be assessed. Collection of representative samples for the measurement of sediment in highway and urban runoff involves a number of interrelated issues. Temporal and spatial variability in runoff result from a combination of factors, including volume and intensity of precipitation, rate of snowmelt, and features of the drainage basin such as area, slope, infiltration capacity, channel roughness, and storage characteristics. In small drainage basins such as those found in many highway and urban settings, automatic samplers are often the most suitable method for collecting samples of runoff for a variety of reasons. Indirect sediment-measurement methods are also useful as supplementary and(or) surrogate means for monitoring sediment in runoff. All of these methods have limitations in addition to benefits, which must be identified and quantified to produce representative data. Methods for processing raw sediment samples (including homogenization and subsampling) for subsequent analysis for total suspended solids or suspended-sediment concentration often increase variance and may introduce bias. Processing artifacts can be substantial if the methods used are not appropriate for the concentrations and particle-size distributions present in the samples collected. Analytical methods for determining sediment concentrations include the suspended-sediment concentration and the total suspended solids methods. Although the terms suspended-sediment concentration and total suspended solids are often used interchangeably to describe the total concentration of suspended solid-phase material, the analytical methods differ and can produce substantially different results. The total suspended solids method, which commonly is used to produce highway- and urban-runoff sediment data, may not be valid for studies of runoff water quality. Studies of fluvial and highway-runoff sediment data indicate that analyses of samples by the total suspended solids method tends to under represent the true sediment concentration, and that relations between total suspended solids and suspended-sediment concentration are not transferable from site to site even when grain-size distribution information is available. Total suspended solids data used to calculate suspended-sediment loads in highways and urban runoff may be fundamentally unreliable. Consequently, use of total suspended solids data may have adverse consequences for the assessment, design, and maintenance of sediment-removal best management practices. Therefore, it may be necessary to analyze water samples using the suspended-sediment concentration method. Data quality, comparability, and utility are important considerations in collection, processing, and analysis of sediment samples and interpretation of sediment data for highway- and urban-runoff studies. Results from sediment studies must be comparable and readily transf

Retrospective Review of Watershed Characteristics and a Framework for Future Research in the Sarasota Bay Watershed, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kish, George R.; Harrison, Arnell S.; Alderson, Mark

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program conducted a retrospective review of characteristics of the Sarasota Bay watershed in west-central Florida. This report describes watershed characteristics, surface- and ground-water processes, and the environmental setting of the Sarasota Bay watershed. Population growth during the last 50 years is transforming the Sarasota Bay watershed from rural and agriculture to urban and suburban. The transition has resulted in land-use changes that influence surface- and ground-water processes in the watershed. Increased impervious cover decreases recharge to ground water and increases overland runoff and the pollutants carried in the runoff. Soil compaction resulting from agriculture, construction, and recreation activities also decreases recharge to ground water. Conventional approaches to stormwater runoff have involved conveyances and large storage areas. Low-impact development approaches, designed to provide recharge near the precipitation point-of-contact, are being used increasingly in the watershed. Simple pollutant loading models applied to the Sarasota Bay watershed have focused on large-scale processes and pollutant loads determined from empirical values and mean event concentrations. Complex watershed models and more intensive data-collection programs can provide the level of information needed to quantify (1) the effects of lot-scale land practices on runoff, storage, and ground-water recharge, (2) dry and wet season flux of nutrients through atmospheric deposition, (3) changes in partitioning of water and contaminants as urbanization alters predevelopment rainfall-runoff relations, and (4) linkages between watershed models and lot-scale models to evaluate the effect of small-scale changes over the entire Sarasota Bay watershed. As urbanization in the Sarasota Bay watershed continues, focused research on water-resources issues can provide information needed by water-resources managers to ensure the future health of the watershed.

Rapid modification of urban land surface temperature during rainfall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omidvar, H.; Bou-Zeid, E.; Song, J.; Yang, J.; Arwatz, G.; Wang, Z.; Hultmark, M.; Kaloush, K.

2017-12-01

We study the runoff dynamics and heat transfer over urban pavements during rainfall. A kinematic wave approach is combined with heat storage and transfer schemes to develop a model for impervious (with runoff) and pervious (without runoff) pavements. The resulting framework is a numerical prognostic model that can simulate the temperature fields in the subsurface and runoff layers to capture the rapid cooling of the surface, as well as the thermal pollution advected in the runoff. Extensive field measurements were then conducted over experimental pavements in Arizona to probe the physics and better represent the relevant processes in the model, and then to validate the model. The experimental data and the model results were in very good agreements, and their joint analysis elucidated the physics of the rapid heat transfer from the subsurface to the runoff layer. Finally, we apply the developed model to investigate how the various hydrological and thermal properties of the pavements, as well as ambient environmental conditions, modulate the surface and runoff thermal dynamics, what is the relative importance of each of them, and how we can apply the model mitigate the adverse impacts of urbanization.

Runoff and solute mobilization processes in a semiarid headwater catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, Justin D.; Khan, Shahbaz; Crosbie, Russell S.; Helliwell, Stuart; Michalk, David L.

2007-09-01

Runoff and solute transport processes contributing to streamflow were determined in a small headwater catchment in the eastern Murray-Darling Basin of Australia using hydrometric and tracer methods. Streamflow and electrical conductivity were monitored from two gauges draining a portion of the upper catchment area (UCA) and a saline scalded area, respectively. Runoff in the UCA was related to the formation of a seasonally perched aquifer in the near-surface zone (0-0.4 m). A similar process was responsible for runoff generation in the saline scalded area. However, saturation in the scald area was related to the proximity of groundwater rather than low subsurface hydraulic conductivity. Because of higher antecedent water content, runoff commenced earlier in winter from the scald than did the UCA. Additionally, areal runoff from the scald was far greater than from the UCA. Total runoff from the UCA was higher than the scald (15.7 versus 3.5 mL), but salt export was far lower (0.6 and 5.4 t for the UCA and scald area, respectively) since salinity of the scald runoff was far higher than that from the UCA, indicating the potential impact of saline scalded areas at the catchment scale. End-member mixing analysis modeling using six solutes indicated that most runoff produced from the scald was "new" (40-71%) despite the proximity of the groundwater surface and the high antecedent moisture levels. This is a reflection of the very low hydraulic conductivity of soils in the study area. Nearly all chloride exported to the stream from the scald emanated from the near-surface zone (77-87%). Runoff and solute mobilization processes depend upon seasonal saturation occurring in the near-surface zone during periods of low evaporative demand and generation of saturated overland flow.

Testing the Wisconsin Phosphorus Index with year-round, field-scale runoff monitoring.

PubMed

Good, Laura W; Vadas, Peter; Panuska, John C; Bonilla, Carlos A; Jokela, William E

2012-01-01

The Wisconsin Phosphorus Index (WPI) is one of several P indices in the United States that use equations to describe actual P loss processes. Although for nutrient management planning the WPI is reported as a dimensionless whole number, it is calculated as average annual dissolved P (DP) and particulate P (PP) mass delivered per unit area. The WPI calculations use soil P concentration, applied manure and fertilizer P, and estimates of average annual erosion and average annual runoff. We compared WPI estimated P losses to annual P loads measured in surface runoff from 86 field-years on crop fields and pastures. As the erosion and runoff generated by the weather in the monitoring years varied substantially from the average annual estimates used in the WPI, the WPI and measured loads were not well correlated. However, when measured runoff and erosion were used in the WPI field loss calculations, the WPI accurately estimated annual total P loads with a Nash-Sutcliffe Model Efficiency (NSE) of 0.87. The DP loss estimates were not as close to measured values (NSE = 0.40) as the PP loss estimates (NSE = 0.89). Some errors in estimating DP losses may be unavoidable due to uncertainties in estimating on-farm manure P application rates. The WPI is sensitive to field management that affects its erosion and runoff estimates. Provided that the WPI methods for estimating average annual erosion and runoff are accurately reflecting the effects of management, the WPI is an accurate field-level assessment tool for managing runoff P losses. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Infiltration and Runoff Measurements on Steep Burned Hillslopes Using a Rainfall Simulator with Variable Rain Intensities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinner, David A.; Moody, John A.

2008-01-01

Multiple rainfall intensities were used in rainfall-simulation experiments designed to investigate the infiltration and runoff from 1-square-meter plots on burned hillslopes covered by an ash layer of varying thickness. The 1-square-meter plots were on north- and south-facing hillslopes in an area burned by the Overland fire northwest of Boulder near Jamestown on the Front Range of Colorado. A single-nozzle, wide-angle, multi-intensity rain simulator was developed to investigate the infiltration and runoff on steep (30- to 40-percent gradient) burned hillslopes covered with ash. The simulated rainfall was evaluated for spatial variability, drop size, and kinetic energy. Fourteen rainfall simulations, at three intensities (about 20 millimeters per hour [mm/h], 35 mm/h, and 50 mm/h), were conducted on four plots. Measurements during and after the simulations included runoff, rainfall, suspended-sediment concentrations, surface ash layer thickness, soil moisture, soil grain size, soil lost on ignition, and plot topography. Runoff discharge reached a steady state within 7 to 26 minutes. Steady infiltration rates with the 50-mm/h application rainfall intensity approached 20?35 mm/h. If these rates are projected to rainfall application intensities used in many studies of burned area runoff production (about 80 mm/h), the steady discharge rates are on the lower end of measurements from other studies. Experiments using multiple rainfall intensities (three) suggest that runoff begins at rainfall intensities around 20 mm/h at the 1-square-meter scale, an observation consistent with a 10-mm/h rainfall intensity threshold needed for runoff initiation that has been reported in the literature.

[Interception Effect of Ecological Ditch on Nitrogen Transport in Agricultural Runoff in Subtropical China].

PubMed

Wang, Di; Li, Hong-fang; Liu, Feng; Wang, Yi; Zhong, Yuan-chun; He, Yang; Xiao, Run-fin; Wu, Jin-shui

2016-05-15

Interception effects of an ecological ditch, used to control agricultural non-point source pollution in subtropical China, on nitrogen transport in surface runoff were studied by monthly measuring the runoff volume and concentrations of ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N) and total nitrogen (TN) at the ditch inlet and outlet from 2013 to 2014. In addition, differences of NH₄⁺-N, NO₃⁻-N and TN removal were compared between 2013 and 2014. The results showed that the study ecological ditch worked effectively in N removal with average NH₄⁺-N, NO₃⁻-N and TN removal rates of 77.8%, 58.3%, and 48.7%; and their interception rates were 38.4, 59.6, and 171.1 kg · a⁻¹, respectively. The average proportion of NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N in TN was 47.5% at inlet, and 33.6% at outlet, which was significantly lower than that at inlet (P < 0.01). All hydrophytes in the ecological ditch were replaced by Myriophyllum aquaticum in 2014, which led to the increased average NO₃⁻-N and TN removal rates of 30.5% and 18.2%, respectively, Compared to in 2013. The vegetation of Myriophyllum aquaticum was beneficial to the improvement of N interception in ecological ditch. These findings clearly demonstrated that ecological ditch can substantially reduce N loss from surface runoff and be used as an important technique to prevent agricultural non-point N pollution.

Plot-scale effects on runoff and erosion along a slope degradation gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno-de Las Heras, Mariano; Nicolau, José M.; Merino-MartíN, Luis; Wilcox, Bradford P.

2010-04-01

In Earth and ecological sciences, an important, crosscutting issue is the relationship between scale and the processes of runoff and erosion. In drylands, understanding this relationship is critical for understanding ecosystem functionality and degradation processes. Recent work has suggested that the effects of scale may differ depending on the extent of degradation. To test this hypothesis, runoff and sediment yield were monitored during a hydrological year on 20 plots of various lengths (1-15 m). These plots were located on a series of five reclaimed mining slopes in a Mediterranean-dry environment. The five slopes exhibited various degrees of vegetative cover and surface erosion. A general decrease of unit area runoff was observed with increasing plot scale for all slopes. Nevertheless, the amount of reinfiltrated runoff along each slope varied with the extent of degradation, being highest at the least degraded slope and vice versa. In other words, unit area runoff decreased the least on the most disturbed site as plot length increased. Unit area sediment yield declined with increasing plot length for the undisturbed and moderately disturbed sites, but it actually increased for the highly disturbed sites. The different scaling behavior of the most degraded slopes was especially clear under high-intensity rainfall conditions, when flow concentration favored rill erosion. Our results confirm that in drylands, the effects of scale on runoff and erosion change with the extent of degradation, resulting in a substantial loss of soil and water from disturbed systems, which could reinforce the degradation process through feedback mechanisms with vegetation.

Observed and simulated hydrologic response for a first-order catchment during extreme rainfall 3 years after wildfire disturbance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ebel, Brian A.; Rengers, Francis K.; Tucker, Gregory E.

2016-01-01

Hydrologic response to extreme rainfall in disturbed landscapes is poorly understood because of the paucity of measurements. A unique opportunity presented itself when extreme rainfall in September 2013 fell on a headwater catchment (i.e., <1 ha) in Colorado, USA that had previously been burned by a wildfire in 2010. We compared measurements of soil-hydraulic properties, soil saturation from subsurface sensors, and estimated peak runoff during the extreme rainfall with numerical simulations of runoff generation and subsurface hydrologic response during this event. The simulations were used to explore differences in runoff generation between the wildfire-affected headwater catchment, a simulated unburned case, and for uniform versus spatially variable parameterizations of soil-hydraulic properties that affect infiltration and runoff generation in burned landscapes. Despite 3 years of elapsed time since the 2010 wildfire, observations and simulations pointed to substantial surface runoff generation in the wildfire-affected headwater catchment by the infiltration-excess mechanism while no surface runoff was generated in the unburned case. The surface runoff generation was the result of incomplete recovery of soil-hydraulic properties in the burned area, suggesting recovery takes longer than 3 years. Moreover, spatially variable soil-hydraulic property parameterizations produced longer duration but lower peak-flow infiltration-excess runoff, compared to uniform parameterization, which may have important hillslope sediment export and geomorphologic implications during long duration, extreme rainfall. The majority of the simulated surface runoff in the spatially variable cases came from connected near-channel contributing areas, which was a substantially smaller contributing area than the uniform simulations.

Response Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Carbon Flushing in a Subarctic Alpine Catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carey, S. K.

2002-12-01

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is an important part of ecosystem-scale carbon balances and in the transport of contaminants as it interacts with other dissolved substances including trace metals. It also can be used as a surrogate hydrological tracer in permafrost regions as near-surface waters are often DOC enriched due to the presence of thick organic soils. In a small subarctic alpine catchment within the Wolf Creek Research Basin, Yukon, Canada, DOC was studied in the summer of 2001 and spring of 2002 to determine the role frost (both permanent and seasonal), snowmelt and summer storms on DOC flushing. Peak DOC concentrations occurred during the snowmelt period, approximately one week prior to peak discharge. However, peak discharge took place several weeks after snow on south facing exposures had melted. Within the hillslopes, DOC concentrations were three to five times greater in wells underlain with permafrost compared with seasonal frost. Groundwater DOC concentrations declined during snowmelt, yet remained at levels above the streamflow. After peaking, streamflow DOC concentrations declined exponentially suggesting a simple flushing mechanism, however there did not appear to be a relation between DOC and topographic position. Following melt, permafrost underlain slopes had near-surface water tables and retained elevated levels of DOC, whereas slopes without permafrost had rapidly declining water tables at upslope locations with low DOC concentrations at all positions except near-stream riparian zones. The influence of summer rainstorms on DOC was monitored on three occasions. In each case DOC peaked on the ascending limb of the runoff hydrograph and declined exponentially on the receding limb and hysteretic behavior occurred between discharge and DOC during all events. Patterns of DOC within the hillslopes and streams suggest that runoff from permafrost-underlain slopes control DOC flushing within the stream during both snowmelt and summer periods. This flushing mechanism conforms with conceptual models of runoff generation in discontinuous permafrost catchments whereby water tables within permafrost-underlain slopes rise into porous organic-layers, whereupon DOC is leached into the water and rapidly conveyed to the stream.

Runoff changes have a land cover specific effect on the seasonal fluxes of terminal electron acceptors in the boreal catchments.

PubMed

Mattsson, Tuija; Lehtoranta, Jouni; Ekholm, Petri; Palviainen, Marjo; Kortelainen, Pirkko

2017-12-01

Climate change influences the volume and seasonal distribution of runoff in the northern regions. Here, we study how the seasonal variation in the runoff affects the concentrations and export of terminal electron acceptors (i.e. TEAs: NO 3 , Mn, Fe and SO 4 ) in different boreal land-cover classes. Also, we make a prediction how the anticipated climate change induced increase in runoff will alter the export of TEAs in boreal catchments. Our results show that there is a strong positive relationship between runoff and the concentration of NO 3 -N, Mn and Fe in agricultural catchments. In peaty catchments, the relationship is poorer and the concentrations of TEAs tend to decrease with increasing runoff. In forested catchments, the correlation between runoff and TEA concentrations was weak. In most catchments, the concentrations of SO 4 decrease with an increase in runoff regardless of the land cover or season. The wet years export much higher amounts of TEAs than the dry years. In southern agricultural catchments, the wet years increased the TEA export for both spring (January-May) and autumn (September-December) periods, while in the peaty and forested catchments in eastern and northern Finland the export only increased in the autumn. Our predictions for the year 2099 indicate that the export of TEAs will increase especially from agricultural but also from forested catchments. Additionally, the predictions show an increase in the export of Fe and SO 4 for all the catchments for the autumn. Thus, the climate induced change in the runoff regime is likely to alter the exported amount of TEAs and the timing of the export downstream. The changes in the amounts and timing in the export of TEAs have a potential to modify the mineralization pathways in the receiving water bodies, with feedbacks in the cycling of C, nutrients and metals in aquatic ecosystems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The achievement of good chemical status: an impossible mission for local water managers?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Jeunesse, Isabelle; Jadas-Hécart, Alain; Landry, David

2017-04-01

The European Water Framework Directive (2000) required to achieve good ecological and chemical status in surface waters of the EU Member States in 2015. For pesticides, this means ensuring that concentrations in rivers do not exceed 0.1 μg/L per molecule and 0.5 µg/L for the sum of the concentrations of the different molecules found. At national scale, EcoPhyto plan (2008) aimed to reduce pesticide use by 50% within 10. This plan has been revised and postponed to 2025 as observed pesticide use is varying between years and concentrations in river did not decrease as expected. Although vineyards cover a small percentage of agricultural land surfaces, they contribute to 20% of national pesticide use. The presence of pesticides in rivers surrounding wine territories is therefore a current environmental concern. Thus, the recovery of the water quality requires local action programs to reduce pesticide contamination in rivers. The Layon catchment comprises 13% of vineyard. It is therefore subject to an action program led by the local water committee: the SAGE Layon-Aubance-Louet. Its goal is to ensure pesticide concentrations are reduced to 1 µg/L in 2018 and 0.5 µg/L in 2027. In this context, one of the actions of the SAGE, with the assistance of the University of Angers, addresses the study of peaks in pesticide concentrations during runoff events in a small catchment covered by vineyards. Between 2009 and 2016, one of the two farmers has converted to organic farming with consequent decreases in pesticides input to the case study which thus complied with the EcoPhyto objectives. Results demonstrate first a peak intensity of pesticides in runoff waters in relation with the date of application with a decrease of concentrations during time after the treatment and second a relation between peaks of SPM and pesticides. Transfer of pesticides in this catchment is strongly linked to runoff. Thus, even if the increase of grass surface within vineyard improves the soil stability and decreases erosion sensitivity, it is not sufficient to stop all transfer of pesticides. Following the results of this study, neither the objectives of national policies to reduce by half the pesticide use nor the local objectives to decrease partially the un-weeded surface of vineyards would permit to achieve good chemical status, as confirmed by the current state of the water quality of the Layon river monitored by local water managers. Thus, in the continuation of all its efforts, it is up to local water managers to find new local solutions to comply with the Water Framework Directive.

Characterization of Urban Runoff Pollution between Dissolved and Particulate Phases

PubMed Central

Wei, Zhang; Simin, Li; Fengbing, Tang

2013-01-01

To develop urban stormwater management effectively, characterization of urban runoff pollution between dissolved and particulate phases was studied by 12 rainfall events monitored for five typical urban catchments. The average event mean concentration (AEMC) of runoff pollutants in different phases was evaluated. The AEMC values of runoff pollutants in different phases from urban roads were higher than the ones from urban roofs. The proportions of total dissolved solids, total dissolved nitrogen, and total dissolved phosphorus in total ones for all the catchments were 26.19%–30.91%, 83.29%–90.51%, and 61.54–68.09%, respectively. During rainfall events, the pollutant concentration at the initial stage of rainfall was high and then sharply decreased to a low value. Affected by catchments characterization and rainfall distribution, the highest concentration of road pollutants might appear in the later period of rainfall. Strong correlations were also found among runoffs pollutants in different phases. Total suspended solid could be considered as a surrogate for particulate matters in both road and roof runoff, while dissolved chemical oxygen demand could be regarded as a surrogate for dissolved matters in roof runoff. PMID:23935444

Vegetated Ditches for the Mitigation of Pesticides Runoff in the Po Valley.

PubMed

Otto, Stefan; Pappalardo, Salvatore E; Cardinali, Alessandra; Masin, Roberta; Zanin, Giuseppe; Borin, Maurizio

2016-01-01

In intensive agricultural systems runoff is one of the major potential diffuse pollution pathways for pesticides and poses a risk to surface water. Ditches are common in the Po Valley and can potentially provide runoff mitigation for the protection of watercourses. The effectiveness depends on ditch characteristics, so there is an urgent need for site-specific field trials. The use of a fugacity model (multimedia model) can allows recognition of the mitigation main processes. A field experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the mitigation capacity of a typical vegetated ditch, and results were compared with predictions by a fugacity model. To evaluate herbicide mitigation after an extreme runoff, the ditch was flooded with water containing mesotrione, S-metolachlor and terbuthylazine. Two other subsequent floods with uncontaminated water were applied 27 and 82 days later to evaluate herbicides release. Results show that the ditch can immediately reduce runoff concentration of herbicides by at least 50% even in extreme flooding conditions. The half-distances were about 250 m. As a general rule, a runoff of 1 mm from 5 ha is mitigated by 99% in 100 m of vegetated ditch. Herbicides retention in the vegetated ditch was reversible, and the second flood mobilized 0.03-0.2% of the previous one, with a concentration below the drinking water limit of 0.1 μg L(-1). No herbicide was detected in the third flood, because the residual amount in the ditch was too low. Fugacity model results show that specific physical-chemical parameters may be used and a specific soil-sediment-plant compartment included for modelling herbicides behaviour in a vegetated ditch, and confirm that accumulation is low or negligible for herbicides with a half-life of 40 days or less. Shallow vegetated ditches can thus be included in a general agri-environment scheme for the mitigation of pesticides runoff together with wetlands and linear buffer strips. These structures are present in the landscape, and their environmental role can be exploited by proper management.

Vegetated Ditches for the Mitigation of Pesticides Runoff in the Po Valley

PubMed Central

Pappalardo, Salvatore E.; Cardinali, Alessandra; Masin, Roberta; Zanin, Giuseppe; Borin, Maurizio

2016-01-01

In intensive agricultural systems runoff is one of the major potential diffuse pollution pathways for pesticides and poses a risk to surface water. Ditches are common in the Po Valley and can potentially provide runoff mitigation for the protection of watercourses. The effectiveness depends on ditch characteristics, so there is an urgent need for site-specific field trials. The use of a fugacity model (multimedia model) can allows recognition of the mitigation main processes. A field experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the mitigation capacity of a typical vegetated ditch, and results were compared with predictions by a fugacity model. To evaluate herbicide mitigation after an extreme runoff, the ditch was flooded with water containing mesotrione, S-metolachlor and terbuthylazine. Two other subsequent floods with uncontaminated water were applied 27 and 82 days later to evaluate herbicides release. Results show that the ditch can immediately reduce runoff concentration of herbicides by at least 50% even in extreme flooding conditions. The half-distances were about 250 m. As a general rule, a runoff of 1 mm from 5 ha is mitigated by 99% in 100 m of vegetated ditch. Herbicides retention in the vegetated ditch was reversible, and the second flood mobilized 0.03-0.2% of the previous one, with a concentration below the drinking water limit of 0.1 μg L-1. No herbicide was detected in the third flood, because the residual amount in the ditch was too low. Fugacity model results show that specific physical-chemical parameters may be used and a specific soil-sediment-plant compartment included for modelling herbicides behaviour in a vegetated ditch, and confirm that accumulation is low or negligible for herbicides with a half-life of 40 days or less. Shallow vegetated ditches can thus be included in a general agri-environment scheme for the mitigation of pesticides runoff together with wetlands and linear buffer strips. These structures are present in the landscape, and their environmental role can be exploited by proper management. PMID:27070781

Grass mulching effect on infiltration, surface runoff and soil loss of three agricultural soils in Nigeria.

PubMed

Adekalu, K O; Olorunfemi, I A; Osunbitan, J A

2007-03-01

Mulching the soil surface with a layer of plant residue is an effective method of conserving water and soil because it reduces surface runoff, increases infiltration of water into the soil and retard soil erosion. The effectiveness of using elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) as mulching material was evaluated in the laboratory using a rainfall simulator set at rainfall intensities typical of the tropics. Six soil samples, two from each of the three major soil series representing the main agricultural soils in South Western Nigeria were collected, placed on three different slopes, and mulched with different rates of the grass. The surface runoff, soil loss, and apparent cumulative infiltration were then measured under each condition. The results with elephant grass compared favorably with results from previous experiments using rice straw. Runoff and soil loss decreased with the amount of mulch used and increased with slope. Surface runoff, infiltration and soil loss had high correlations (R = 0.90, 0.89, and 0.86, respectively) with slope and mulch cover using surface response analysis. The mean surface runoff was correlated negatively with sand content, while mean soil loss was correlated positively with colloidal content (clay and organic matter) of the soil. Infiltration was increased and soil loss was reduced greatly with the highest cover. Mulching the soils with elephant grass residue may benefit late cropping (second cropping) by increasing stored soil water for use during dry weather and help to reduce erosion on sloping land.

Pan-Arctic distributions of continental runoff in the Arctic Ocean

PubMed Central

Fichot, Cédric G.; Kaiser, Karl; Hooker, Stanford B.; Amon, Rainer M. W.; Babin, Marcel; Bélanger, Simon; Walker, Sally A.; Benner, Ronald

2013-01-01

Continental runoff is a major source of freshwater, nutrients and terrigenous material to the Arctic Ocean. As such, it influences water column stratification, light attenuation, surface heating, gas exchange, biological productivity and carbon sequestration. Increasing river discharge and thawing permafrost suggest that the impacts of continental runoff on these processes are changing. Here, a new optical proxy was developed and implemented with remote sensing to determine the first pan-Arctic distribution of terrigenous dissolved organic matter (tDOM) and continental runoff in the surface Arctic Ocean. Retrospective analyses revealed connections between the routing of North American runoff and the recent freshening of the Canada Basin, and indicated a correspondence between climate-driven changes in river discharge and tDOM inventories in the Kara Sea. By facilitating the real-time, synoptic monitoring of tDOM and freshwater runoff in surface polar waters, this novel approach will help understand the manifestations of climate change in this remote region. PMID:23316278

Effects of roof and rainwater characteristics on copper concentrations in roof runoff.

PubMed

Bielmyer, Gretchen K; Arnold, W Ray; Tomasso, Joseph R; Isely, Jeff J; Klaine, Stephen J

2012-05-01

Copper sheeting is a common roofing material used in many parts of the world. However, copper dissolved from roof sheeting represents a source of copper ions to watersheds. Researchers have studied and recently developed a simple and efficient model to predict copper runoff rates. Important input parameters include precipitation amount, rain pH, and roof angle. We hypothesized that the length of a roof also positively correlates with copper concentration (thus, runoff rates) on the basis that runoff concentrations should positively correlate with contact time between acidic rain and the copper sheet. In this study, a novel system was designed to test and model the effects of roof length (length of roof from crown to the drip edge) on runoff copper concentrations relative to rain pH and roof angle. The system consisted of a flat-bottom copper trough mounted on an apparatus that allowed run length and slope to be varied. Water of known chemistry was trickled down the trough at a constant rate and sampled at the bottom. Consistent with other studies, as pH of the synthetic rainwater decreased, runoff copper concentrations increased. At all pH values tested, these results indicated that run length was more important in explaining variability in copper concentrations than was the roof slope. The regression equation with log-transformed data (R(2) = 0.873) accounted for slightly more variability than the equation with untransformed data (R(2) = 0.834). In log-transformed data, roof angle was not significant in predicting copper concentrations.

Water resources of the Tulalip Indian Reservation, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drost, B.W.

1983-01-01

Water will play a significant role in the future development of the Tulalip Indian Reservation. Ground-water resources are sufficient to supply several times the 1978 population. Potential problems associated with increased ground-water development are saltwater encroachment in the coastal areas and septic-tank contamination of shallow aquifers. There are sufficient good-quality surface-water resources to allow for significant expansion of the tribe)s fisheries activities. The tribal well field is the only place where the ground-water system has been stressed) resulting in declining water levels (1,5 feet per year), The well field has a useful life of at least 1.5-20 years, This can be increased by drilling additional wells to expand the present well field, Inflow of water to the reservation is in the form of precipitation (103 cubic feet per second) ft3/s)) surface-water inflow (13 ft3/s)) and ground-water inflow (4 ft3/s), Outflow is as evapotranspiration (62 ft3/s)) surface-water outflow (40 ft3/s)) and ground-water outflow (18 ft3/s), Total inflow and outflow are equal (120 ft3/s). Ground water is generally suitable for domestic use without treatment) but a serious quality problem is the presence of coliform bacteria in some shallow wells, High values of turbidity and color and large concentrations of iron and manganese are common problems regarding the esthetic quality of the water, In a few places, large concentrations of chloride and dissolved solids indicate the possibility of saltwater encroachment, but no ongoing trend has been identified, Surface waters have been observed to contain undesirably high concentrations of total phosphorus and total and fecal-coliform bacteria) and to have temperatures too high for fish-rearing. The concentration of nutrients appears to be related to flow conditions. Nitrate and total nitrogen are greater in wet-season runoff than during low-flow periods) and total phosphorus shows an inverse relationship. Total phosphorus and ammonia concentrations are greatest in dry-season storm runoff. Generally) surface-water quality is adequate for fish-rearing and (with treatment) for public supply,

Responses of Surface Runoff to Climate Change and Human Activities in the Arid Region of Central Asia: A Case Study in the Tarim River Basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Changchun; Chen, Yaning; Chen, Yapeng; Zhao, Ruifeng; Ding, Hui

2013-04-01

Based on hydrological and climatic data and land use/cover change data covering the period from 1957 to 2009, this paper investigates the hydrological responses to climate change and to human activities in the arid Tarim River basin (TRB). The results show that the surface runoff of three headstreams (Aksu River, Yarkant River and Hotan River) of the Tarim River exhibited a significant increasing trend since 1960s and entered an even higher-runoff stage in 1994. In the contrary, the surface runoff of Tarim mainstream displayed a persistent decreasing trend since 1960s. The increasing trend of surface runoff in the headstreams can be attributed to the combined effects of both temperature and precipitation changes during the past five decades. But, the decreasing trend of surface runoff in the mainstream and the observed alterations of the temporal and spatial distribution patterns were mainly due to the adverse impacts of human activities. Specifically, increasingly intensified water consumption for irrigation and the associated massive constructions of water conservancy projects were responsible for the decreasing trend of runoff in the mainstream. And, the decreasing trend has been severely jeopardizing the ecological security in the lower reaches. It is now unequivocally clear that water-use conflicts among different sectors and water-use competitions between upper and lower reaches are approaching to dangerous levels in TRB that is thus crying for implementing an integrated river basin management scheme.

Responses of surface runoff to climate change and human activities in the arid region of central Asia: a case study in the Tarim River basin, China.

PubMed

Xu, Changchun; Chen, Yaning; Chen, Yapeng; Zhao, Ruifeng; Ding, Hui

2013-04-01

Based on hydrological and climatic data and land use/cover change data covering the period from 1957 to 2009, this paper investigates the hydrological responses to climate change and to human activities in the arid Tarim River basin (TRB). The results show that the surface runoff of three headstreams (Aksu River, Yarkant River and Hotan River) of the Tarim River exhibited a significant increasing trend since 1960s and entered an even higher-runoff stage in 1994. In the contrary, the surface runoff of Tarim mainstream displayed a persistent decreasing trend since 1960s. The increasing trend of surface runoff in the headstreams can be attributed to the combined effects of both temperature and precipitation changes during the past five decades. But, the decreasing trend of surface runoff in the mainstream and the observed alterations of the temporal and spatial distribution patterns were mainly due to the adverse impacts of human activities. Specifically, increasingly intensified water consumption for irrigation and the associated massive constructions of water conservancy projects were responsible for the decreasing trend of runoff in the mainstream. And, the decreasing trend has been severely jeopardizing the ecological security in the lower reaches. It is now unequivocally clear that water-use conflicts among different sectors and water-use competitions between upper and lower reaches are approaching to dangerous levels in TRB that is thus crying for implementing an integrated river basin management scheme.

Pollutant loads of surface runoff in Wuhan City Zoo, an urban tourist area.

PubMed

Zhao, Jian-wei; Shan, Bao-qing; Yin, Cheng-qing

2007-01-01

The pollutant loads of surface runoff in an urban tourist area have been investigated for two years in the Wuhan City Zoo, China. Eight sampling sites, including two woodlands, three animal yards, two roofs and one road, were selected for sampling and study. The results indicate that pollutants ranked in a predictable order of decreasing load (e.g. animal yard > roof > woodland > road), with animal yards acting as the key pollution source in the zoo. Pollutants were transported mainly by particulate form in runoff. Particulate nitrogen and particulate phosphorous accounted on average for 61%, 78% of total pollutant, respectively, over 13 monitored rainfall events. These results indicate the treatment practices should be implemented to improve particulate nutrient removal. Analysis of the M(V) curve indicate that no first flush effect existed in the surface runoff from pervious areas (e.g. woodland, animal ground yard), whereas a first flush effect was evident in runoff from impervious surfaces (e.g. animal cement yard, roof, road).

A GIS-based approach for identifying potential runoff harvesting sites in the Thukela River basin, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Winnaar, G.; Jewitt, G. P. W.; Horan, M.

Water scarce countries such as South Africa are subject to various hydrological constraints which can often be attributed to poor rainfall partitioning, particularly within resource poor farming communities that are reliant on rainfed agriculture. Recent initiatives to address this have shifted focus to explore more efficient alternatives to water supply and the recognition of numerous opportunities to implement runoff harvesting as a means to supplement water availability. However, increasing the implementation of runoff harvesting, without encountering unintended impacts on downstream hydrological and ecological systems, requires better understanding of the hydrologic and environmental impacts at catchment scale. In this paper the representation of spatial variations in landscape characteristics such as soil, land use, rainfall and slope information is shown to be an important step in identifying potential runoff harvesting sites, after which modelling the hydrological response in catchments where extensive runoff harvesting is being considered can be performed and likely impacts assessed. Geographic information systems (GIS) was utilised as an integrating tool to store, analyse and manage spatial information and when linked to hydrological response models, provided a rational means to facilitate decision making by providing catchment level identification, planning and assessment of runoff harvesting sites as illustrated by a case study at the Potshini catchment, a small sub-catchment in the Thukela River basin, South Africa. Through the linked GIS, potential runoff harvesting sites are identified relative to areas that concentrate runoff and where the stored water will be appropriately distributed. Based on GIS analysis it was found that 17% percent of the Potshini catchment area has a high potential for generating surface runoff, whereas an analysis of all factors which influence the location of such systems, shows that 18% is highly suitable for runoff harvesting. Details of the spatially explicit method that was adopted in this paper are provided and output from the integrated GIS modelling system is presented using suitability maps. It is concluded that providing an accurate spatial representation of the runoff generation potential within a catchment is an important step in developing a strategic runoff harvesting plan for any catchment.

Rainfall and tillage effects on transport of fecal bacteria and sex hormones 17beta-estradiol and testosterone from broiler litter applications to a Georgia Piedmont Ultisol.

PubMed

Jenkins, Michael B; Truman, Clint C; Siragusa, Gregory; Line, Eric; Bailey, J Stan; Frye, Jonathan; Endale, Dinku M; Franklin, Dorcas H; Schomberg, Harry H; Fisher, Dwight S; Sharpe, Ronald R

2008-09-15

Poultry litter provides nutrients for crop and pasture production; however, it also contains fecal bacteria, sex hormones (17beta-estradiol and testosterone) and antibiotic residues that may contaminate surface waters. Our objective was to quantify transport of fecal bacteria, estradiol, testosterone and antibiotic residues from a Cecil sandy loam managed since 1991 under no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) to which either poultry litter (PL) or conventional fertilizer (CF) was applied based on the nitrogen needs of corn (Zea mays L) in the Southern Piedmont of NE Georgia. Simulated rainfall was applied for 60 min to 2 by 3-m field plots at a constant rate in 2004 and variable rate in 2005. Runoff was continuously measured and subsamples taken for determining flow-weighted concentrations of fecal bacteria, hormones, and antibiotic residues. Neither Salmonella, nor Campylobacter, nor antimicrobial residues were detected in litter, soil, or runoff. Differences in soil concentrations of fecal bacteria before and after rainfall simulations were observed only for Escherichia coli in the constant rainfall intensity experiment. Differences in flow-weighted concentrations were observed only for testosterone in both constant and variable intensity rainfall experiments, and were greatest for treatments that received poultry litter. Total loads of E. coli and fecal enterococci, were largest for both tillage treatments receiving poultry litter for the variable rainfall intensity. Load of testosterone was greatest for no-till plots receiving poultry litter under variable rainfall intensity. Poultry litter application rates commensurate for corn appeared to enhance only soil concentrations of E. coli, and runoff concentrations of testosterone above background levels.

Pyrethroid insecticide concentrations and toxicity in streambed sediments and loads in surface waters of the San Joaquin Valley, California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.; Weston, Donald P.; Zhang, Minghua; Hladik, Michelle L.

2010-01-01

Pyrethroid insecticide use in California, USA, is growing, and there is a need to understand the fate of these compounds in the environment. Concentrations and toxicity were assessed in streambed sediment of the San Joaquin Valley of California, one of the most productive agricultural regions of the United States. Concentrations were also measured in the suspended sediment associated with irrigation or storm‐water runoff, and mass loads during storms were calculated. Western valley streambed sediments were frequently toxic to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, with most of the toxicity attributable to bifenthrin and cyhalothrin. Up to 100% mortality was observed in some locations with concentrations of some pyrethroids up to 20 ng/g. The western San Joaquin Valley streams are mostly small watersheds with clay soils, and sediment‐laden irrigation runoff transports pyrethroid insecticides throughout the growing season. In contrast, eastern tributaries and the San Joaquin River had low bed sediment concentrations (<1 ng/g) and little or no toxicity because of the preponderance of sandy soils and sediments. Bifenthrin, cyhalothrin, and permethrin were the most frequently detected pyrethroids in irrigation and storm water runoff. Esfenvalerate, fenpropathrin, and resmethrin were also detected. All sampled streams contributed to the insecticide load of the San Joaquin River during storms, but some compounds detected in the smaller creeks were not detected in the San Joaquin River. The two smallest streams, Ingram and Hospital Creeks, which had high sediment toxicity during the irrigation season, accounted for less than 5% of the total discharge of the San Joaquin River during storm conditions, and as a result their contribution to the pyrethroid mass load of the larger river was minimal. 

Deicing chemicals as source of constituents of highway runoff

USGS Publications Warehouse

Granato, G.E.

1996-01-01

The dissolved major and trace constituents of deicing chemicals as a source of constituents in highway runoff must be quantified for interpretive studies of highway runoff and its effects on surface water and groundwater. Dissolved constituents of the deicing chemicals-sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and premix (a mixture of sodium and calcium chloride)-were determined by analysis of salt solutions created in the laboratory and are presented as mass ratios to chloride. Deicing chemical samples studied are about 98 and 97 percent pure sodium chloride and calcium chloride, respectively: however, each has a distinct major and trace ion constituent signature. The greatest impurity in sodium chloride road sail samples was sulfate, followed by calcium, potassium, bromide, vanadium, magnesium, fluoride, and other constituents with a ratio to chloride of less than 0.0001 by mass. The greatest impurity in the calcium chloride road salt samples was sodium, followed by potassium, sulfate, bromide, silica, fluoride. strontium, magnesium, and other constituents with a ratio to chloride of less than 0.0001 by mass. Major constituents of deicing chemicals in highway runoff may account for a substantial source of annual chemical loads. Comparison of estimated annual loads and first flush concentrations of deicing chemical constituents in highway runoff with those reported in the literature indicate that although deicing chemicals are not a primary source of trace constituents, they are not a trivial source, either. Therefore, deicing chemicals should be considered as a source of many major and trace constituents in highway and urban runoff.

A Review of Semivolatile and Volatile Organic Compounds in Highway Runoff and Urban Stormwater

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lopes, Thomas J.; Dionne, Shannon G.

1998-01-01

Many studies have been conducted since 1970 to characterize concentrations of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in highway runoff and urban stormwater. To a lesser extent, studies also have characterized concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), estimated loads of SVOCs, and assessed potential impacts of these contaminants on receiving streams. This review evaluates the quality of existing data on SVOCs and VOCs in highway runoff and urban storm- water and summarizes significant findings. Studies related to highways are emphasized when possible. The review included 44 articles and reports that focused primarily on SVOCs and VOCs. Only 17 of these publications are related to highways, and 5 of these 17 are themselves review papers. SVOCs in urban stormwater and sediments during the late 1970's to mid-1980's were the subject of most studies. Criteria used to evaluate data quality included documentation of sampling protocols, analytical methods, minimum reporting limit (MRL) or method detection limit (MDL), qualityassurance protocols, and quality-control samples. The largest deficiency in documenting data quality was that only 10 percent of the studies described where water samples were collected in the stream cross section. About 80 percent of SVOCs in runoff are in the suspended solids. Because suspended solids can vary significantly even in narrow channels, concentrations from discrete point samples and contaminant loads estimated from those samples are questionable without information on sample location or how well streamflow was mixed. Thirty percent or fewer of the studies documented the MRL, MDL, cleaning of samplers, or use of field quality-control samples. Comparing results of different studies and evaluating the quality of environmental data, especially for samples with low concentrations, is difficult without this information. The most significant factor affecting SVOC concentrations in water is suspended solids concentration. In sediment, the most significant factors affecting SVOC concentrations are organic carbon content and distance from sources such as highways and power plants. Petroleum hydrocarbons, oil and grease, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in crankcase oil and vehicle emissions are the major SVOCs detected in highway runoff and urban stormwater. The few loading factors and regression equations that were developed in the 1970's and 1980's have limited use in estimating current (1998) loads of SVOCs on a national scale. These factors and equations are based on few data and use inconsistent units, and some are independent of rainfall. Also, more cars on the road today have catalytic converters, and fuels that were used in 1998 are cleaner than when loading factors and regression equations were developed. Comparisons to water-quality and sedimentquality criteria and guidelines indicate that PAHs, phenolic compounds, and phthalates in runoff and sediment exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water and aquatic-life standards and guidelines. PAHs in stream sediments adjacent to highways have the highest potential for adverse effects on receiving streams. Few data exist on VOCs in highway runoff. VOCs were detected in precipitation adjacent to a highway in England, and chloromethane, toluene, xylenes, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and 1,2,3-trichloropropane were detected in runoff from a highway in Texas. In urban stormwater, gasoline-related compounds were detected in as many as 23 percent of the samples. Land use could be the most significant factor affecting the occurrence of VOCs, with highest concentrations of VOCs found in industrial areas. Temperature is another factor affecting the occurrence and concentrations of VOCs. Urban land surfaces are the primary nonpoint source of VOCs in stormwater. However, the atmosphere is a potential source of hydrophilic VOCs in stormwater, especially during cold seasons when partitioning of VOCs from air into water i

Feedbacks Between Shallow Groundwater Dynamics and Surface Topography on Runoff Generation in Flat Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appels, Willemijn M.; Bogaart, Patrick W.; van der Zee, Sjoerd E. A. T. M.

2017-12-01

In winter, saturation excess (SE) ponding is observed regularly in temperate lowland regions. Surface runoff dynamics are controlled by small topographical features that are unaccounted for in hydrological models. To better understand storage and routing effects of small-scale topography and their interaction with shallow groundwater under SE conditions, we developed a model of reduced complexity to investigate SE runoff generation, emphasizing feedbacks between shallow groundwater dynamics and mesotopography. The dynamic specific yield affected unsaturated zone water storage, causing rapid switches between negative and positive head and a flatter groundwater mound than predicted by analytical agrohydrological models. Accordingly, saturated areas were larger and local groundwater fluxes smaller than predicted, leading to surface runoff generation. Mesotopographic features routed water over larger distances, providing a feedback mechanism that amplified changes to the shape of the groundwater mound. This in turn enhanced runoff generation, but whether it also resulted in runoff events depended on the geometry and location of the depressions. Whereas conditions favorable to runoff generation may abound during winter, these feedbacks profoundly reduce the predictability of SE runoff: statistically identical rainfall series may result in completely different runoff generation. The model results indicate that waterlogged areas in any given rainfall event are larger than those predicted by current analytical groundwater models used for drainage design. This change in the groundwater mound extent has implications for crop growth and damage assessments.

Analysis of one dimension migration law from rainfall runoff on urban roof

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiwei, Chen

2017-08-01

Research was taken on the hydrology and water quality process in the natural rain condition and water samples were collected and analyzed. The pollutant were included SS, COD and TN. Based on the mass balance principle, one dimension migration model was built for the rainfall runoff pollution in surface. The difference equation was developed according to the finite difference method, by applying the Newton iteration method for solving it. The simulated pollutant concentration process was in consistent with the measured value on model, and Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient was higher than 0.80. The model had better practicability, which provided evidence for effectively utilizing urban rainfall resource, non-point source pollution of making management technologies and measures, sponge city construction, and so on.

Biological soil crust and disturbance controls on surface hydrology in a semi-arid ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faist, Akasha M; Herrick, Jeffrey E.; Belnap, Jayne; Van Zee, Justin W; Barger, Nichole N

2017-01-01

Biological soil crust communities (biocrusts) play an important role in surface hydrologic processes in dryland ecosystems, and these processes may then be dramatically altered with soil surface disturbance. In this study, we examined biocrust hydrologic responses to disturbance at different developmental stages on sandy soils on the Colorado Plateau. Our results showed that all disturbance (trampling, scalping and trampling+scalping) of the early successional light cyanobacterial biocrusts generally reduced runoff. In contrast, trampling well-developed dark-cyano-lichen biocrusts increased runoff and sediment loss relative to intact controls. Scalping did not increase runoff, implying that soil aggregate structure was important to the infiltration process. Well-developed, intact dark biocrusts generally had lower runoff, low sediment loss, and highest aggregate stability whereas the less-developed light biocrusts were highest in runoff and sediment loss when compared to the controls. These results suggest the importance of maintaining the well-developed dark biocrusts, as they are beneficial for lowering runoff and reducing soil loss and redistribution on the landscape. These data also suggest that upslope patches of light biocrust may either support water transport to downslope vegetation patches or alternatively this runoff may place dark biocrust patches at risk of disruption and loss, given that light patches increase runoff and thus soil erosion potential.

Some General Laws of Chemical Elements Composition Dynamics in the Hydrosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korzh, V.

2012-12-01

The biophysical oceanic composition is a result of substance migration and transformation on river-sea and ocean- atmosphere boundaries. Chemical composition of oceanic water is a fundamental multi-dimensional constant for our planet. Detailed studies revealed three types of chemical element distribution in the ocean: 1) Conservative: concentration normalized to salinity is constant in space and time; 2) Nutrient-type: element concentration in the surface waters decreases due to the biosphere consumption; and 3) Litho-generative: complex character of distribution of elements, which enter the ocean with the river runoff and interred almost entirely in sediments (Fig. 1). The correlation between the chemical compositions of the river and oceanic water is high (r = 0.94). We conclude that biogeochemical features of each element are determined by the relationship between its average concentration in the ocean and the intensity of its migration through hydrosphere boundary zones. In Fig.1 we show intensities of global migration and average concentrations in the ocean in the coordinates lgC - lg τ, where C is an average element concentration and τ is its residual time in the ocean. Fig. 1 shows a relationship between three main geochemical parameters of the dissolved forms of chemical elements in the hydrosphere: 1) average concentration in the ocean, 2) average concentration in the river runoff and 3) the type of distribution in oceanic water. Using knowledge of two of these parameters, it allows gaining theoretical knowledge of the third. The System covers all chemical elements for the entire range of observed concentrations. It even allows to predict the values of the annual river transport of dissolved Be, C, N, Ge, Tl, Re, to refine such estimates for P, V, Zn, Br, I, and to determine the character of distribution in the ocean for Au and U. Furthermore, the System allowed to estimate natural (unaffected by anthropogenic influence) mean concentrations of elements in the river runoff and use them as ecological reference data. Finally, due to the long response time of the ocean, the mean concentrations of elements and patterns of their distribution in the ocean can be used to determine pre-technogenic concentrations of elements in the river runoff. An example of such studies for the Northern Eurasia Arctic Rivers will be presented at the conference. References Korzh 1974: J. de Recher. Atmos, 8, 653-660. Korzh 2008: J. Ecol., 15, 13-21. Korzh 2012: Water: Chem. & Ecol., No. 1, 56-62; Fig.1. The System of chemical elements distribution in the hydrosphere. Types of distribution in the ocean: 1) conservative; 2) nutrient-type; 3) litho-generative.

Streamflow variation of forest covered catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gribovszki, Z.; Kalicz, P.; Kucsara, M.

2003-04-01

Rainfall concentration and runoff, otherwise rainfall-runoff processes, which cause river water discharge fluctuation, is one of the basic questions of hydrology. Several social-economy demands have a strong connection with small or bigger rivers from the point of view both quantity and quality of the water. Gratification or consideration of these demands is complicated substantially that we have still poor knowledge about our stream-flow regime. Water resources mainly stem from upper watersheds. These upper watersheds are the basis of the water concentration process; therefore we have to improve our knowledge about hydrological processes coming up in these territories. In this article we present runoff regime of two small catchments on the basis of one year data. Both catchments have a similar magnitude 0.6 and 0.9 km^2. We have been analyzed in detail some hydrological elements: features of rainfall, discharge, rainfall induced flooding waves and basic discharge in rainless periods. Variances of these parameters have been analyzed in relation to catchments surface, vegetation coverage and forest management. Result data set well enforce our knowledge about small catchments hydrological processes. On the basis of these fundamentals we can plan more established the management of these lands (forest practices, civil engineering works, and usage of natural water resources).

Long-term changes in nitrate conditions over the 20th century in two Midwestern Corn Belt streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelly, Valerie J.; Stets, Edward G.; Crawford, Charles G.

2015-01-01

Long-term changes in nitrate concentration and flux between the middle of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century were estimated for the Des Moines River and the Middle Illinois River, two Midwestern Corn Belt streams, using a novel weighted regression approach that is able to detect subtle changes in solute transport behavior over time. The results show that the largest changes in flow-normalized concentration and flux occurred between 1960 and 1980 in both streams, with smaller or negligible changes between 1980 and 2004. Contrasting patterns were observed between (1) nitrate export linked to non-point sources, explicitly runoff of synthetic fertilizer or other surface sources and (2) nitrate export presumably associated with point sources such as urban wastewater or confined livestock feeding facilities, with each of these modes of transport important under different domains of streamflow. Surface runoff was estimated to be consistently most important under high-flow conditions during the spring in both rivers. Nitrate export may also have been considerable in the Des Moines River even under some conditions during the winter when flows are generally lower, suggesting the influence of point sources during this time. Similar results were shown for the Middle Illinois River, which is subject to significant influence of wastewater from the Chicago area, where elevated nitrate concentrations were associated with at the lowest flows during the winter and fall. By modeling concentration directly, this study highlights the complex relationship between concentration and streamflow that has evolved in these two basins over the last 50 years. This approach provides insights about changing conditions that only become observable when stationarity in the relationship between concentration and streamflow is not assumed.

Mass loading and partitioning of dioxins in irrigation runoff from Japanese paddy fields: combination usage of the CALUX assay with HRGC/HRMS.

PubMed

Kanematsu, Masakazu; Shimizu, Yoshihisa; Sato, Keisuke; Kim, Suejin; Suzuki, Tasuma; Park, Baeksoo; Saino, Reiko; Nakamura, Masafumi

2009-08-01

Lack of understanding of dioxins mass loading into the aquatic environment motivated the quantitative investigation of dioxins runoff from paddy fields during one entire irrigation period in the Minakuchi region, Japan. Combination use of the chemically activated luciferase gene expression (CALUX) bioassay together with high resolution gas chromatography and high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) enabled efficient investigation of dioxins contamination. The result shows that the congener profile in irrigation runoff is quite similar to those in paddy soil samples and that 1,3,6,8-/1,3,7,9-TeCDD and OCDD derived from pesticides (i.e., pentachlorophenol (PCP) and chloronitrophen (CNP)) are predominant congeners in irrigation runoff. Although it is not surprising that dioxins concentration was strongly dependent on the suspended solids (SS) and the particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration, the dioxins toxic equivalency (TEQ) concentration was extremely high in irrigation runoff (max: 16,380 pg/L, corresponding to 12 pg WHO-TEQ/L) due to runoff of highly contaminated paddy soils. The results imply that dioxins concentration in a river must be monitored considering soil contamination level, land use, and soil runoff events. Using experimental data and a theoretical model, the mass loading of dioxins from the paddy fields by irrigation runoff was estimated to be 1.50 x 10(-2)% of total amount of dioxins accumulated in the paddy fields. Given the results of other researches, it is implied the following: 1) large portion of paddy soils released into the river appear to be settled on the riverbed due to small water flux, and, then, washed out and transported by rainfall runoff after irrigation period, 2) rainfall runoff itself also wash out paddy soils directly from paddy fields. Combination use of the CALUX bioassay with HRGC/HRMS is demonstrated as an alternative strategy to assess dioxins contamination in the environment.

Development, calibration, and analysis of a hydrologic and water-quality model of the Delaware Inland Bays watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gutierrez-Magness, Angelica L.; Raffensperger, Jeff P.

2003-01-01

Excessive nutrients and sediment are among the most significant environmental stressors in the Delaware Inland Bays (Rehoboth, Indian River, and Little Assawoman Bays). Sources of nutrients, sediment, and other contaminants within the Inland Bays watershed include point-source discharges from industries and wastewater-treatment plants, runoff and infiltration to ground water from agricultural fields and poultry operations, effluent from on-site wastewater disposal systems, and atmospheric deposition. To determine the most effective restoration methods for the Inland Bays, it is necessary to understand the relative distribution and contribution of each of the possible sources of nutrients, sediment, and other contaminants. A cooperative study involving the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the Delaware Geological Survey, and the U.S. Geological Survey was initiated in 2000 to develop a hydrologic and water-quality model of the Delaware Inland Bays watershed that can be used as a water-resources planning and management tool. The model code Hydrological Simulation Program - FORTRAN (HSPF) was used. The 719-square-kilometer watershed was divided into 45 model segments, and the model was calibrated using streamflow and water-quality data for January 1999 through April 2000 from six U.S. Geological Survey stream-gaging stations within the watershed. Calibration for some parameters was accomplished using PEST, a model-independent parameter estimator. Model parameters were adjusted systematically so that the discrepancies between the simulated values and the corresponding observations were minimized. Modeling results indicate that soil and aquifer permeability, ditching, dominant land-use class, and land-use practices affect the amount of runoff, the mechanism or flow path (surface flow, interflow, or base flow), and the loads of sediment and nutrients. In general, the edge-of-stream total suspended solids yields in the Inland Bays watershed are low in comparison to yields reported for the Eastern Shore from the Chesapeake Bay watershed model. The flatness of the terrain and the low annual surface runoff are important factors in determining the amount of detached sediment from the land that is delivered to streams. The highest total suspended solids yields were found in the southern part of the watershed, associated with high total streamflow and a high surface runoff component, and related to soil and aquifer permeability and land use. Nutrient yields from watershed model segments in the southern part of the Inland Bays watershed were the highest of all calibrated segments, due to high runoff and the substantial amount of available organic fertilizer (animal waste), which results in over-application of organic fertilizer to crops. Time series of simulated hourly total nitrogen concentrations and observed instantaneous values indicate a seasonal pattern, with the lowest values occurring during the summer and the highest during the winter months. Total phosphorus and total suspended solids concentrations are somewhat less seasonal. During storm events, total nitrogen concentrations tend to be diluted and total phosphorus concentrations tend to rise sharply. Nitrogen is transported mainly in the aqueous phase and primarily through ground water, whereas phosphorus is strongly associated with sediment, which washes off during precipitation events.

Using insurance data to learn more about damages to buildings caused by surface runoff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernet, Daniel; Roethlisberger, Veronika; Prasuhn, Volker; Weingartner, Rolf

2015-04-01

In Switzerland, almost forty percent of total insurance loss due to natural hazards in the last two decades was caused by flooding. Those flood damages occurred not only within known inundation zones of water courses. Practitioners expect that roughly half of all flood damages lie outside of known inundation zones. In urban areas such damages may simply be caused by drainage system overload for instance. However, as several case studies show, natural and agricultural land play a major role in surface runoff formation leading to damages in rural and peri-urban areas. Although many damages are caused by surface runoff, the whole process chain including surface runoff formation, propagation through the landscape and damages to buildings is not well understood. Therefore, within the framework of a project, we focus our research on this relevant process. As such flash flood events have a very short response time and occur rather diffusely in the landscape, this process is very difficult to observe directly. Therefore indirect data sources with the potential to indicate spatial and temporal distributions of the process have to be used. For that matter, post-flood damage data may be a profitable source. Namely, insurance companies' damage claim records could provide a good picture about the spatial and temporal distributions of damages caused by surface runoff and, thus, about the process itself. In our research we analyze insurance data records of flood damage claims systematically to infer main drivers and influencing factors of surface runoff causing damages to buildings. To demonstrate the potential and drawbacks of using data from insurance companies in relation to damages caused by surface runoff, a case study is presented. A well-documented event with data from a public as well as a private insurance company is selected. The case study focuses on the differences of the datasets as well as the associated problems and advantages respectively. Furthermore, the analysis of the data, especially the crucial identification of damages caused by surface runoff opposed to damages caused by other processes such as riverine flooding, drainage system surcharges etc. are discussed.

Quality of stormwater runoff from paved surfaces of two production sites.

PubMed

Gnecco, I; Berretta, C; Lanza, L G; La Barbera, P

2006-01-01

In order to investigate stormwater pollutant loads associated with different anthropic activities and the related pollutant build-up and wash-off processes, two pilot sites have been equipped in the Liguria Region (Italy) for monitoring first flush water quality in a gas station and an auto dismantler facility. TSS, COD, HCtot and heavy metals in dissolved form (Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cd, Cr) have been analyzed during the monitoring campaign (started in February 2004). Stormwater flow and quality data collected in both production sites confirm that EMC values are significantly higher than those observed in an urban site. In the auto dismantler site, the EMC values for TSS, COD and HC largely exceed the standard values (EC 91/271). Contrary to urban surface runoff, scarce correlation between TSS and COD concentrations is observed in runoff from both production sites. The occurrence and nature of the pollutant load connected to first flush flows is discussed by inspection of the M(V)-curves that are provided for all monitored water quality parameters. Significant first flush phenomenon is evidenced for TSS and HC, while such clear behavior doesn't emerge for heavy metals. Hydrologic and climatic characteristics (ADWP, rainfall intensity/depth) appear to scarcely affect the build-up and wash-off processes.

Characterizing the PAHs in surface waters and snow in the Athabasca region: Implications for identifying hydrological pathways of atmospheric deposition.

PubMed

Birks, S J; Cho, S; Taylor, E; Yi, Y; Gibson, J J

2017-12-15

The composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present in snow and surface waters in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) was characterized in order to identify major contributors to the organics detected in rivers and lakes in the region. PAH concentrations, measured by three monitoring programs in 2011, were used to compare the PAH compositions of snow and surface waters across the AOSR. The 2011 dataset includes total (dissolved+particulate) concentrations of thirty-four parent and alkylated PAH compounds in 105 snow, 272 river, and 3 lake samples. The concentration of PAHs in rivers varies seasonally, with the highest values observed in July. The timing of increases in PAH concentrations in rivers coincides with the high river discharge during the spring freshet, indicating that this major hydrological event may play an important role in delivering PAHs to rivers. However, the composition of PAHs present in rivers during this period differs from the composition of PAHs present in snow, suggesting that direct runoff and release of PAHs accumulated on snow may not be the major source of PAHs to the Athabasca River and its tributaries. Instead, snowmelt may contribute indirectly to increases in PAHs due to hydrological processes such as erosion of stream channels, remobilization of PAH-containing sediments, increased catchment runoff, and snowmelt-induced groundwater inputs during this dynamic hydrologic period. Better understanding of transformations of PAH profiles during transport along surface and subsurface flow paths in wetland-dominated boreal catchments would improve identification of potential sources and pathways in the region. The compositional differences highlight the challenges in identifying the origins of PAHs in a region with multiple potential natural and anthropogenic sources particularly when the potential transport pathways include air, soil and water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Roles of the combined irrigation, drainage, and storage of the canal network in improving water reuse in the irrigation districts along the lower Yellow River, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lei; Luo, Yi; He, Chansheng; Lai, Jianbin; Li, Xiubin

2010-09-01

SummaryThe commonly used irrigation system in the irrigation districts (with a combined irrigation area of 3.334 × 10 6 ha) along the lower Yellow River of China is canal network. It delivers water from the Yellow River to the fields, collects surface runoff and drainage from cropland, and stores both of them for subsequent irrigation uses. This paper developed a new combined irrigation, drainage, and storage (CIDS) module for the SWAT2000 model, simulated the multiple roles of the CIDS canal system, and estimated its performance in improving water reuse in the irrigation districts under different irrigation and water diversion scenarios. The simulation results show that the annual evapotranspiration (ET) of the double-cropping winter wheat and summer maize was the highest under the full irrigation scenario (automatic irrigation), and the lowest under the no irrigation scenario. It varied between these two values when different irrigation schedules were adopted. Precipitation could only meet the water requirement of the double-cropping system by 62-96% on an annual basis; that of the winter wheat by 32-36%, summer maize by 92-123%, and cotton by 87-98% on a seasonal basis. Hence, effective irrigation management for winter wheat is critical to ensure high wheat yield in the study area. Runoff generation was closely related to precipitation and influenced by irrigation. The highest and lowest annual runoff accounted for 19% and 11% of the annual precipitation under the full irrigation and no irrigation scenarios, respectively. Nearly 70% of the annual runoff occurred during months of July and August due to the concentrated precipitation in these 2 months. The CIDS canals play an important role in delivering the diversion water from the Yellow River, intercepting the surface runoff and drainage from cropland (inflow of the CIDS canal) and recharging the shallow aquifer for later use. Roughly 14-26% of the simulated total flow in the CIDS canal system recharged shallow aquifer through canal seepage. The water flowing out of the canal system accounted for approximately 32% of the water in the CIDS canals. The storage capacity of the CIDS canals is negatively correlated to the precipitation. In years with abundant precipitation, the volume of the surface runoff and drainage from the cropland may surpass the storage capacities of the CIDS canals, while in years with less precipitation, partial storage capacity of the CIDS canal may be occupied by the diversion water from the Yellow River. Proper maintenance of the storage capacity of the CIDS has the potential in improving the efficiency of reusing the surface runoff and field drainage for irrigation practices to mitigate the increasing water shortage along the lower Yellow River.

Effect of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Cropping Systems on Soil and Nutrient Losses Through Runoff in a Humic Nitisol, Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyawade, Shadrack; Charles, Gachene; Karanja, Nancy; Elmar, Schulte-Geldermann

2016-04-01

Soil erosion has been identified as one of the major causes of soil productivity decline in the potato growing areas of East African Highlands. Potato establishes a protective soil cover only at about 45-60 days after planting and does not yield sufficient surface mulch upon harvest which leaves the soil bare at the critical times when rainfall intensities are usually high thus exposes soil to erosion. A field study was carried out using runoff plots during the short and long rainy seasons of 2014/15 respectively at the University of Nairobi Upper Kabete Farm, Kenya. The objectives were to assess the effect of soil surface roughness and potato cropping systems on soil loss and runoff, to determine the effect of erosion on nutrient enrichment ratio and to evaluate the soil organic matter fraction most susceptible to soil erosion. The treatments comprised of Bare Soil (T1); Potato + Garden Pea (Pisum sativa) (T2); Potato + Climbing Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) (T3); Potato + Dolichos (Lablab purpureus) (T4) and Sole Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) (T5). The amount of soil loss and runoff recorded in each event differed significantly between treatments (p<0.05) and were consistently highest in T1 and lowest in T4. Mean cumulative soil loss reduced by 6.4, 13.3 and 24.4 t ha-1from T2, T3 and T4 respectively compared to sole potato plots (T5), while mean cumulative runoff reduced by 8.5, 17.1 and 28.3 mm from T2, T3 and T4 respectively when compared with the sole potato plots (T5) indicating that T4 plots provided the most effective cover in reducing soil loss and runoff. Regression analyses revealed that both runoff and soil loss related significantly with surface roughness and percent cover (R2=0.83 and 0.73 respectively, p<0.05). Statistically significant linear dependence of runoff and soil loss on surface roughness and crop cover was found in T4 (p<0.05) indicating that this system was highly effective in minimizing soil loss and runoff. Enrichment ratio was on average greater than unity for all soil elements analyzed indicating that erosion process was selective. Concentrations of soil organic matter in the eroded sediment were higher in the stable fraction; mineral organic carbon (18.43-19.30 g kg-1), mineral nitrogen (1.67-1.93 g kg-1) than in the labile fraction; particulate organic carbon (7.72-9.39 g kg-1), particulate nitrogen (0.62-0.84 g kg-1) indicating that much of the eroded soil organic matter was in stable form. The study shows that there is need to incorporate suitable indeterminate legume cover crops such as Dolichos lablab in potato cropping systems so as to minimize soil and nutrient losses due to erosion. Acknowledgement This study was part of the CIP-Sub Saharan Africa managed project-"Improved Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Intensification in Potato Based Systems in Ethiopia and Kenya"-funded by the BMZ/GIZ International Agricultural Research for Development Fund.

Sources and fate of chromophoric dissolved organic matter and water mass ventilation in the upper Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, S. A.; Amon, R. M.; Stedmon, C. A.

2011-12-01

The majority of high latitude soil organic carbon is stored within vast permafrost regions surrounding the Arctic, which are highly susceptible to climate change. As global warming persists increased river discharge combined with permafrost erosion and extended ice free periods will increase the supply of soil organic carbon to the Arctic Ocean. Increased river discharge to the Arctic will also have a significant impact its hydrological cycle and could potentially be critical to sea ice formation. This impact is due to freshwater discharge to the Arctic which has been shown to help sustain halocline formation, a critical water mass that acts as an insulator trapping heat from inflowing Atlantic waters from ice at the surface. As the climate warms it is therefore important to identify halocline source waters and to determine fluctuations in their contribution to this critical water mass. To better understand dissolved organic matter (DOM) quality and its fate within the Arctic as well as runoff distributions across the basin the optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic carbon (CDOM) were evaluated during a trans-Arctic expedition, AOS 2005. This cruise is unique because it is the first time fluorescence data have been obtained from all basins in the Arctic. Excitation/Emission Matrix Spectroscopy (EEM's) coupled to Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) was used to decompose the combined CDOM fluorescence signal into six independent components that can be traced to a source. Three humic-like CDOM components were isolated and linked to runoff waters using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Inherent differences were observed between Eurasian (EB) and Canadian (CB) basin surface waters in terms of DOM quality and freshwater distributions. In EB surface waters (0-50m) the humic-like CDOM components explained roughly half of the variance in the DOC pool and were strongly related to lignin phenol concentrations. These results indicate CDOM in Trans-Polar Drift waters are dominated by terrestrial inputs and suggest this water mass likely originated from Eurasian runoff. In CB surface waters (0-50m) the humic-like CDOM signal was depleted and unrelated to lignin phenol concentrations. These results were unexpected given the significant inputs of runoff predicted in CB surface waters during AOS 2005 using alkalinity/salinity relationships by Jones et al., 2008. In CB halocline waters (50-300m), a significant relationship was observed between the humic-like CDOM components and apparent oxygen utilization, CO2, and nutrient concentrations suggesting degradation and marine secondary production has a significant effect on the quality of DOM in these waters. Overall, the ability to differentiate and qualitatively trace the different sources of fluorescent components and determine the underlying factors controlling CDOM speciation during transport and mixing opens new possibilities for the use of CDOM as a more specific tracer in oceanography.

Impacts of Climate Change and Vegetation Dynamics on Runoff in the Mountainous Region of the Haihe River Basin in the Past Five Decades

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lei, Huimin; Yang, Dawen; Huang, Maoyi

2014-04-16

Climate and atmospheric CO2 concentration have changed significantly in the mountainous region of the Haihe River basin over the past five decades. In the study, a process-based terrestrial model, version 4 of the Community Land Model (CLM4), was used to quantify the spatiotemporal changes in runoff over the region, driven by the varying climate factors and CO2 concentration. Overall, our simulations suggest that climate-induced change in runoff in this region show a decreasing trend since 1960. Changes in precipitation, solar radiation, air temperature, and wind speed accounts for 56%, -14%, 13%, -5% of the overall decrease in annual runoff, respectively,more » but their relative contributions vary across the study area. Rising atmospheric CO2 concentration was found to have limited impacts on runoff. Significant decrease in runoff over the southern and northeastern portion of the region is primarily attributed to decreasing precipitation, while decreasing solar radiation and increasing air temperature are the main causes of slight runoff increase in the northern portion. Our results also suggest that the magnitude of decreasing trend could be greatly underestimated if the dynamical interactions of vegetation phenology with the environmental factors are not considered in the modeling, highlighting the importance of including dynamic vegetation phenology in the prediction of runoff in this region.« less

Water quality of streams and springs, Green River Basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeLong, L.L.

1986-01-01

Data concerning salinity, phosphorus, and trace elements in streams and springs within the Green River Basin in Wyoming are summarized. Relative contributions of salinity are shown through estimates of annual loads and average concentrations at 11 water quality measurements sites for the 1970-77 water years. A hypothetical diversion of 20 cu ft/sec from the Big Sandy River was found to lower dissolved solids concentration in the Green River at Green River, Wyoming. This effect was greatest during the winter months, lowering dissolved solids concentration as much as 13%. Decrease in dissolved solids concentrations during the remainder of the year was generally less than 2%. Unlike the dilution effect that overland runoff has on perennial streams, runoff in ephemeral and intermittent streams within the basin was found to be enriched by the flushing of salts from normally dry channels and basin surfaces. Relative concentrations of sodium and sulfate in streams within the basin appear to be controlled by solubility. A downstream trend of increasing relative concentrations of sodium, sulfate, or both with increasing dissolved solids concentration was evident in all streams sampled. Estimates of total phosphorus concentration at water quality measurement sites indicate that phosphorus is removed from the Green River water as it passes through Fontenelle and Flaming Gorge Reservoirs. Total phosphorus concentration at some stream sites is directly or inversely related to streamflow, but at most sites a simple relation between concentration and streamflow is not discernable. (USGS)

Are shifts in herbicide use reflected in concentration changes in Midwestern rivers?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Battaglin, W.A.; Goolsby, D.A.

1999-01-01

In many Midwestern rivers, elevated concentrations of herbicides occur during runoff events for 1-3 months following application. The highest or 'peak' herbicide concentration often occurs during one of these runoff events. Herbicide concentrations in rivers are affected by a number of factors, including herbicide use patterns within the associated basin. Changing agricultural practices, reductions in recommended and permitted herbicide applications, shifts to new herbicides, and greater environmental awareness in the agricultural community have resulted in changes to herbicide use patterns. In the Midwestern United States, alachlor use was much larger in 1989 than in 1995, while acetochlor was not used in 1989, and commonly used in 1995. Use of atrazine, cyanazine, and metolachlor was about the same in 1989 and 1995. Herbicide concentrations were measured in samples from 53 Midwestern rivers during the first major runoff event that occurred after herbicide application (postapplication) in 1989, 1990, 1994, and 1995. The median concentrations of atrazine, alachlor, cyanazine, metribuzin, metolachlor, propazine, and simazine all were significantly higher in 1989/90 than in 1994/95. The median acetochlor concentration was higher in 1995 than in 1994. Estimated daily yields for all herbicides and degradation products measured, with the exception of acetochlor, were higher in 1989/90 than in 1994/95. The differences in concentration and yield do not always parallel changes in herbicide use, suggesting that other changes in herbicide or crop management are affecting concentrations in Midwestern rivers during runoff events.In many Midwestern rivers, elevated concentrations of herbicides occur during runoff events for 1-3 months following application. The highest or `peak' herbicide concentration often occurs during one of these runoff events. Herbicide concentrations in rivers are affected by a number of factors, including herbicide use patterns within the associated basin. Changing agricultural practices, reductions in recommended and permitted herbicide applications, shifts to new herbicides, and greater environmental awareness in the agricultural community have resulted in changes to herbicide use patterns. In the Midwestern United States, alachlor use was much larger in 1989 than in 1995, while acetochlor was not used in 1989, and commonly used in 1995. Use of atrazine, cyanazine, and metolachlor was about the same in 1989 and 1995. Herbicide concentrations were measured in samples from 53 Midwestern rivers during the first major runoff event that occurred after herbicide application (postapplication) in 1989, 1990, 1994, and 1995. The median concentrations of atrazine, alachlor, cyanazine, metribuzin, metolachlor, propazine, and simazine all were significantly higher in 1989/90 than in 1994/95. The median acetochlor concentration was higher in 1995 than in 1994. Estimated daily yields for all herbicides and degradation products measured, with the exception of acetochlor, were higher in 1989/90 than in 1994/95. The differences in concentration and yield do not always parallel changes in herbicide use, suggesting that other changes in herbicide or crop management are affecting concentrations in Midwestern rivers during runoff events.

Forms of phosphorus transfer in runoff under no-tillage in a soil treated with successive swine effluents applications.

PubMed

Lourenzi, Cledimar Rogério; Ceretta, Carlos Alberto; Tiecher, Tadeu Luis; Lorensini, Felipe; Cancian, Adriana; Stefanello, Lincon; Girotto, Eduardo; Vieira, Renan Costa Beber; Ferreira, Paulo Ademar Avelar; Brunetto, Gustavo

2015-04-01

Successive swine effluent applications can substantially increase the transfer of phosphorus (P) forms in runoff. The aim of this study was to evaluate P accumulation in the soil and transfer of P forms in surface runoff from a Hapludalf soil under no-tillage subjected to successive swine effluent applications. This research was carried out in the Agricultural Engineering Department of the Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, from 2004 to 2007, on a Typic Hapludalf soil. Swine effluent rates of 0, 20, 40, and 80 m3 ha(-1) were broadcast over the soil surface prior to sowing of different species in a crop rotation. Soil samples were collected in stratified layers, and the levels of available P were determined. Samples of water runoff from the soil surface were collected throughout the period, and the available, soluble, particulate, and total P were measured. Successive swine effluent applications led to increases in P availability, especially in the soil surface, and P migration through the soil profile. Transfer of P forms was closely associated with runoff, which is directly related to rainfall volume. Swine effluent applications also reduced surface runoff. These results show that in areas with successive swine effluent applications, practices that promote higher water infiltration into the soil are required, e.g., crop rotation and no-tillage system.

Total pollution effect of urban surface runoff.

PubMed

Luo, Hongbing; Luo, Lin; Huang, Gu; Liu, Ping; Li, Jingxian; Hu, Sheng; Wang, Fuxiang; Xu, Rui; Huang, Xiaoxue

2009-01-01

For pollution research with regard to urban surface runoff, most sampling strategies to date have focused on differences in land usage. With single land-use sampling, total surface runoff pollution effect cannot be evaluated unless every land usage spot is monitored. Through a new sampling strategy known as mixed stormwater sampling for a street community at discharge outlet adjacent to river, this study assessed the total urban surface runoff pollution effect caused by a variety of land uses and the pollutants washed off from the rain pipe system in the Futian River watershed in Shenzhen City of China. The water quality monitoring indices were COD (chemical oxygen demand), TSS (total suspend solid), TP (total phosphorus), TN (total nitrogen) and BOD (biochemical oxygen demand). The sums of total pollution loads discharged into the river for the four indices of COD, TSS, TN, and TP over all seven rainfall events were very different. The mathematical model for simulating total pollution loads was established from discharge outlet mixed stormwater sampling of total pollution loads on the basis of four parameters: rainfall intensity, total land area, impervious land area, and pervious land area. In order to treat surface runoff pollution, the values of MFF30 (mass first flush ratio) and FF30 (first 30% of runoff volume) can be considered as split-flow control criteria to obtain more effective and economical design of structural BMPs (best management practices) facilities.

Coal-Tar-Sealcoated Parking Lots: "Hot spots" of PAHs and N-heterocycles to Urban Streams and Lakes Result in "Hot Moments" of Toxicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahler, B. J.; Van Metre, P. C.; Ingersoll, C.; Kunz, J. L.

2014-12-01

Coal-tar (CT) sealcoat, a potent source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and N-heterocycles, is applied to asphalt pavement of parking lots and driveways in many parts of the U.S. and Canada every 1 to 5 years. We measured the chemistry and toxicity of unfiltered runoff resulting from rain events simulated from 5 hours to 111 days after application of CT or asphalt (AS) sealcoat. PAHs and N-heterocycles were measured by GC/EIMS. Toxicity tests were done with Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pimephales promelas exposed 48 hours to undiluted and diluted (1 part runoff 9 parts control water) runoff under ambient lighting. Organisms were then transferred to fresh control water and subjected to a 4-hour pulse of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Concentrations of 2- and 3-ringed PAHs and N-heterocycles in CT runoff, initially high (sum of 6 PAHs, 220 μg/L; sum of 7 N-heterocycles, 904 μg/L), decreased rapidly, whereas concentrations of 4-, 5- and 6-ringed PAHs more than doubled by 7 days after application (sum of 9 PAHs, 378 μg/L) and remained elevated 111 days after application (sum of 9 PAHs, 283 μg/L). Concentrations of PAHs and N-heterocycles in AS sealcoated runoff followed a similar pattern, but were ~10 times lower than those in CT runoff; concentrations in a sample of runoff from unsealed asphalt pavement were near or less than the detection limit. Organisms exposed to samples of undiluted CT-runoff collected during the 36 days following CT sealcoat application (no UVR exposure) experienced 100% mortality. Mortality (as much as 100%) of organisms exposed to the 10% dilution of CT runoff or to undiluted AS runoff occurred only with UVR; mortality of organisms exposed to the 10% solution of AS runoff and UVR was minimal. Results demonstrate that freshly CT-sealed parking lots and driveways are "hot spots" of PAH and N-heterocycle contamination and that prolonged "hot moments" of toxicity follow CT sealcoat application.

Effects of soil surface roughness on interrill erosion processes and sediment particle size distribution

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil surface roughness significantly impacts runoff and erosion under rainfall. Few previous studies on runoff generation focused on the effects of soil surface roughness on the sediment particle size distribution (PSD), which greatly affects interrill erosion and sedimentation processes. To address...

Effect of micro-topography and undrained shear strength on soil erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todisco, Francesca; Vergni, Lorenzo; Vinci, Alessandra; Torri, Dino

2017-04-01

An experiment to evaluate the effect of the pre-event soil surface conditions on the dynamics of the interrill erosion process was performed at the Masse experimental station (Italy) in a replicated 1mx1m plot, located in a 16% slope in a silt-clay-loam soil equipped with a nozzle-type rainfall simulator. Two experiments was performed, each experiment started from a just ploughed bare surface and included 3 simulations (I, II and III in the first experiment and IV, V and VI in the second experiment) carried out in the range of few days. A 30 min pre-wetting phase ensures almost constant initial soil moisture (mean=31%, CV=5%) and bulk density (mean=1.3 g/cm3, CV=3%). Rainfall intensity was maintained constant (mean=67mm/h, CV=2.7%). The independent variables were the initial soil surface conditions that, progressively modified by the rainfall runoff process, were different for the three subsequent simulations. The soil surface initial and final micro-topography and undrained shear strength, T, were monitored through photogrammetric surveys (with I-Phone 6plus) and Torvane test (with pocket-torvane, obliged shear surface at 0.5 cm from soil surface, plate diameter 5 cm, 0.2186 full scale complete revolution 360°, test done on saturated soil surface, with water standing at the surface). Runoff, Q, runoff coefficient, Qr, soil loss, SL and sediment concentration, C, were measured every 5 min. The particle size distribution were also determined. During the simulations Q increases monotonically with typically concave trend. Almost similar consideration can be made for the other variables. A higher frequency of the roughness, RR, (i.e. vertical distance between the surface and a reference horizontal plane, obtained by removing the slope effect) lower than a fixed amount, was measured at the final than the initial step of each simulation and within the single experiment between successive simulations. Therefore, the roughness decreases along with the Q, SL and C increase. In general in the simulations equidistant from the plowing (I-IV, II-V, III-VI) the dynamic of Q, SL and C relative to the second experiment are slightly above that of the first experiment. Actually it is observed that although the frequency distributions of the initial RR of the first simulation of each experiment (I and IV) almost overlap, a higher frequency of the RR lower than a fixed amount was measured in the second experiment (the RR-V >RR-II and the RR-VI>RR-III). Higher T values were often measured at the final than the initial step of each simulation due to sealing and crusting processes associated with the surface smoothness. These and other results open interesting scenarios in the study of the dynamics of the erosion process with particular reference to the relationship between the characteristics of the soil surface and the climatic and hydrological forcing both at event and intra-event time scale. In addition, some results offer discussion points relative to the dynamics of the soil erodibility, showing that the concentration behavior cannot be fully explained by the runoff dynamics.

Rainfall-induced nutrient losses from manure-fertilized farmland in an alluvial plain.

PubMed

Wang, Yiyao; Li, Huaizheng; Xu, Zuxin

2016-01-01

Nutrient transport and loss in farmlands are affected by factors such as land cover, fertilization, soil type, rainfall, and management practices. We investigated the temporal and spatial changes in macronutrient transport and loss after fertilization and precipitation in manure-fertilized eggplant farmland in an alluvial plain. Upon adding topical fertilizer, concentrations of most nutrients in runoff and groundwater increased, and nitrogen runoff increased from 22.11 to 35.81 kg/ha, although eggplant yield did not increase correspondingly. Incorporation of fertilizer by plowing reduced nutrient losses (nitrogen runoff/fertilizer decreased from 18.40 to 12.29 %). Measurements taken along the nutrient transport route (runoff, drainage ditch, groundwater, river water, and finally rainfall) revealed that concentrations of most nutrients declined at each stage. Nutrient characteristics varied by transport, and the forms of nitrogen and phosphorus differed greatly between runoff and groundwater (nitrate/nitrogen in runoff was ~43.49 %, while in groundwater ~5.41 %). Most nutrient concentrations in runoff decreased greatly during the planting season (total nitrogen decreased from 62.25 to 4.17 mg/L), correlated positively with temperature and stage of plant growth, but little temporal change was observed in groundwater. This field investigation during one planting season exemplifies the basic principles of nutrient loss and transport from manure-fertilized farmland in an alluvial plain.

Transfer of pesticides in vineyard: the variable contribution of runoff and erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Jeunesse, Isabelle; Amiot, Audrey; Jadas-Hécart, Alain; Landry, David; Communal, Pierre-Yves; Sourice, Stéphane; Ballouche, Aziz

2013-04-01

The Layon River, a tributary of the Loire River, does frequently not comply with water quality standards because of pesticides. Vineyard is generally denounced. The aim of this project is to explain the transfer of pesticides during runoff events and its interaction with erosion. Pesticides and suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations are monitored each 2 minutes during floods to follow peaks. The results of two different hydrological years: 2009, a mean wet year and 2011, a dry year. The 2.2ha catchment is composed of two main vineyards plots managed by two independent farmers. Mean slopes are of 8% and can reach 40% in terraces. A gauging station has been installed at the end of the slope with a calibrated Venturi channel. The measurement station is composed of (a) an approach channel of 10 meters long for the establishment of a stable water surface, (b) a trapezoidal long-throated flume to assess the flow rate with the water level measured with (c) a bubbler sensor, (d) an automatic rain gauge, (e) an automatic sampler, (f) a modem and (g) a logosens OTT® data logger. Peaks of SPM are correlated with peaks of discharges. In 2011, on 22 molecules used by farmers, 11 have been detected in collected samples. Peaks of pesticides concentrations were particularly high in 2009, frequently reaching 50 or 70 µg/L and even 449µg/L for glyphosate for a runoff event which happened just after the treatment. Results demonstrate first a peak intensity of pesticides in runoff waters in relation with the date of application with a decrease of concentrations during time after the treatment and second a relation between peaks of SPM and pesticides. Moreover, during the most important flooding events with a high erosion capacity in 2011, pyraclostrobine and indoxacarbe coming from treatments which occurred respectively one and two years before have been analysed. However, runoff events in 2011 were half than 2009 as it was a particularly dry year while erosion was more important. Thus, if results demonstrate the relation between erosion and pesticides transfer, this cannot systematically explain the peaks. In fact, analysis on filtered and non-filtered (0.45µm) samples did not confirm results as differences between values were only in the range of variability of pesticides analysis. To conclude, transfer of pesticides in this catchment is strongly linked to runoff more than erosion. This probably explains why the percentage of surface remained un-weeded in 2009 was not sufficient to stop the transfer. The project is now focusing on the adsorption capacity of SPM in order to propose possible adaptation practices in the fields to decrease the transfer of pesticides during runoff. Acknowledgments This research has been funded by the BVVITI Regional project of the Contrat Regional Bassin Versant and Contrat Territorial supported by the Region Pays-de-la-Loire and the Water Agency Loire-Bretagne, as by the winegrower profession with FranceAgriMer, InterLoire and by the French Institute of vine and wine. We are grateful to the farmers and we specially acknowledge the municipality of Rochefort-sur-Loire.

Contrasting effects of microbiotic crusts on runoff in desert surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kidron, Giora J.; Monger, H. Curtis; Vonshak, Ahuva; Conrod, William

2012-02-01

Microbiotic crusts (MCs) play an important role in surface hydrology by altering runoff yield. In order to study the crust's role on water redistribution, rainfall and runoff were measured during 1998-2000 at three sites within the northern Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico, USA: the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (SEV), the White Sands National Monument (WS), and the Jornada Experimental Range (JER). Whereas quartz and gypsum sand characterize the SEV and WS sites, respectively, both of which have high infiltration rates, silty alluvial deposits characterize the JER site. Runoff was measured in four pairs of 1.8-6.4 m 2 plots having MCs, one of which was scalped in each pair. No runoff was generated at WS, whether on the crusted or the scalped plots. Runoff was however generated at SEV and JER, being higher on the crusted plots at SEV and lower on the JER plots. The results were explained by the combined effect of (a) parent material and (b) the crust properties, such as species composition, microrelief (surface roughness) and exopolysaccharide (EPS) content (reflected in the ratio of carbohydrates to chlorophyll). Whereas the effective rainfall, the fines and the EPS content were found to explain runoff initiation, the effective rainfall and the crust microrelief were found to explain the amount of runoff at SEV and JER where runoff generation took place. The findings attest to the fundamental role of the parent material and the crust's species composition and properties on runoff and hence to the complex interactions and the variable effects that MCs have on dryland hydrology.

Surface runoff and retention of transported pollutants in strips of riparian vegetation with and without trees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giaccio, Gustavo; Laterra, Pedro; Aparicio, Virginia; Costa, Jose Luis

2017-04-01

In this study, some aspects related to the effect of the crack willow (Salix fragilis L.) invasion on the reduction of runoff and sediment retention, glyphosate, nitrogen and phosphorus in riparian environments with herbaceous vegetation of the Austral Pampa of Argentina were analysed. In order to evaluate the influence of the willows on the filtering mechanisms, surface runoff simulation experiments were carried out in plots of 1.5 m x 2.5 m in environments characterized by the presence vs. the absence of willows. In spite of the small length of the experimental plots, glyphosate retention in the tree-less plots reached 73.6%, a higher value than that recorded in tree stands (43.8%). However, sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus retention did not vary significantly between treatments. On the other hand, the reduction of the volume of runoff in the sites with trees reached 63%, a superior value to the one registered in strips without trees (31%). The presence of trees only significantly modified the biophysical properties of hydraulic conductivity, surface roughness, aerial biomass and soil moisture, compared to areas with no trees. Partial correlation analysis for both tree and no-tree environments showed that the reduction in runoff volume increased significantly with hydraulic conductivity, soil sand content and depth at the water table, and decreased with apparent density, soil moisture and the slope of the riverbank. However, sediment retention increased significantly with aerial, mulch and root biomass and decreased with the slope of the riparian strip. Glyphosate retention increased significantly with sediment retention and decreased with the slope of the riparian strip and the mulch biomass. Nitrogen retention increased with the reduction of runoff flow, soil hydraulic conductivity and depth to the water table and decreased with slope and sediment retention. While, phosphorus retention increased with sediment retention and decreased with slope and soil content of soils. However, the mechanisms involved in the differential effect of the vegetation with or without trees could not be explained. This work emphasizes the importance of the ecosystem function of glyphosate filtration of riparian environments covered by herbaceous vegetation in front of the increasing intensification of agriculture. On the other hand, in the context of agro ecosystems and agricultural landscapes the presence of trees contributes to the reduction of the flow of runoff, although these sub compensate in relation to the sites without trees, considering the balance between flow and concentration.

Surface water hydrology and the Greenland Ice Sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, L. C.; Yang, K.; Pitcher, L. H.; Overstreet, B. T.; Chu, V. W.; Rennermalm, A. K.; Cooper, M. G.; Gleason, C. J.; Ryan, J.; Hubbard, A.; Tedesco, M.; Behar, A.

2016-12-01

Mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet now exceeds 260 Gt/year, raising global sea level by >0.7 mm annually. Approximately two-thirds of this total mass loss is now driven by negative ice sheet surface mass balance (SMB), attributed mainly to production and runoff of meltwater from the ice sheet surface. This new dominance of runoff as a driver of GrIS total mass loss will likely persist owing to anticipated further increases in surface melting, reduced meltwater storage in firn, and the waning importance of dynamical mass losses (ice calving) as the ice sheets retreat from their marine-terminating margins. It also creates the need and opportunity for integrative research pairing traditional surface water hydrology approaches with glaciology. As one example, we present a way to measure supraglacial "runoff" (i.e. specific discharge) at the supraglacial catchment scale ( 101-102 km2), using in situ measurements of supraglacial river discharge and high-resolution satellite/drone mapping of upstream catchment area. This approach, which is standard in terrestrial hydrology but novel for ice sheet science, enables independent verification and improvement of modeled SMB runoff estimates used to project sea level rise. Furthermore, because current SMB models do not consider the role of fluvial watershed processes operating on the ice surface, inclusion of even a simple surface routing model materially improves simulations of runoff delivered to moulins, the critical pathways for meltwater entry into the ice sheet. Incorporating principles of surface water hydrology and fluvial geomorphology and into glaciological models will thus aid estimates of Greenland meltwater runoff to the global ocean as well as connections to subglacial hydrology and ice sheet dynamics.

Fertilizer-derived uranium and sulfur in rangeland soil and runoff: A case study in central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zielinski, R.A.; Orem, W.H.; Simmons, K.R.; Bohlen, P.J.

2006-01-01

Fertilizer applications to rangeland and pastures in central Florida have potential impact on the nutrient-sensitive ecosystems of Lake Okeechobee and the Northern Everglades. To investigate the effects of fertilizer applications, three soil profiles from variably managed and improved rangeland, and four samples of surface runoff from both fertilized and unfertilized pasture were collected. In addition to determining nutrient concentrations, isotopic analyses of uranium (U) and sulfur (S) were performed to provide isotopic evidence for U derived from historically applied phosphate (P)-bearing fertilizer ( 234 U 238U activity ratio =1.0 ?? 0.05), and Sderived from recently applied ammonium sulfate fertilizer(??34 S=3.5permil).The distribution and mobility of fertilizer-derived U in these samples is considered to be analogous to that of fertilizer-derived phosphate.Variations of U concentrations and 234 U/238 U activity ratios in soils indicate contribution of fertilizer-derived U in the upper portions of the fertilized soil (15-}34 percent of total U). The U isotope data for runoff from the fertilized field also are consistent with some contribution from fertilizer-derived U. Parallel investigations of S showed no consistent chemical or isotopic evidence for significant fertilizer-derived sulfate in rangeland soil or runoff. Relatively abundant and isotopically variable S present in the local environment hinders detection of fertilizer-derived sulfate. The results indicate a continuing slow-release of fertilizer-derived U and, by inference, P, to the P-sensitive ecosystem, and a relatively rapid release of sulfate of possible natural origin. ?? Springer 2006.

Leaching of additives from construction materials to urban storm water runoff.

PubMed

Burkhardt, M; Zuleeg, S; Vonbank, R; Schmid, P; Hean, S; Lamani, X; Bester, K; Boller, M

2011-01-01

Urban water management requires further clarification about pollutants in storm water. Little is known about the release of organic additives used in construction materials and the impact of these compounds to storm water runoff. We investigated sources and pathways of additives used in construction materials, i.e., biocides in facades' render as well as root protection products in bitumen membranes for rooftops. Under wet-weather conditions, the concentrations of diuron, terbutryn, carbendazim, irgarol 1051 (all from facades) and mecoprop in storm water and receiving water exceeded the predicted no-effect concentrations values and the Swiss water quality standard of 0.1 microg/L. Under laboratory conditions maximum concentrations of additives were in the range of a few milligrams and a few hundred micrograms per litre in runoff of facades and bitumen membranes. Runoff from aged materials shows approximately one to two orders of magnitude lower concentrations. Concentrations decreased also during individual runoff events. In storm water and receiving water the occurrence of additives did not follow the typical first flush model. This can be explained by the release lasting over the time of rainfall and the complexity of the drainage network. Beside the amounts used, the impact of construction materials containing hazardous additives on water quality is related clearly to the age of the buildings and the separated sewer network. The development of improved products regarding release of hazardous additives is the most efficient way of reducing the pollutant load from construction materials in storm water runoff.

Management of microbial contamination in storm runoff from California coastal dairy pastures.

PubMed

Lewis, David J; Atwill, Edward R; Lennox, Michael S; Pereira, Maria D G; Miller, Woutrina A; Conrad, Patricia A; Tate, Kenneth W

2010-01-01

A survey of storm runoff fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) from working farm and ranch pastures is presented in conjunction with a survey of FCB in manure management systems (MMS). The cross-sectional survey of pasture runoff was conducted on 34 pastures on five different dairies over 2 yr under varying conditions of precipitation, slope, manure management, and use of conservation practices such as vegetative filter strips. The MMS cross-sectional survey consisted of samples collected during 1 yr on nine different dairies from six loafing barns, nine primary lagoons, 12 secondary lagoons, and six irrigation sample points. Pasture runoff samples were additionally analyzed for Cryptosporidium sp. and Giardia duodenalis, whereby detectable concentrations occurred sporadically at higher FCB concentrations resulting in poor correlations with FCB. Prevalence of both parasites was lower relative to high-use areas studied simultaneously on these same farms. Application of manure to pastures more than 2 wk in advance of storm-associated runoff was related to a > or =80% reduction in FCB concentration and load compared to applications within 2 wk before a runoff event. For every 10 m of buffer length, a 24% reduction in FCB concentration was documented. A one-half (75%), one (90%), and two (99%) log10 reduction in manure FCB concentration was observed for manure holding times in MMS of approximately 20, 66, and 133 d, respectively. These results suggest that there are several management and conservation practices for working farms that may result in reduced FCB fluxes from agricultural operations.

Runoff and Solute Mobilisation in a Semi-arid Headwater Catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, J. D.; Khan, S.; Crosbie, R.; Helliwell, S.; Michalk, D.

2006-12-01

Runoff and solute transport processes contributing to stream flow were determined in a small headwater catchment in the eastern Murray-Darling Basin of Australia using hydrometric and tracer methods. Stream flow and electrical conductivity were monitored from two gauges draining a portion of upper catchment area (UCA), and a saline scalded area respectively. Results show that the bulk of catchment solute export, occurs via a small saline scald (< 2% of catchment area) where solutes are concentrated in the near surface zone (0-40 cm). Non-scalded areas of the catchment are likely to provide the bulk of catchment runoff, although the scalded area is a higher contributor on an areal basis. Runoff from the non-scalded area is about two orders of magnitude lower in electrical conductivity than the scalded area. This study shows that the scalded zone and non-scalded parts of the catchment can be managed separately since they are effectively de-coupled except over long time scales, and produce runoff of contrasting quality. Such differences are "averaged out" by investigations that operate at larger scales, illustrating that observations need to be conducted at a range of scales. EMMA modelling using six solutes shows that "event" or "new" water dominated the stream hydrograph from the scald. This information together with hydrometric data and soil physical properties indicate that saturated overland flow is the main form of runoff generation in both the scalded area and the UCA. Saturated areas make up a small proportion of the catchment, but are responsible for production of all run off in conditions experienced throughout the experimental period. The process of saturation and runoff bears some similarities to the VSA concept (Hewlett and Hibbert 1967).

[Characteristics of soil phosphorus runoff under different rainfall intensities in the typical vegetable plot of Taihu Basin].

PubMed

Yang, Li-Xia; Yang, Gui-Shan; Yuan, Shao-Feng; Wu, Ye

2007-08-01

Experiments of field runoff plots, which were conducted at vegetable plots in Hongsheng town of Wuxi city--the typical region of Taihu Basin, were designed to assess the effects of different rainfall intensities on soil phosphorus runoff loss from vegetable plots by artificial rainfall simulations. Results showed that there was a relationship of power function between initial runoff-generation time and rainfall intensity. Runoff amount slowly increased under small rainfall intensity, but rapidly increased with rainfall intensity increase. The concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and particulate phosphorus (PP) were higher at the early stage, then gradually decreased with time and finally reached a comparative steady stage under 0.83, 1.17 and 1.67 mm x min(-1). However they indicated no obvious trend except wavy undulation under 2.50 mm x min(-1). In the course of rainfall-runoff, dissolved phosphorus (DP) gently varied and accounted for 20% - 32% of TP. PP was 68% - 80% of TP and its change trend was consistent with TP. Therefore, PP was main loss form of soil phosphorus runoff. Comparison of different phosphorous loss rate under different rainfall intensities suggested that loss rate of TP and DP under 2.50 mm x min(-1) was 20 times and 33 times higher than that under 0.83 mm x min(-1), which showed that loss rate of PP and DP increased with the increase of rainfall intensities. Results indicated that lots of inorganic dissolved phosphorus (DIP) of phosphorous fertilizer was discharged into water environment by using fertilizer in soil surface before rainfall, which increased loss of DP and greatly aggravated degree of water eutrophication.

Development of a phosphorus index for pastures fertilized with poultry litter--factors affecting phosphorus runoff.

PubMed

DeLaune, Paul B; Moore, Philip A; Carman, Dennis K; Sharpley, Andrew N; Haggard, Brian E; Daniel, Tommy C

2004-01-01

Currently, several state and federal agencies are proposing upper limits on soil test phosphorus (P), above which animal manures cannot be applied, based on the assumption that high P concentrations in runoff are due to high soil test P. Recent studies show that other factors are more indicative of P concentrations in runoff from areas where manure is being applied. The original P index was developed as an alternative P management tool incorporating factors affecting both the source and transport of P. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of multiple variables on P concentrations in runoff water and to construct a P source component of a P index for pastures that incorporates these effects. The evaluated variables were: (i) soil test P, (ii) soluble P in poultry litter, (iii) P in poultry diets, (iv) fertilizer type, and (v) poultry litter application rate. Field studies with simulated rainfall showed that P runoff was affected by the amount of soluble P applied in the fertilizer source. Before manure applications, soil test P was directly related to soluble P concentrations in runoff water. However, soil test P had little effect on P runoff after animal manure was applied. Unlike most other P indices, weighting factors of the P source components in the P index for pastures are based on results from runoff studies conducted under various management scenarios. As a result, weighting factors for the P source potential variables are well justified. A modification of the P index using scientific data should strengthen the ability of the P index concept to evaluate locations and management alternatives for P losses.

Quantifying the effects of stream channels on storm water quality in a semi-arid urban environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallo, Erika L.; Lohse, Kathleen A.; Brooks, Paul D.; McIntosh, Jennifer C.; Meixner, Thomas; McLain, Jean E. T.

2012-11-01

SummaryStormwater drainage systems can have a large effect on urban runoff quality, but it is unclear how ephemeral urban streams alter runoff hydrochemistry. This problem is particularly relevant in semi-arid regions, where urban storm runoff is considered a renewable water resource. Here we address the question: how do stream channels alter urban runoff hydrochemistry? We collected synoptic stormwater samples during three rainfall-runoff events from nine ephemeral streams reaches (three concrete or metal, three grass, three gravel) in Tucson, Arizona. We identified patterns of temporal and spatial (longitudinal) variability in concentrations of conservative (chloride and isotopes of water) and reactive solutes (inorganic-N, soluble reactive phosphorous, sulfate-S, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen, and fecal indicator bacteria). Water isotopes and chloride (Cl) concentrations indicate that solute flushing and evapoconcentration alter temporal patterns in runoff hydrochemistry, but not spatial hydrochemical responses. Solute concentrations and stream channel solute sourcing and retention during runoff were significantly more variable at the grass reaches (CV = 2.3 - 144%) than at the concrete or metal (CV = 1.6 - 107%) or gravel reaches (CV = 1.9 - 60%), which functioned like flow-through systems. Stream channel soil Cl and DOC decreased following a runoff event (Cl: 12.1-7.3 μg g-1 soil; DOC: 87.7-30.1 μg g-1 soil), while soil fecal indicator bacteria counts increased (55-215 CFU g-1 soil). Finding from this study suggest that the characteristics of the ephemeral stream channel substrate control biogeochemical reactions between runoff events, which alter stream channel soil solute stores and the hydrochemistry of subsequent runoff events.

Simulation of the fate of Boscalid and its transformation product 4-Chlorobenzoic acid in a vineyard-terraces catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vollert, Dieter; Gassmann, Matthias; Olsson, Oliver; Kümmerer, Klaus

2017-04-01

In the viniculture fungicides are commonly applied foliar on the plant surface, resulting in high concentrations in runoff water. The fungicide Boscalid occurred frequently and in high concentrations in runoff water in the Loechernbach catchment, a 180 ha vineyard catchment in south-west Germany, during rainfall-runoff events in 2016. The catchment is characterized by a typical terraces structure and the connection of a dense road network. The washing off from drift-depositions on the streets is expected to be a major pathway for pesticides. The main objective of this study was the provision of a catchment model to simulate the transport and transformation processes of Boscalid. Based on this model, source areas of Boscalid residue pollution and its export pathways will be identified and provide urgently needed information for the development of water pollution control strategies. The distributed, process-based, reactive transport catchment model ZIN-AgriTra was used for the evaluation of the pesticide mobilization and the export processes. The hydrological model was successfully calibrated for a 6-month high-resolution time series of discharge data. Pesticide modelling was calibrated for single rainfall events after Boscalid application. Additionally, the transformation product 4-Chlorobenzoic acid has been simulated using literature substance parameters, in order to gain information about anticipated environmental concentrations. The pathways for the discharge of Boscalid were characterized and the streets were confirmed as major pathway for the pesticide discharge in the catchment. The main Boscalid loss occured during the first flush after a storm event containing concentrations up to 10 µg/l. The results show that storage on surfaces without sorption contributes significantly to the export of pesticides through the first flush. Therefore, the mobilization process affects a combination of both sorptive (e.g. at the soil) and non-sorptive (e.g. on the surface) storages at the roads. Furthermore, measurements and simulation results show that there are background pesticide concentrations, an order of magnitude lower than the first flush concentration, for the whole simulation period. Additionally, almost half of the applied Boscalid still remains as residue in the soil at the end of the simulated 6-month period, because of slow degradation rates of Boscalid. The transformation product 4-Chlorobenzoic acid was simulated to have concentrations in the range of 0.1 µg/l. The model assumes that subsurface flow is the major loss pathway for this substance. Concluding, the introduced catchment model is an applicable tool to simulate the individual processes of the Boscalid fate in the vineyard catchment. It was confirmed that roads receiving pesticide drift are the major loss areas of Boscalid in the Loechernbach catchment.

Exposure Through Runoff and Ground Water Contamination Differentially Impact Behavior and Physiology of Crustaceans in Fluvial Systems.

PubMed

Steele, Alexandra N; Belanger, Rachelle M; Moore, Paul A

2018-06-19

Chemical pollutants enter aquatic systems through numerous pathways (e.g., surface runoff and ground water contamination), thus associating these contaminant sources with varying hydrodynamic environments. The hydrodynamic environment shapes the temporal and spatial distribution of chemical contaminants through turbulent mixing. The differential dispersal of contaminants is not commonly addressed in ecotoxicological studies and may have varying implications for organism health. The purpose of this study is to understand how differing routes of exposure to atrazine alter social behaviors and physiological responses of aquatic organisms. This study used agonistic encounters in crayfish Orconectes virilis as a behavioral assay to investigate impact of sublethal concentrations of atrazine (0, 40, 80, and 160 µg/L) delivered by methods mimicking ground water and surface runoff influx into flow-through exposure arenas for a total of 23 h. Each experimental animal participated in a dyadic fight trial with an unexposed opponent. Fight duration and intensity were analyzed. Experimental crayfish hepatopancreas and abdominal muscle tissue samples were analyzed for cytochrome P450 and acetylcholinesterase levels to discern mechanism of detoxification and mode of action of atrazine. Atrazine delivered via runoff decreased crayfish overall fight intensity and contrastingly ground water delivery increased overall fight intensity. The behavioral differences were mirrored by increases in cytochrome P450 activity, whereas no differences were found in acetylcholinesterase activity. This study demonstrates that method of delivery into fluvial systems has differential effects on both behavior and physiology of organisms and emphasizes the need for the consideration of delivery pathway in ecotoxicological studies and water-impairment standards.

Simulation of Runoff Hydrograph on Soil Surfaces with Different Microtopography Using a Travel Time Method at the Plot Scale

PubMed Central

Zhao, Longshan; Wu, Faqi

2015-01-01

In this study, a simple travel time-based runoff model was proposed to simulate a runoff hydrograph on soil surfaces with different microtopographies. Three main parameters, i.e., rainfall intensity (I), mean flow velocity (v m) and ponding time of depression (t p), were inputted into this model. The soil surface was divided into numerous grid cells, and the flow length of each grid cell (l i) was then calculated from a digital elevation model (DEM). The flow velocity in each grid cell (v i) was derived from the upstream flow accumulation area using v m. The total flow travel time through each grid cell to the surface outlet was the sum of the sum of flow travel times along the flow path (i.e., the sum of l i/v i) and t p. The runoff rate at the slope outlet for each respective travel time was estimated by finding the sum of the rain rate from all contributing cells for all time intervals. The results show positive agreement between the measured and predicted runoff hydrographs. PMID:26103635

Simulation of Runoff Hydrograph on Soil Surfaces with Different Microtopography Using a Travel Time Method at the Plot Scale.

PubMed

Zhao, Longshan; Wu, Faqi

2015-01-01

In this study, a simple travel time-based runoff model was proposed to simulate a runoff hydrograph on soil surfaces with different microtopographies. Three main parameters, i.e., rainfall intensity (I), mean flow velocity (vm) and ponding time of depression (tp), were inputted into this model. The soil surface was divided into numerous grid cells, and the flow length of each grid cell (li) was then calculated from a digital elevation model (DEM). The flow velocity in each grid cell (vi) was derived from the upstream flow accumulation area using vm. The total flow travel time through each grid cell to the surface outlet was the sum of the sum of flow travel times along the flow path (i.e., the sum of li/vi) and tp. The runoff rate at the slope outlet for each respective travel time was estimated by finding the sum of the rain rate from all contributing cells for all time intervals. The results show positive agreement between the measured and predicted runoff hydrographs.

Surface-water quality assessment of the Clover Creek basin, Pierce County, Washington, 1991-1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarthy, K.A.

1996-01-01

Increasing urbanization in the 67-square-mile Clover Creek Basin has generated interest in the effects of land-use changes on local water quality. To investigate these effects, water-quality and streamflow data were collected from 19 surface-water sites in the basin over a 16-month period from January 1991 through April 1992. These data were used to understand the effects of surficial geology, land-use practices, and wastewater disposal practices on surface-water quality within the basin. The basin was divided into four drainage subbasins with dissimilar hydrogeologic, land-use, and water-quality characteristics. In the Upper Clover Creek subbasin, the high permeability of surficial geologic materials promotes infiltration of precipitation to ground water and thus attenuates the response of streams to rainfall. Significant interaction occurs between surface and ground water in this subbasin, and nitrate concentrations and specific conductance values, similar to those found historically in local ground water, indicate that sources such as subsurface waste-disposal systems and fertilizers are affecting surface- water quality in this area. In the Spanaway subbasin, the presence of Spanaway and Tule Lakes affects water quality, primarily because of the reduced velocity and long residence time of water in the lakes. Reduced water velocity and long residence times (1) cause settling of suspended materials, thereby reducing concentrations of suspended sediment and constituents that are bound to the sediment; (2) promote biological activity, which tends to trap nutrients in the lakes; and (3) allow dispersion to attenuate peaks in discharge and water-quality constituent concentrations. In the North Fork subbasin, the low permeability of surficial geologic materials and areas of intensive land development inhibit infiltration of precipitation and thus promote surface runoff to streams. Surface pathways provide little attenuation of storm runoff and result in rapid increases in stream discharge in response to rainfall. Substantial increases in concentrations of constituents associated with surface wash off, for example, suspended sediment, ammonia, phosphorus, and fecal coliform, also were observed in this subbasin during rainfall. In the Lower Clover Creek subbasin, which is the most downstream subbasin, stream-discharge and water-quality characteristics show the integrated effects of the entire basin. The data show that further characterization of local ground water and discharge from stormwater outfalls entering Clover Creek and its tributaries would be necessary to successfully apply a numerical water-quality model to the basin.

Effects of land disturbance on runoff and sediment yield after natural rainfall events in southwestern China.

PubMed

Guo, Xiaomeng; Li, Tianyang; He, Binghui; He, Xiaorong; Yao, Yun

2017-04-01

Severe soil erosion occurs in southwestern China owing to the large expanses of urbanization and sloping land. This field monitoring study was conducted to record the rainfall events, runoff, and sediment yield in 20-, 40-, and 60-m plots under conditions of artificial disturbance or natural restoration in the purple soil area of southwestern China. The study took place during the rainy season, and the plots were situated on a 15° slope. The results showed that rainstorms and heavy rainstorms generated runoff and sediment yield. Rainfall intensity had a significantly positive power relationship with runoff rate and sediment yield rate in artificially disturbed plots but not in naturally restored plots. Plot length had a significant effect on runoff rate under artificial disturbance but not natural restoration. Within the same land disturbance category, there was no significant effect of plot length on sediment yield rate but there was a significant effect on sediment concentration. Overall, runoff rate, sediment yield rate, and sediment concentration showed remarkable effects of land disturbance across all plot lengths: naturally restored plots had 62.8-77.5% less runoff, 95.1-96.3% less sediment yield, and 63.1-73.5% lower sediment concentration than artificially disturbed plots. The relationship between runoff rate and sediment rate under the different land disturbances could be described by an exponential function. The results not only demonstrate the effectiveness of natural restoration for controlling runoff and sediment yield but also provide useful information for the design of field studies, taking into consideration the complexity of terrestrial systems.