ARS | Publication request: Contaminant Transport to Shallow Drainage Water in Pothole Topography

Submitted to: Proceedings of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers International (ASABE)
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: February 11, 2010
Publication Date: February 21, 2010
Citation: Pappas, E.A., Smith, D.R. 2010. Contaminant Transport to Shallow Drainage Water in Pothole Topography [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers International Meeting. 21st Century Watershed Technology Conference. February 21-24, 2010, San Jose, Costa Rica.

Technical Abstract: Nutrient and herbicide losses from row crop agriculture represent potential environmental and human health hazards. In order to determine where nutrient and herbicide mitigation strategies can be targeted for optimum performance, levels of nutrients and herbicides were measured in an agricultural drainage network of agricultural drainage and correlated with predominant drainage regime: direct surface runoff, subsurface tile drainage, or depression (often drained by direct surface tile inlet). In general, losses of some nutrients and herbicides were higher in direct surface runoff and depressional drainage regimes. These data suggest that maximum Best Management Practice (BMP) benefit may be achieved by targeting areas of direct drainage or surface tile inlets. Pollutant loads from a blind inlet system, which filters water that would otherwise drain into an open pipe to surface water, were then compared with those from a traditional open inlet. Results indicate that a blind inlet system can be an effective BMP for reducing loading of some nutrients and herbicides to surface waters.