The pictures below show surface irrigation management practices that can reduce soil erosion and improve water quality.

Sediment concentration in field runoff may still exceed the 52 mg L^-1 TMDL goal with any one of these management practices.  However a combination of practices can be extremely effective and reliable.  The first step is to use good inflow management in combination with PAM to minimize runoff and on-field erosion. Conservation tillage also reduces on-field erosion.  Filter strips (10 to 15 ft wide) protect the tail water ditch from erosion as runoff water flows from the field.   A small sediment pond near the field outlet can then trap any additional sediment. Finally, larger sediment ponds and wetlands on return flow streams can remove sediment not controlled by on-farm practices.

Since total P is directly related to sediment concentration, removing sediment will significantly reduce total phosphorus. Dissolved P is not related to sediment concentration and therefore is generally not removed with sediment.
 
 

Applying polyacrylamide (PAM) with irrigation water or directly to furrow soil can reduce soil erosion up to 90%.	Filter strips trap transported sediment at the lower end of the field and erode less than a clean tail ditch.
Conservation tillage increases residue in furrows and reduces soil erodibility.	Sediment ponds trap suspended particles that are transported off-site.  Fine particles and dissolved nutrients remain in the water.