The MANAGE Drain Concentration database: A new tool compiling North American drainage nutrient concentrations

Authors: HERTZBERGER, A - University Of Illinois; PITTELKOW, C - University Of Illinois; Harmel, Daren; CHRISTIANSON, L - University Of Illinois

Submitted to: Agricultural Water Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/22/2019
Publication Date: 2/11/2019
Citation: Hertzberger, A., Pittelkow, C., Harmel, R.D., Christianson, L.E. 2019. The MANAGE Drain Concentration database: A new tool compiling North American drainage nutrient concentrations. Agricultural Water Management. 216:113-117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2019.01.021.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2019.01.021

Interpretive Summary: Artificially drained agricultural systems can be a primary contributor of non-point source nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollution to ground and surface waters; therefore, it is imperative to understand the mechanisms responsible for nutrient transport from this land use. Here, over 400 drainage nutrient-related studies were reviewed to compile 1,564 site-years of agricultural drainage N and P concentrations into a major database to aid in assessment of factors leading to nutrient loss through drainage systems. This new Drain Concentration table in the MANAGE (Measured Annual loads from AGricultural Environments) database is a publicly available resource (https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/temple-tx/grassland-soil-and-water-research-laboratory/docs/manage-nutrient-loss-database). Across this database, there was a 69% probability a drainage site-year would exceed an annual nitrate-N concentration of 10 mg/L, the US Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water, but only a 27% probability a reported site-year would exceed 0.0375 mg/L dissolved reactive P to avoid freshwater eutrophication. The MANAGE database will continue to evolve and remain a resource for new efforts to better understand and mitigate nutrient losses from agricultural systems.

Technical Abstract: Artificially drained agricultural systems can be a primary contributor of nonpoint source nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollution to ground and surface waters; therefore, it is imperative to understand the mechanisms responsible for nutrient transport from this land use. Here, over 400 drainage nutrient-related studies were reviewed to compile 1,564 site-years of agricultural drainage N and P concentrations (annual mean flow-weighted and annual arithmetic average) into a major database to aid in assessment of factors leading to nutrient loss through drainage systems. This new Drain Concentration table in the MANAGE (Measured Annual loads from AGricultural Environments) database is a publicly available resource (https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/temple-tx/grassland-soil-and-water-research-laboratory/docs/manage-nutrient-loss-database). Across this database, there was a 69% probability a drainage site-year would exceed an annual nitrate-N concentration of 10 mg/L, the US Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water, but only a 27% probability a reported site-year would exceed 0.0375 mg/L dissolved reactive P to avoid freshwater eutrophication. While a surprising number of reported annual means were arithmetic rather than flow-weighted averages (27 vs. 71%), reporting of arithmetic means in peer-reviewed literature has decreased over time. The MANAGE database will continue to evolve and remain a resource for new efforts to better understand and mitigate nutrient losses from agricultural systems.