Abstract:The impact of vegetated filter strips (VFS) on sediment removal from runoff has been studied extensively in recent years. Vegetation is believed to increase water infiltration and decrease water turbulence thus enhancing sediment deposition within filter media. In the study reported here, field experiments have been conducted to examine the efficiency of vegetated filter strips for sediment removal from cropland runoff. Twenty filters with varying length, slope and vegetated cover were used under simulated runoff conditions with an average sediment concentration of 2700 mg/L. The filters were 2, 5, 10 and 15 m long with a slope of 2Ð3 and 5% and three types of vegetation. Three other strips with bare soil were used as a control. The experimental results showed that the average sediment trapping efficiency of all filters was 84% and ranging from 68% in a 2-m filter to as high as 98% in a 15-m long filter compared with only 25% for the control. The length of filter has been found to be the predominant factor affecting sediment deposition in VFS up to 10 m. Increasing filter length to 15 m did not improve sediment trapping efficiency under the present experimental conditions. The rate of incoming flow and vegetation cover percentage has a secondary effect on sediment deposition in VFS.

Vegetated filter strips (VFS) are used recently for removal, at or near the source, of sediment and sediment-bound chemicals from cropland runoff. Vegetation within the flowpath increases water infiltration and decreases water turbulence, thus enhancing pollutant removal by sedimentation within filter media and infiltration through the filter surface. Field experiments have been conducted to examine the efficiency of vegetated filter strips for phosphorus removal from cropland runoff with 20 filters with varying length (2 to 15 m), slope (2.3 and 5%), and vegetated cover, including bare-soil plots as control. Artificial runoff used in this study had an average phosphorus concentration of 2.37 mg L(-1) and a sediment concentration of 2700 mg L(-1). The average phosphorus trapping efficiency of all vegetated filters was 61% and ranged from 31% in a 2-m filter to 89% in a 15-m filter. Filter length has been found to be the predominant factor affecting P trapping in VFS. The rate of inflow, type of vegetation, and density of vegetation coverage had secondary influences on P removal. Short filters (2 and 5 m), which are somewhat effective in sediment removal, are much less effective in P removal. Increasing the filter length beyond 15 m is ineffective in enhancing sediment removal but is expected to further enhance P removal. Sediment deposition, infiltration, and plant adsorption are the primary mechanisms for phosphorus trapping in VFS.

Abstract:Soil and water conservation practices have been promoted for a long time, in order to sustain agricultural activities and prevent environmental pollution. Vegetated filter strips (VFS) have been used to reduce sediment pollution into water bodies at or near the pollutant source. However, factors effecting VFS performance under natural conditions have not been well understood owing to the physical, time and financial limitations of field experiments. The use of well-validated simulation models to understand the performance of VFS and factors affecting sediment deposition is highly justified. The objective of this research is to investigate sediment trapping in VFS and to study various factors affecting VFS performance using the simulation model VFSMOD, which was developed by researchers at University of North Carolina. Recently, VFSMOD has been validated successfully by using 21 filters with varying length, slope and vegetated cover. A wide range of five parameters was selected for the simulations, namely filter length, filter slope, manning roughness coefficient, soil type and characteristics of incoming sediment from adjacent fields. Computer simulations revealed that the length of filter is the most significant factor affecting sediment trapping in VFS. The relative increase in trapping efficiencies was not linearly related to an increase in filter length. Inflow sediment class also has a major influence on sediment trapping in VFS. The trapping efficiency of clay sediments in a 15 m length VFS was 47% compared with 92% for silt from incoming sediment. Manning roughness coefficient had a moderate effect on sediment trapping and was more significant in short filters. Land slope and soil type of VFS had a minor influence on the performance of VFS.

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