Ponding Surface Drainage Water for Sediment and Phosphorus Removal

Abstract

EDIMENT and phosphorus (P) removal efficencies of a sediment-retention pond with a capacity of about 3400 m" receiving surface water runoff from 4050 ha of irrigated land, were measured for five years. Average daily flow through the pond, during the irrigation runoff period, was 347 Lis, with a pond retention time of 2.7 h. The pond removed 65 to 76 percent of the sediment, and 25 to 33 percent of the total P entering the pond. Sediment and phosphorus removal efficiencies depended upon the flow rate and the sediment concentration of surface return flow entering the pond. Sediment and phosphorus were most efficiently removed when the stream flow was 340 to 453 L/ s and the sediment concentration was in the range of 20 to 750 mg/L. Sediment removed from the pond was used to cover protruding basalt to improve and expand a golf course. Article has been reviewed and approved for publication by the Soil and Water Division of ASAE. Contribution from USDA•SEA•AR, in cooperation with the Water

Phosphorus Losses from an Irrigated Watershed in the Northwestern United States: Case Study of the Upper Snake Rock Watershed

“…Overall average TSS concentration for all ponds decreased 57%, from 51 to 22 mg L -1 (Table 3). Relative TSS concentration reductions were similar to previous studies in the region with nonvegetated ponds that received water with 240 to 1000 mg L -1 of TSS (Brown et al, 1981;Robbins and Carter, 1975). Two of the ponds (Cedar Draw and Perrine) had significant reductions in TSS concentrations even though the inflow sampling locations were after the sedimentation cells for these ponds.…”

The ability of detainment bunds to decrease sediments transported from pastoral catchments in surface runoff

“…The data suggests however, that the longer residence times of the release discharge compared to the overflow discharge (an average of 14 h between Flow B and Flow C at both sites) allowed for greater settling out of the water column to occur (Table 3). Longer retention times have been found to increase sediment removal efficiencies in a study of sedimentation ponds (Brown et al, 1981). The results from the Overflow Events suggests ponding runoff for longer than 3 days could result in greater trapping efficiencies, however, this could risk damaging pasture productivity (Clarke, 2013).…”

“…Stormwater detention areas (SDAs) are natural or manmade depressions, ponds, and reservoirs, commonly used for flood protection, but are increasingly being used for water quality mitigation strategies in agricultural and urban settings (Shukla et al, 2017; Stanley, 1996). Previous research has found that ponding surface runoff can decrease discharge concentrations and loads of sediments and particulate bound P by decreasing the kinetic energy of flowing water (Brown et al, 1981; Harper et al, 1999; Levine et al, 2019; McDowell et al, 2006; Stanley, 1996). Detainment bunds (DBs) are a type of SDA that temporarily pond up to 10 000 m 3 of surface runoff by impeding stormflows with an earthen storm water retention structure constructed on pastures across the flow path of low‐order ephemeral streams.…”

Chemical Treatment to Reduce Turbidity in Pumped Construction Site Water

“…Construction activity can be a significant source of this pollution, with erosion rates as high as 100 times that of agricultural activity (Owen 1975;Pitt et al 2007). Much of the sediment leaving construction sites consists of silt and clay that can carry substantial amounts of nutrients and pollutants (Brown et al 1981). In addition, increased turbidity can limit sunlight penetration into water by both absorbing and deflecting light.…”