RESPONSE OF GREEN‐AMPT MEIN‐LARSEN SIMULATED RUNOFF VOLUMES TO TEMPORALLY AGGREGATED PRECIPITATION1

ABSTRACT: Data collection frequency in automated systems is user determined and can range from seconds to hours or days. Currently, there is no standard or recommended frequency interval for collecting precipitation data from automated systems for input to event‐based models such as Green‐Ampt Mein‐Larsen (GAML). Data from 47 storm events at seven locations were used to simulate the response of GAML excess rainfall to temporally aggregated precipitation data. No difference in model efficiency was recognized when comparing one‐minute interval data (R²= 1.00) to five‐minute data (R²= 1.00). Very little model efficiency was lost at a 10‐minute (R²= 0.96) interval. After 10‐minutes, decline in efficiency became more rapid with R²= 0.16 at one hour. The combined effect of time interval with respect to drainage area, hydraulic conductivity, maximum 30‐minute intensity, and total precipitation also revealed similar results.     

RUNOFF NUTRIENT AND FECAL COLIFORM CONTENT FROM CATTLE MANURE APPLICATION TO FESCUE PLOTS1

ABSTRACT: Grazed pastures represent a potential source of non‐point pollution. In comparison to other nonpoint sources (e.g., row‐cropped lands), relatively little information exists regarding possible magnitudes of pollution from grazed pasture; how that pollution is affected by weather, soil, management and other variables; and how the pollution can be minimized. The objective of this study was to assess how the quality of runoff from fescue plots is influenced by duration of cattle manure application (4–12 weeks) and manure application strategy (none, weekly application of 1.4 kg/plot, and monthly application at 5.6 kg/plot). Additional analyses were performed to relate runoff quality to the timing of sample collection. The study was conducted at the University of Kentucky Maine Chance Agricultural Experiment Station north of Lexington. Plots (2.4 m wide by 6.1 m long) were constructed and established in Kentucky 31 fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) to represent pasture. Grazing was simulated by application of beef cattle manure to the plots. Runoff was generated by applying simulated rainfall approximately 4, S and 12 weeks following initiation of manure application. Runoff samples were collected and analyzed according to standard methods for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and fecal coliforms (FC). Runoff concentrations of N and P from manure‐treated plots were low and generally not consistently different from control plot concentrations or related to manure application strategy. Runoff FC concentrations from manure‐treated plots were higher than from control plot concentrations. Runoff concentrations of ammonia N, total Kjeldahl N, ortho‐P and FC decreased approximately exponentially in response to increasing time of sample collection. These findings suggest that manure deposition on well‐managed pasture at the rates used in this study might have a negligible impact on nutrient content of runoff.     

Prairie strips reduce fecal indicator bacteria concentrations in simulated runoff

Vegetative filter strips (VFS) have shown promising results in reducing the downstream transport of many agroecosystem contaminants. A recently developed type of VFS, prairie strips, has been shown to significantly reduce the impact of corn and soybean production systems on water quality in terms of sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus losses. This study assessed potential additional benefits of prairie strips to include the reduction of pathogens. To assess the impact of prairie strips on manure-laden agricultural runoff, we utilized a physical model of prairie strips in a laboratory flume to conduct highly controlled overland flow experiments. Escherichia coli and Enterococcus concentration reductions of up to 45% and 65% were observed for runoff and infiltration flows, respectively, while mass load reductions of up to 65% were observed for surficial runoff flows. The degree of concentration or mass load reductions was dependent on the residence time of the flow within the strip and the partitioning of overland flow running onto the strip to infiltration and runoff flows. Based on our results and a review of the literature, we developed a design method to provide guidance on the width of prairie strip buffer needed to achieve a user-defined reduction of fecal bacteria concentration.     

Depressional runoff cascade networks of the Des Moines Lobe of Iowa

In this study, we develop a general mathematical framework and algorithm for routing cumulative precipitation excess through depressional fill–spill cascade networks in a landscape using only information about depression morphology, local contributing areas, and potential overland flow pathways. The framework also allows for the classification of depressions according to their landscape position within a network, and calculation of precipitation- and non-precipitation-dependent network properties, including measures of network complexity and runoff connectivity. To demonstrate its use, we applied our framework to the 167,287 drained depressions of the Des Moines Lobe of Iowa, a sub-region of the Prairie Pothole Region of North America, over a large range of historically observed precipitation amounts for scenarios both neglecting and incorporating infiltration in runoff generation. Our results show that 85.3% of depressions in this region form 18,851 unique depressional runoff cascade networks, with the remainder being disjunct features. Most of the properties of the region's networks appear to conform to either a truncated power-law or lognormal distribution. For a given rainfall amount, surface runoff connectivity between depressions within networks, and between networks and off-network areas, is controlled primarily by available aggregate depressional volumetric storage and contributing area, and to a lesser degree, network complexity.     

基于不同卫星降雨产品的澴水花园流域径流模拟比较研究

卫星降雨产品作为缺资料或无资料地区估算流域降雨径流的一种途径,适用性尚需大量实验研究。以澴水花园流域为研究区,综合评估了TRMM(3B42V7)、TRMM_RT(3B42V7)、PERSIANN CDR和CMORPH 4个卫星降雨产品在流域平均雨量计算与径流模拟中的精度,设置多方案与多种水文模拟情景全面检验各降雨产品的可靠性与适用性。研究表明：(1)在研究期2002~2013年,没有一个卫星降雨产品对所有精度评价指标均表现最优,PERSIANN始终表现为最差;(2)各卫星降雨产品对于不同年代和不同统计时段的精度差异明显,且一般汛期精度高于全年精度。各年代精度最高的卫星降雨产品在年与汛期尺度上与实测雨量相关系数均超过0.9;(3)各卫星降雨产品对有雨日降雨探测能力较强,但空报率较高,所有卫星降雨产品对于年最大1 d、3 d和7 d降雨估算误差较大,无法达到可利用精度;(4)采用卫星降雨产品进行径流模拟时,以相应的卫星降雨进行水文模型参数率定可获得更高的模拟精度。TRMM_RT与CMORPH日径流模拟精度较好,CMORPH月径流模拟精度较好。总体而言,CMORPH更适用于径流模拟。对于典型的3场大洪水模拟结果表明,TRMM_RT和CMORPH对洪峰与洪量（径流深）的模拟精度相对较高。     

Modeling Changes to Streamflow,Sediment, and Nutrient Loading from Land Use Changes Due to Potential Natural Gas Development

Natural gas development using hydraulic fracturing has many potential environmental impacts, but among the most certain is the land disturbance required to build the well pads and other infrastructure required to drill and extract the gas. We used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to investigate how natural gas development could impact streamflow and sediment, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorous (TP) loadings in the upper Delaware River Basin (DRB), a relatively undeveloped watershed of 7,950 km² that lies above the Marcellus Shale formation. If gas development was permitted, our projections show the DRB could experience development of over 600 well pads to extract natural gas at build out, which, with supporting infrastructure (roads, gathering pipelines), could convert over 5,000 ha from existing land uses in the study area. In subbasins with development activity we found sediment, TN, and TP yields could increase by an average of 15, 0.08, and 0.03 kg/ha/yr, respectively (an increase of 2, 3, and 15%, respectively) for each one percent of subbasin land area converted into natural gas infrastructure. At the study area outlet on the Delaware River at Port Jervis, New York, we found increases in the annual average streamflow and sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus loads of up to 0.01, 0.2, 0.2, and 1%, respectively, for a rapid development year, and 0.08, 1.3, 2.0, and 11%, respectively, for the full development scenario. Editor's note : This paper is part of the featured series on SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges. See the February 2017 issue for the introduction and background to the series.     

Vegetative Buffer Strips for Reducing Herbicide Transport in Runoff: Effects of Buffer Width,Vegetation, and Season

The effectiveness of vegetative buffer strips (VBS) for reducing herbicide transport has not been well documented for runoff prone soils. A multi‐year plot‐scale study was conducted on an eroded claypan soil with the following objectives: (1) assess the effects of buffer width, vegetation, and season on runoff transport of atrazine (ATR), metolachlor (MET), and glyphosate; (2) develop VBS design criteria for herbicides; and (3) compare differences in soil quality among vegetation treatments. Rainfall simulation was used to create uniform antecedent soil water content and to generate runoff. Vegetation treatment and buffer width impacted herbicide loads much more than season. Grass treatments reduced herbicide loads by 19‐28% and sediment loads by 67% compared to the control. Grass treatments increased retention of dissolved‐phase herbicides by both infiltration and adsorption, but adsorption accounted for the greatest proportion of retained herbicide load. This latter finding indicated VBS can be effective on poorly drained soils or when the source to buffer area ratio is high. Grass treatments modestly improved surface soil quality 8‐13 years after establishment, with significant increases in organic C, total N, and ATR and MET sorption compared to continuously tilled control. Herbicide loads as a function of buffer width were well described by first‐order decay models which indicated VBS can provide significant load reductions under anticipated field conditions.     

On the Role of Spatial,Temporal, and Climatic Forces on Stream Sediment Loading from Rural and Urban Ecosystems

In this study, we characterize the greatest sediment loading events by their sediment delivery behavior; dominant climate, watershed, and antecedent conditions; and their seasonal distribution for rural and urban land uses. The study area is Paradise Creek Watershed, a mixed land use watershed in northern Idaho dominated by saturation excess processes in the upstream rural area and infiltration excess in the downstream urban area. We analyzed 12 years of continuous streamflow, precipitation, and watershed data at two monitoring stations. We identified 137 sediment loading events in the upstream rural section of the watershed and 191 events in the downstream urban section. During the majority of these events conditions were transport limited and the sediment flush occurred early in the event, generally in the first 20% of elapsed event time. Statistical analysis including two dozen explanatory variables showed peak discharge, event duration, and antecedent baseflow explained most of the variation in event sediment load at both stations and for the watershed as a whole (R² = 0.73‐0.78). In the rural area, saturated soils combined with spring snowmelt in March led to the greatest loading events. The urban area load contribution peaked in January, which could be a re‐suspension of streambed sediments from the previous water year. Throughout the study period, one event contributed, on average, 33% of the annual sediment load but only accounted for 2% of the time in a year.     

Effects of Impervious Area and BMP Implementation and Design on Storm Runoff and Water Quality in Eight Small Watersheds

The effects of increases in effective impervious area (EIA) and the implementation of water quality protection designed detention pond best management practices (BMPs) on storm runoff and stormwater quality were assessed in Gwinnett County, Georgia, for the period 2001‐2008. Trends among eight small watersheds were compared, using a time trend study design. Significant trends were detected in three storm hydrologic metrics and in five water quality constituents that were adjusted for variability in storm characteristics and climate. Trends in EIA ranged from 0.10 to 1.35, and changes in EIA treated by BMPs ranged from 0.19 to 1.32; both expressed in units of percentage of drainage area per year. Trend relations indicated that for every 1% increase in watershed EIA, about 2.6, 1.1, and 1.5% increases in EIA treated by BMPs would be required to counteract the effects of EIA added to the watersheds on peak streamflow, stormwater yield, and storm streamflow runoff, respectively. Relations between trends in EIA, BMP implementation, and water quality were counterintuitive. This may be the result of (1) changes in constituent inputs in the watersheds, especially downstream of areas treated by BMPs; (2) BMPs may have increased the duration of stormflow that results in downstream channel erosion; and/or (3) spurious relationships between increases in EIA, BMP implementation, and constituent inputs with development rates.     

Continental‐Scale River Flow Modeling of the Mississippi River Basin Using High‐Resolution NHDPlus Dataset

As a key component of the National Flood Interoperability Experiment (NFIE), this article presents the continental scale river flow modeling of the Mississippi River Basin (MRB), using high‐resolution river data from NHDPlus. The Routing Application for Parallel computatIon of Discharge (RAPID) was applied to the MRB with more than 1.2 million river reaches for a 10‐year study (2005‐2014). Runoff data from the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model was used as input to RAPID. This article investigates the effect of topography on RAPID performance, the differences between the VIC‐RAPID streamflow simulations in the HUC‐2 regions of the MRB, and the impact of major dams on the streamflow simulations. The model performance improved when initial parameter values, especially the Muskingum K parameter, were estimated by taking topography into account. The statistical summary indicates the RAPID model performs better in the Ohio and Tennessee Regions and the Upper and Lower Mississippi River Regions in comparison to the western part of the MRB, due to the better performance of the VIC model. The model accuracy also increases when lakes and reservoirs are considered in the modeling framework. In general, results show the VIC‐RAPID streamflow simulation is satisfactory at the continental scale of the MRB.