Modeling watershed-scale effectiveness of agricultural best management practices to reduce phosphorus loading

Planners advocate best management practices (BMPs) to reduce loss of sediment and nutrients in agricultural areas. However, the scientific community lacks tools that use readily available data to investigate the relationships between BMPs and their spatial locations and water quality. In rural, humid regions where runoff is associated with saturation-excess processes from variable source areas (VSAs), BMPs are potentially most effective when they are located in areas that produce the majority of the runoff. Thus, two critical elements necessary to predict the water quality impact of BMPs include correct identification of VSAs and accurate predictions of nutrient reduction due to particular BMPs. The objective of this research was to determine the effectiveness of BMPs using the Variable Source Loading Function (VSLF) model, which captures the spatial and temporal evolutions of VSAs in the landscape. Data from a long-term monitoring campaign on a 164-ha farm in the New York City source watersheds in the Catskills Mountains of New York state were used to evaluate the effectiveness of a range of BMPs. The data spanned an 11-year period over which a suite of BMPs, including a nutrient management plan, riparian buffers, filter strips and fencing, was installed to reduce phosphorus (P) loading. Despite its simplicity, VSLF predicted the spatial distribution of runoff producing areas well. Dissolved P reductions were simulated well by using calibrated reduction factors for various BMPs in the VSLF model. Total P losses decreased only after cattle crossings were installed in the creek. The results demonstrated that BMPs, when sited with respect to VSAs, reduce P loss from agricultural watersheds, providing useful information for targeted water quality management.     

Catalyzing Collaboration: Wisconsin’s Agency-Initiated Basin Partnerships

Experience with collaborative approaches to natural resource and environmental management has grown substantially over the past 20 years, and multi-interest, shared-resources initiatives have become prevalent in the United States and internationally. Although often viewed as “grass-roots” and locally initiated, governmental participants are crucial to the success of collaborative efforts, and important questions remain regarding their appropriate roles, including roles in partnership initiation. In the midst of growing governmental support for collaborative approaches in the mid-1990s, the primary natural resource and environmental management agency in Wisconsin (USA) attempted to generate a statewide system of self-sustaining, collaborative partnerships, organized around the state’s river basin boundaries. The agency expected the partnerships to enhance participation by stakeholders, leverage additional resources, and help move the agency toward more integrated and ecosystem-based resource management initiatives. Most of the basin partnerships did form and function, but ten years after this initiative, the agency has moved away from these partnerships and half have disbanded. Those that remain active have changed, but continue to work closely with agency staff. Those no longer functioning lacked clear focus, were dependent upon agency leadership, or could not overcome issues of scale. This article outlines the context for state support of collaborative initiatives and explores Wisconsin’s experience with basin partnerships by discussing their formation and reviewing governmental roles in partnerships’ emergence and change. Wisconsin’s experience suggests benefits from agency support and agency responsiveness to partnership opportunities, but cautions about expectations for initiating general-purpose partnerships.     

Stream Discharge and Riparian Land Use Influence In-Stream Concentrations and Loads of Phosphorus from Central Plains Watersheds

Total annual nutrient loads are a function of both watershed characteristics and the magnitude of nutrient mobilizing events. We investigated linkages among land cover, discharge and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations, and loads in 25 Kansas streams. Stream monitoring locations were selected from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment stream chemistry long-term monitoring network sites at or near U.S. Geological Survey stream gauges. We linked each sample with concurrent discharge data to improve our ability to estimate TP concentrations and loads across the full range of possible flow conditions. Median TP concentration was strongly linked (R ² = 76%) to the presence of cropland in the riparian zones of the mostly perennial streams. At baseflow, discharge data did not improve prediction of TP, but at high flows discharge was strongly linked to concentration (a threshold response occurred). Our data suggest that on average 88% of the total load occurred during the 10% of the time with the greatest discharge. Modeled reductions in peak discharges, representing increased hydrologic retention, predicted greater decreases in total annual loads than reductions of ambient concentrations because high discharge and elevated phosphorus concentrations had multiplicative effects. No measure of land use provided significant predictive power for concentrations when discharge was elevated or for concentration rise rates under increasing discharge. These results suggest that reductions of baseflow concentrations of TP in streams without wastewater dischargers may be managed by reductions of cropland uses in the riparian corridor. Additional measures may be needed to manage TP annual loads, due to the large percentage of the TP load occurring during a few high-flow events each year.     

基于L-THIA模型的四川省濑溪河流域非点源污染负荷分析

非点源污染是造成流域水环境恶化的重要原因之一,掌握非点源污染的时空分布特征是流域水环境污染防治和流域综合管理的基础性工作.为落实国家《水污染防治行动计划》,四川省启动了濑溪河等流域综合治理达标方案编制工作,探明濑溪河流域非点源污染负荷及其分布特征是该方案编制的前提.以四川省境内濑溪河流域为研究区域,基于GIS（地理信息系统）,利用L-THIA（long-term hydrologic impact assessment,长期水文影响评价）模型,基于2015年土地利用地图数据、土壤水文数据以及长时间序列（2009—2014年）逐日降雨数据,调整模型参数,使模型模拟径流量符合水文站监测数据,进而模拟2014—2015年流域内的非点源污染负荷空间分布.L-THIA模型模拟得到濑溪河流域径流量约为5.10×108 m3,和控制水文站实测径流量相比,模型模拟相对误差为5%,表明模型模拟质量较好,模拟结果可信度较高.结果表明,流域内TP、NH₃-N、COD_Cr非点源污染负荷分别为204.10、353.12、5 162.53 t;农业用地对研究区的非点源污染影响最大,林地最小;根据濑溪河水系分布特点将研究区划分为16个控制单元,各控制单元TP、NH₃-N、COD_Cr的空间分布特征及比例相似,研究区非点源污染平均负荷强度为3.72 t/km2,TP、NH₃-N、COD_Cr的输出范围分别为（0.08~0.15）（0.14~0.27）（2.19~3.89）t/km2.研究显示,流域非点源污染产生量的估算和空间分布特征的揭示为编制濑溪河流域水污染治理方案提供了科学参考.      

Allocation of supplementary aeration stations in the Chicago waterway system for dissolved oxygen improvement

The Chicago Waterway System (CWS), used mainly for commercial and recreational navigation and for urban drainage, is a 122.8 km branching network of navigable waterways controlled by hydraulic structures. The CWS receives pollutant loads from 3 of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the world, nearly 240 gravity Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO), 3 CSO pumping stations, direct diversions from Lake Michigan, and eleven tributary streams or drainage areas. Even though treatment plant effluent concentrations meet the applicable standards and most reaches of the CWS meet the applicable water quality standards, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) standards are not met in the CWS during some periods. A Use Attainability Analysis was initiated to evaluate what water quality standards can be achieved in the CWS. The UAA team identified several DO improvement alternatives including new supplementary aeration stations. Because of the dynamic nature of the CWS, the DUFLOW model that is capable of simulating hydraulics and water quality processes under unsteady-flow conditions was used to evaluate the effectiveness of new supplementary aeration stations. This paper details the use of the DUFLOW model to size and locate supplementary aeration stations. In order to determine the size and location of supplemental aeration stations, 90% compliance with a 5 mg/l DO standard was used as a planning target. The simulations showed that a total of four new supplementary aeration stations with oxygen supply capacities ranging from 30 to 80 g/s would be sufficient to meet the proposed target DO concentration for the North Branch and South Branch of the Chicago River. There are several aeration technologies, two of which are already being used in the CWS, available and the UAA team determined that the total capital costs of the alternatives range from $35.5 to $89.9 million with annual operations and maintenance costs ranging from $554,000 to $2.14 million. Supplemental aeration stations have been shown to be a potentially effective means to improve DO concentrations in the CWS and will be included in developing an integrated strategy for improving water quality in the CWS.     

御临河流域河流湿地生态系统服务价值评价

御临河流域河流湿地具有非常重要的生态服务功能,包括直接使用价值和间接使用价值。直接使用价值有物质生产功能、水资源服务、旅游休闲功能、科研文化功能等,间接使用价值包括气体调节功能、水分调蓄功能及河岸带湿地污染净化功能的价值等。本研究采用市场价值法、碳税法、影子工程法、类比法及旅行费用法对御临河流域河流湿地生态系统服务价值进行了初步估算,其生态系统服务总价值为4.39亿元人民币,是2000年该流域GDP的28.52%。研究结果表明,御临河流域河流湿地生态系统的服务价值是不容忽视的。在进行流域规划管理时必须重视自然生态系统的潜在价值,才能保证流域生态系统的健康及可持续发展。     

Assessing Watershed-Scale, Long-Term Hydrologic Impacts of Land-Use Change Using a GIS-NPS Model

Land-use change, dominated by an increase in urban/impervious areas, has a significant impact on water resources. This includes impacts on nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, which is the leading cause of degraded water quality in the United States. Traditional hydrologic models focus on estimating peak discharges and NPS pollution from high-magnitude, episodic storms and successfully address short-term, local-scale surface water management issues. However, runoff from small, low-frequency storms dominates long-term hydrologic impacts, and existing hydrologic models are usually of limited use in assessing the long-term impacts of land-use change. A long-term hydrologic impact assessment (L-THIA) model has been developed using the curve number (CN) method. Long-term climatic records are used in combination with soils and land-use information to calculate average annual runoff and NPS pollution at a watershed scale. The model is linked to a geographic information system (GIS) for convenient generation and management of model input and output data, and advanced visualization of model results. The L-THIA/NPS GIS model was applied to the Little Eagle Creek (LEC) watershed near Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Historical land-use scenarios for 1973, 1984, and 1991 were analyzed to track land-use change in the watershed and to assess impacts on annual average runoff and NPS pollution from the watershed and its five subbasins. For the entire watershed between 1973 and 1991, an 18% increase in urban or impervious areas resulted in an estimated 80% increase in annual average runoff volume and estimated increases of more than 50% in annual average loads for lead, copper, and zinc. Estimated nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) loads decreased by 15% mainly because of loss of agricultural areas. The L-THIA/NPS GIS model is a powerful tool for identifying environmentally sensitive areas in terms of NPS pollution potential and for evaluating alternative land use scenarios for NPS pollution management.     

Integrated environmental management: strengthening the conceptualization

Although espoused by many, integrated environmental management (IEM) has been difficult to accomplish in practice. There are many reasons for this shortfall, but certainly a key factor is the lack of agreement among scholars and practitioners regarding the concept and its defining elements. Our purpose here is to sharpen the conceptual basis for IEM by elaborating and pragmatically characterizing a framework for the practice of more integrated environmental management. We outline four fundamental dimensions of IEM: (1) comprehensive, (2) interconnective, (3) strategic, and (4) interactive/coordinative. IEM efforts in the Black Earth Creek watershed in Wisconsin illustrate specific attributes and examples pertaining to our conceptualization of IEM. Acceptance of the conceptual framework elaborated here should alleviate some of the confusion associated with IEM and help move this widely heralded approach from theory into practice.     

渭河关中段典型支流非点源污染监测与负荷估算

2009年,对渭河关中段3条典型支流泾河、沣河和灞河进行了洪水期和非洪水期水质水量同步监测,水质监测指标包括COD、DP、TP、NH4+-N和TN.根据监测结果及水文站实测流量资料,分别采用水文分割法和平均浓度法对各条支流的非点源污染负荷进行了计算,分析了非点源污染的特点.结果表明：①3条河流洪水期间各指标的平均浓度基...     

基于统计分析的陕西段泾河水质时空分布特征

气候变化和人类活动共同作用下的局地水环境变化研究,是水资源与环境研究的热点问题,而评价地表水质的时空变化是水质评价的重要内容。论文以泾河陕西段干流景村和张家山断面3年16个水质参数为依据,分枯水期和丰水期,采用主成分分析法评价不同时期水质参数的相关性,应用因子分析法选取不同时期最重要的水质参数。结果显示两断面枯水期以自然输入的盐化指标为主,景村断面还包括泾河上游人为输入的有机污染;丰水期以人为输入的非点源污染指标(包括氮营养指标和溶解性固体指标)为主,张家山断面还包括大的径流量携带的两断面之间的有机物(挥发酚);而硫酸盐总是泾河陕西段不同时期最重要的水质参数变量。