SIMPLE: Assessment of non-point phosphorus pollution from agricultural land to surface waters by means of a new methodology

2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 177-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
O.F. Schoumans ◽  
J. Mol-Dijkstra ◽  
L.M.W. Akkermans ◽  
C.W.J. Roest

In the past, environmental Phosphorus (P) parameters like soil P indices have been used to catogorize the potential risk of P losses from agricultural land. In order to assess the actual risk of P pollution of groundwater and surface waters, dynamic process oriented soil and water quality models have been frequently used. Recently, an approximating model for phosphorus, called SIMPLE, has been developed. This model approximates the output from a complex dynamic water quality model. The approximating model is called a metamodel. This simple P-model proves to be a powerful tool for quick assessment of the risk of P pollution from agricultural land to surface waters.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colby James Moorberg ◽  
Michael John Vepraskas ◽  
Christopher Paul Niewoehner ◽  
Jeffrey Greville White ◽  
Daniel de Boucherville Richter

Abstract Restoring wetlands on agricultural land can release soil P to surface waters. Phosphorus is a limiting nutrient in many freshwater systems, thus restricting its release will improve surface water quality. A P balance was used to examine how P was cycling in a Carolina Bay wetland eight years after restoration from prior-drained agricultural land. The change in soil P was evaluated between archived samples taken at restoration (2005), and eight years after restoration (2013). Measured P fluxes included atmospheric deposition, plant uptake, and loss to surface water outflow. The soil total P pool at the time of restoration was 810 kg P ha -1 . No significant (α=0.05) decrease in the soil P pool was observed. Atmospheric deposition contributed 7 kg P ha-1, plants accumulated 28 kg Pha-1 and incorporated 27 P ha-1 into woody biomass and 1 kg P ha-1 on the forest floor litter, and 1.7 kg P ha-1 was lost to surface waters draining the wetland. Because the loss of P to surface waters was small, and because runoff water concentrations of P declined through this period of study to concentrations below those likely to cause eutrophication (< 0.1 mg L-1), we concluded that the wetland was not contributing to the degradation of surface water quality of nearby streams following restoration. Further, relatively “isolated” wetlands such as that studied may be promising sites for future wetland mitigation projects due to limited impacts on surface water quality.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Xiamei Man ◽  
Chengwang Lei ◽  
Cayelan C. Carey ◽  
John C. Little

Many researchers use one-dimensional (1-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) coupled hydrodynamic and water-quality models to simulate water quality dynamics, but direct comparison of their relative performance is rare. Such comparisons may quantify their relative advantages, which can inform best practices. In this study, we compare two 1-year simulations in a shallow, eutrophic, managed reservoir using a community-developed 1-D model and a 3-D model coupled with the same water-quality model library based on multiple evaluation criteria. In addition, a verified bubble plume model is coupled with the 1-D and 3-D models to simulate the water temperature in four epilimnion mixing periods to further quantify the relative performance of the 1-D and 3-D models. Based on the present investigation, adopting a 1-D water-quality model to calibrate a 3-D model is time-efficient and can produce reasonable results; 3-D models are recommended for simulating thermal stratification and management interventions, whereas 1-D models may be more appropriate for simpler model setups, especially if field data needed for 3-D modeling are lacking.


2006 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Chen ◽  
Y. Deng

Conceptual river water quality models are widely known to lack identifiability. The causes for that can be due to model structure errors, observational errors and less frequent samplings. Although significant efforts have been directed towards better identification of river water quality models, it is not clear whether a given model is structurally identifiable. Information is also limited regarding the contribution of different unidentifiability sources. Taking the widely applied CSTR river water quality model as an example, this paper presents a theoretical proof that the CSTR model is indeed structurally identifiable. Its uncertainty is thus dominantly from observational errors and less frequent samplings. Given the current monitoring accuracy and sampling frequency, the unidentifiability from sampling frequency is found to be more significant than that from observational errors. It is also noted that there is a crucial sampling frequency between 0.1 and 1 day, over which the simulated river system could be represented by different illusions and the model application could be far less reliable.


2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-366
Author(s):  
G. T. Parker

This paper extends previous work comparing the response of water quality models under uncertainty. A new model, the River Water Quality Model no. 1 (RWQM1), is compared to the previous work of two commonly used water quality models. Additionally, the effect of conceptual model scaling within a single modelling framework, as allowed by RWQM1, is explored under uncertainty. Model predictions are examined using against real-world data for the Potomac River with a Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation used to assess model response surfaces to uncertainty. Generally, it was found that there are tangible model characteristics that are closely tied to model complexity and thresholds for these characteristics were discussed. The novel work has yielded an illustrative example but also a conceptually scaleable water quality modelling tool, alongside defined metrics to assess when scaling is required under uncertainty. The resulting framework holds substantial, unique, promise for a new generation of modelling tools that are capable of addressing classically intractable problems.


2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandria Jensen ◽  
William Ford ◽  
James Fox ◽  
Admin Husic

Abstract. Water quality models serve as an economically feasible alternative to quantify fluxes of nutrient pollution and to simulate effective mitigation strategies; however, their applicability is often questioned due to broad uncertainties in model structure and parameterization, leading to uncertain outputs. We argue that reduction of uncertainty is partially achieved by integrating stable isotope data streams within the water quality model architecture. This article outlines the use of stable isotopes as a response variable within water quality models to improve the model boundary conditions associated with nutrient source provenance, constrain model parameterization, and elucidate shortcomings in the model structure. To assist researchers in future modeling efforts, we provide an overview of stable isotope theory; review isotopic signatures and applications for relevant carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus pools; identify biotic and abiotic processes that impact isotope transfer between pools; review existing models that have incorporated stable isotope signatures; and highlight recommendations based on synthesis of existing knowledge. Broadly, we find existing applications that use isotopes have high efficacy for reducing water quality model uncertainty. We make recommendations toward the future use of sediment stable isotope signatures, given their integrative capacity and practical analytical process. We also detail a method to incorporate stable isotopes into multi-objective modeling frameworks. Finally, we encourage watershed modelers to work closely with isotope geochemists to ensure proper integration of stable isotopes into in-stream nutrient fate and transport routines in water quality models. Keywords: Isotopes, Nutrients, Uncertainty analysis, Water quality modeling, Watershed.


2011 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Kleinman ◽  
Andrew Sharpley ◽  
Anthony Buda ◽  
Richard McDowell ◽  
Arthur Allen

Kleinman, P. J. A., Sharpley, A. N., Budda, A. R., McDowell, R. W. and Allen, A. L. 2011. Soil controls of phosphorus in runoff: Management barriers and opportunities. Can. J. Soil Sci. 91: 329–338. The persistent problem of eutrophication, the biological enrichment of surface waters, has produced a vast literature on soil phosphorus (P) effects on runoff water quality. This paper considers the mechanisms controlling soil P transfers from agricultural soils to runoff waters, and the management of these transfers. Historical emphases on soil conservation and control of sediment delivery to surface waters have demonstrated that comprehensive strategies to mitigate sediment-bound P transfer can produce long-term water quality improvements at a watershed scale. Less responsive are dissolved P releases from soils that have historically received P applications in excess of crop requirements. While halting further P applications to such soils may prevent dissolved P losses from growing, the desorption of P from soils that is derived from historical inputs, termed here as “legacy P”, can persist for long periods of time. Articulating the role of legacy P in delaying the response of watersheds to remedial programs requires more work, delivering the difficult message that yesterday's sinks of P may be today's sources. Even legacy sources of P that occur in low concentration relative to agronomic requirement can support significant loads of P in runoff under the right hydrologic conditions. Strategies that take advantage of the capacity of soils to buffer dissolved P losses, such as periodic tillage to diminish severe vertical stratification of P in no-till soils, offer short-term solutions to mitigating P losses. In some cases, more aggressive strategies are required to mitigate both short-term and legacy P losses.


1986 ◽  
Vol 18 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 257-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Bose ◽  
B. K. Dutta

Steady state and time-varying water quality models for the Hooghly estuary have been developed for the 92.5 km stretch from Tribeni to Mayapur. A hydraulic model of the estuary was previously developed in this connection, based on a simulated channel of trapezoidal cross-section, gradually increasing downstream, and with uniform ground slope. The estuary has also been assumed to be section-ally homogeneous in each of the thirty-seven sections. The advection-diffusion equations have been numerically integrated to compute the instantaneous and time-averaged distribution of BOD and DO. The monthly averages of the quantities over the year have also been determined. The different system parameters have been estimated using available equations and correlations. The calculated BOD and DO values agree reasonably well with the available field data. The study shows that a water quality model based on simulated channel geometry may work well and is useful where a more rigorous hydrodynamic model is difficult to construct and verify.


1994 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 829 ◽  
Author(s):  
JC Patterson ◽  
DP Hamilton ◽  
JM Ferris

The chemical and biological components of existing water quality models are in general described by simple first-order rate equations in which the production and uptake coefficients are fixed functions of the other variables of the model. Thus although, for example, in a photosynthesis model the specific algal growth rate may be a function of light intensity, nutrient concentration and temperature, the form of this dependence on these variables is assumed to be fixed. In this paper, the effect on the performance of a water quality model of removing this assumption for the specific case of photosynthesis is examined. An existing coupled motion-photosynthesis model has been installed in the water quality model DYRESM-WQ and the result compared with the original model, which assumes a fixed functional dependence. The resulting model has been applied to two reservoirs, without recalibration. The result shows that the removal of the assumption of a fixed functional form for the photosynthetic growth rate may have a significant effect on the magnitude and timing of predicted cyanobacterial blooms in lakes and reservoirs, which would have important implications for reservoir and lake management. In addition, the result suggests that, in general, the validity of the assumption of fixed functional form for the rate coefficients in water quality models is not assured.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 02041
Author(s):  
A.Kadir Adilah ◽  
Yusop Zulkifli ◽  
Z. Noor Zainura ◽  
Baharim N. Bakhiah

Sungai Johor estuary is a vital water body in the south of Johor and greatly affects the water quality in the Johor Straits. In the development of the hydrodynamic and water quality models for Sungai Johor estuary, the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) model was selected. In this application, the EFDC hydrodynamic model was configured to simulate time varying surface elevation, velocity, salinity, and water temperature. The EFDC water quality model was configured to simulate dissolved oxygen (DO), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), phosphate (PO4), and Chlorophyll a. The hydrodynamic and water quality model calibration was performed utilizing a set of site specific data acquired in January 2008. The simulated water temperature, salinity and DO showed good and fairly good agreement with observations. The calculated correlation coefficients between computed and observed temperature and salinity were lower compared with the water level. Sensitivity analysis was performed on hydrodynamic and water quality models input parameters to quantify their impact on modeling results such as water surface elevation, salinity and dissolved oxygen concentration. It is anticipated and recommended that the development of this model be continued to synthesize additional field data into the modeling process.


2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ahyerre ◽  
F.O. Henry ◽  
F. Gogien ◽  
M. Chabanel ◽  
M. Zug ◽  
...  

The objective of this article is to test the efficiency of three different Storm Water Quality Model (SWQM) on the same data set (34 rain events, SS measurements) sampled on a 42 ha watershed in the center of Paris. The models have been calibrated at the scale of the rain event. Considering the mass of pollution calculated per event, the results on the models are satisfactory but that they are in the same order of magnitude as the simple hydraulic approach associated to a constant concentration. In a second time, the mass of pollutant at the outlet of the catchment at the global scale of the 34 events has been calculated. This approach shows that the simple hydraulic calculations gives better results than SWQM. Finally, the pollutographs are analysed, showing that storm water quality models are interesting tools to represent the shape of the pollutographs, and the dynamics of the phenomenon which can be useful in some projects for managers.


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