scholarly journals A Framework for Assessing Modeling Performance and Effects of Rainfall-Catchment-Drainage Characteristics on Nutrient Urban Runoff in Poorly Gauged Watersheds

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 4933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Gorgoglione ◽  
Andrea Gioia ◽  
Vito Iacobellis

Protection of surface water quality plays a crucial role for sustainable urban watershed management since the wash-off from impervious contaminated surfaces generates transport phenomena from a range of pollutants (like nutrients, such as total nitrogen (Ntot) and total phosphorus (Ptot)). This leads to the consequent reduction of water quality, and to phenomena, such as eutrophication and the presence of algae blooms. For this reason, a comprehensive understanding of nutrient build-up and wash-off is essential for efficient stormwater treatment design. However, data scarcity could represent one of the main limitations in this context. This manuscript presents a methodological framework able to tackle such limitations by an in-depth investigation of the main factors that influence the build-up and wash-off from impervious surfaces, including rainfall, watershed, and drainage-network characteristics. The outcomes highlight the key role played by the antecedent dry period, among the rainfall characteristics, and the width of the overland flow path, among the catchment/drainage characteristics. It is also confirmed as appropriate to use suspended solids as a surrogate for the investigation of the behavior of other pollutant species. Additionally, the capability of this approach in assessing modeling performance was successfully tested. The results of the present study are expected to contribute valuable knowledge for defining effective management strategies to minimize stream pollution and protect the health of aquatic ecosystems in urban watersheds characterized by data scarcity.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6565
Author(s):  
Shama E. Haque

Phosphorus is an essential component of modern agriculture. Long-term land application of phosphorous-enriched fertilizers and animal manure leads to phosphorus accumulation in soil that may become susceptible to mobilization via erosion, surface runoff and subsurface leaching. Globally, highly water-soluble phosphorus fertilizers used in agriculture have contributed to eutrophication and hypoxia in surface waters. This paper provides an overview of the literature relevant to the advances in phosphorous management strategies and surface water quality problems in the U.S. Over the past several decades, significant advances have been made to control phosphorus discharge into surface water bodies of the U.S. However, the current use of phosphorus remains inefficient at various stages of its life cycle, and phosphorus continues to remain a widespread problem in many water bodies, including the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Erie. In particular, the Midwestern Corn Belt region of the U.S. is a hotspot of phosphorous fertilization that has resulted in a net positive soil phosphorous balance. The runoff of phosphorous has resulted in dense blooms of toxic, odor-causing phytoplankton that deteriorate water quality. In the past, considerable attention was focused on improving the water quality of freshwater bodies and estuaries by reducing inputs of phosphorus alone. However, new research suggests that strategies controlling the two main nutrients, phosphorus and nitrogen, are more effective in the management of eutrophication. There is no specific solution to solving phosphorus pollution of water resources; however, sustainable management of phosphorus requires an integrated approach combining at least a reduction in consumption levels, source management, more specific regime-based nutrient criteria, routine soil fertility evaluation and recommendations, transport management, as well as the development of extensive phosphorus recovery and recycling programs.


1996 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 25-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret A. House

The visual and odorous characteristics of the environment tend to be those which have the greatest impact upon the public's assessment of environmental quality. In many cases the public's perception of water quality may be based entirely on these aesthetic aspects of a water environment. Those responsible for the management of surface water quality recognise the need to apply a range of management strategies including a consideration of the public's perception of water quality and the impact of this upon their use of rivers and beaches for recreation and amenity. This paper reports upon the results from a recent investigation into the impact of sewage derived litter on perceived water and environmental quality.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-40
Author(s):  
G. Mahalakshm .

The Noyyal River is a tributary of river Cauvery has been one of the most predominant and important rivers of Tamil Nadu. Unfortunately, certain stretches of river Noyyal are polluted due to effluent discharge from the industries and domestic sewage. The effective water environmental management strategies required to be implemented in this river to upgrade the water quality and to ensure sustainable development in the region. The aim of this work was to provide a basis for water environmental management in process of making important decisions. In this study WASP (Water Quality Simulation Program) is used as a model to identify the processes that underlie river water quality problems in a basin. WASP was recommended by EPA used as water quality model. Simulated values of Nitrate (NO3), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Alkalinity and pH demonstrated the accuracy of the model and despite a significant data shortage in the study area. WASP model was found to be an acceptable tool for the assessment of water quality.


2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 168-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiren B Soni ◽  
Sheju Thomas

The present study involved the determination of surface water quality index of tropical sacred wetland viz. Dakor Pilgrimage Wetland (DPW), Central Gujarat, India. The main aim of the study was to evaluate various water quality parameters to draw-out the water quality index for an assessment of a tropical aquatic body. The monthly values of pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total alkalinity (TA), Total Hardness (TH), Calcium Hardness (Ca), Magnesium Hardness (Mg), Chloride, Sulphate, Phosphate, Sodium, and Potassium, were analyzed to compute water quality index (WQI). The results manifest that WQI at site 1 (D1) was maximum (161.74), followed by D2 (159.96), and minimum at site 3 (D3) (157.19). The values clearly depicts that quality of water is completely unfit for human consumption unless and until strict and mandatory steps are taken to rejuvenate it. The suggestive measures to improve the overall health of an aquatic body is also discussed herewith alongwith conservation measures and management strategies. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i1.9952 International Journal of Environment Vol.3(1) 2014: 168-176


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 1593-1609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Honti ◽  
Nele Schuwirth ◽  
Jörg Rieckermann ◽  
Christian Stamm

Abstract. The design and evaluation of solutions for integrated surface water quality management requires an integrated modelling approach. Integrated models have to be comprehensive enough to cover the aspects relevant for management decisions, allowing for mapping of larger-scale processes such as climate change to the regional and local contexts. Besides this, models have to be sufficiently simple and fast to apply proper methods of uncertainty analysis, covering model structure deficits and error propagation through the chain of sub-models. Here, we present a new integrated catchment model satisfying both conditions. The conceptual iWaQa model was developed to support the integrated management of small streams. It can be used to predict traditional water quality parameters, such as nutrients and a wide set of organic micropollutants (plant and material protection products), by considering all major pollutant pathways in urban and agricultural environments. Due to its simplicity, the model allows for a full, propagative analysis of predictive uncertainty, including certain structural and input errors. The usefulness of the model is demonstrated by predicting future surface water quality in a small catchment with mixed land use in the Swiss Plateau. We consider climate change, population growth or decline, socio-economic development, and the implementation of management strategies to tackle urban and agricultural point and non-point sources of pollution. Our results indicate that input and model structure uncertainties are the most influential factors for certain water quality parameters. In these cases model uncertainty is already high for present conditions. Nevertheless, accounting for today's uncertainty makes management fairly robust to the foreseen range of potential changes in the next decades. The assessment of total predictive uncertainty allows for selecting management strategies that show small sensitivity to poorly known boundary conditions. The identification of important sources of uncertainty helps to guide future monitoring efforts and pinpoints key indicators, whose evolution should be closely followed to adapt management. The possible impact of climate change is clearly demonstrated by water quality substantially changing depending on single climate model chains. However, when all climate trajectories are combined, the human land use and management decisions have a larger influence on water quality against a time horizon of 2050 in the study.


2014 ◽  
Vol 3-4 ◽  
pp. 77-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Galbally ◽  
Declan Ryan ◽  
John Finnan ◽  
Jim Grant ◽  
Colette C. Fagan ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
R.W. Mcdowell ◽  
R.J. Paton

This paper outlines findings for three experiments on the AgResearch Invermay deer farm that quantified soil and water quality via fence-line pacing and wallowing, and water quality in streams draining the farm. Five weeks after winter grazing (28 hinds/ha), fence-line pacing decreased soil macroporosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity, and increased suspended sediment (SS; 0.226 g/100ml), total phosphorus (P) (TP; 2.0 mg/l), mainly as particulate P (up to 90% of TP), and E. coli (3.52 log10 cfu/100ml) concentrations in a simulated overland flow 1 day after grazing had stopped compared to soils from the rest of the paddock (0.148 g/100ml, 0.86 mg/l and 2.86 log10/100ml). Six weeks following a first simulated rainfall event, and without interim grazing, concentrations in the second simulated event had decreased but losses of P, especially in fence-line paced soils, were still high and above recommended limits for surface water quality (TP = 0.033 mg/l). A survey of visible erosion in 6 deer paddocks with topography (2- 10o) yielded a mean erosion rate of 1.08 t/ha/yr (range, 0.41-2.01 t/ha/yr), 43% associated with fence-lines, troughs or gateways and 57% associated with wallows. Data from three waterways indicated that mean values for two sites that drain 100% deer farmed land, exceeded current lowland surface water limits for dissolved (0.01 mg/l) and TP (0.033 mg/l) and ammoniacal-nitrogen (N) (0.021 mg N/l). Limits for E. coli (126 E. coli/100ml) and nitrate-N (0.444 mg N/l) were also exceeded at another site, which drained a wallow. All guideline values were exceeded during storm flow when ephemeral streams, commonly draining wallows, were flowing to permanent waterways. However, loads of P, N and SS were below average for mixed-grazing pasture catchments in New Zealand. This was attributed to a dry year (rainfall


2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 202-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiren B Soni ◽  
Sheju Thomas

The present paper highlights the preliminary investigation of physico-chemical characteristics of tropical pilgrimage wetland viz. Dakor Sacred Wetland (DSW), Anand District, Central Gujarat, India. As the existing water body is contaminated with domestic sewage influenced by anthropogenic interventions, an urgent need was felt to evaluate physico-chemical parameters such as Temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Total Solids (TS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Free CO2, Phenolphthalein Alkalinity (PA), Total Alkalinity (TA), Carbonates, Bicarbonates, Total Hardness, Calcium Hardness, Magnesium Hardness, Chloride, Salinity, Sulphate, Phosphate, Nitrate, Sodium, and Potassium. The obtained data were correlated statistically to draw a conclusion about the surface water quality of tropical pilgrimage wetland. Moreover, the results manifested the need and prime necessity to restore the physical, chemical and biological integrity with viable and rigorous restoration and management strategies in order to maintain, preserve, conserve and to avert the ecological imbalance and disturbance in hydro-geo-chemical and hydro-biological cycles, which adversely affect the food chain and food web of the significant pond ecosystem. International Journal of Environment, Volume-2, Issue-1, Sep-Nov 2013, Pages 202-223 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v2i1.9222


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