Browsing by Subject "drainage"
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Item Available Wetlands for Bioenergy Purposes - Land Use and Drainage Constraints(Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota, and Minnesota Energy Agency, 1981) CURAItem Characterization of Runoff Quality from Paved Low-Volume Roads and Optimization of Treatment Methods(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2020-09) Natarajan, Poornima; Weiss, Peter T.; Gulliver, John S.Vehicular traffic contributes a large fraction of the pollutant load in stormwater runoff from roadways. While runoff concentrations have historically been characterized for urban roads with high average daily traffic (ADT), the runoff quality from paved rural roads that have relatively low ADT is largely unknown. In this study, runoff from low-volume roads (ADT < 1500) in Minnesota was monitored at 10 locations during 174 rainfall events in 2018 and 2019. The initial concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), nitrate+nitrite, and heavy metals in the runoff, and the relationship between measured concentrations and site-specific conditions were analyzed. Concentrations were strongly influenced by the surrounding land use and soil type. Sites with agricultural lands had higher mean TSS, TP, and zinc concentrations, and lower nitrite+nitrate concentrations than wooded sites, which can be related to the type of soil that would get transported onto the roadways. When compared to existing urban runoff quality data, the estimated event mean concentrations (EMCs) in rural road runoff were substantially lower for copper and zinc and marginally lower for TSS, TP and nitrate+nitrite. Based on detailed cost-benefit analysis of various roadside treatment options, roadside drainage ditches/swales are recommended for cost-effective treatment of runoff from low-volume roads over ponds, sand filters and infiltration basins. Example road widening projects were also modeled to determine how stormwater management requirements can be achieved using drainage ditches/swales.Item Effects of Drainage Projects on Surface Runoff from Small Depressional Watersheds in the North Central Region(Water Resources Research Center, University of Minnesota, 1979-01) Moore, Ian D.; Larson, Curtis L.Surface runoff from small watersheds characterized by numerous depressions was studied statistically and by use of a special purpose watershed model. The statistical analyses illustrated the possible magnitude of the storage effect exhibited by lakes, marshes and other depressions. Because of data limitations statistical techniques could not be used to examine the effects on flood runoff of draining these same areas. The model, described in the Bulletin, represents the process of snowmelt, infiltration, soil moisture storage, evapotranspiration, subsurface and surface runoff for four different land drainage conditions, with or without channel development. Application of the model to two small watersheds in Jackson County, Minnesota indicated that drainage development increases annual runoff, storm runoff and peak discharge. The physical characteristics of the main water course in the watershed was the major factor influencing peak discharge at the watershed outlet. Examination of annual flood flows on the Minnesota River at Mankato suggests that downstream effects of drainage development on large watersheds are much less than indicated by this study on small watersheds. Downstream effects and flooding within a watershed are discussed in general terms in the Bulletin.Item History of Drainage Law in Minnesota with Special Emphais on the Legal Status of Wet Lands(Water Resources Research Center, University of Minnesota, 1980-11) King, K. EltonThis work contains a capsulized view of the laws and attitudes that have shaped Minnesota's drainage history and formed the basis for the State's present drainage law. Special importance has been placed on the evolution of the law as it pertains to wet lands. Additionally, a set of appendices has been included in order to provide a more detailed view of certain laws and significant legal precedents. The intent of this publication is not to present a definitive statement on present or past law, but rather to provide an introduction to Minnesota's drainage law from which further investigations may begin.Item Nature and Effects of County Drainage Ditches in South Central Minnesota(Water Resources Research Center, 1980-11) Quade, Henry W.; Boyum, Kent W.; Braaten, Duane O.; Gordon, Donald; Pierce, Clay L.; Silis, Ainars Z.; Smith, David R.; Thompson, Bill C.The extent of county drainage was determined for four counties in South Central Minnesota followed by a study of the geomorphic nature of man’s drainage in contrast to natural drainage. Selected drainage ditches and low order rivers were sampled for water quality and quantity in order to determine the contributions and timing of nutrient loads from each. Seventy-nine percent of the drainage ditches were found to terminate into rivers and they more than doubled the length of the surface fluvial systems. The closeness of fit of the drainage ditch systems to the low order Strahler classification scheme suggests that man has taken an immature lake-marsh environment and within 100 years created a geomorphically mature fluvial landscape. Nutrient loading by ditches into receiving bodies was found to vary by season, by individual ditch or river, and by stream order indicating that each ditch was unique. Water quality of one ditch during this wet study year was compared to a previous dry year study and the nutrient loading data was consistent and predictable. The most significant loading nutrient chemical parameter to the Minnesota River was found to be nitrate-nitrogen. Flow showed flashy response to storm events in some ditches and some were quite conservative. Sediment load was directly correlated to flow.Item Plant diversity, CO2 and N influence inorganic and organic N leaching in grasslands(2007) Dijkstra, Feike A; West, Jason B; Hobbie, Sarah E; Reich, Peter B; Trost, JaredIn nitrogen (N)-limited systems, the potential to sequester carbon depends on the balance between N inputs and losses as well as on how efficiently N is used, yet little is known about responses of these processes to changes in plant species richness, atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]), and N deposition. We examined how plant species richness (1 or 16 species), elevated [CO2] (ambient or 560 ppm), and inorganic N addition (0 or 4 g·m−2·yr−1) affected ecosystem N losses, specifically leaching of dissolved inorganic N (DIN) and organic N (DON) in a grassland field experiment in Minnesota, USA. We observed greater DIN leaching below 60 cm soil depth in the monoculture plots (on average 1.8 and 3.1 g N·m−2·yr−1 for ambient N and N-fertilized plots respectively) than in the 16-species plots (0.2 g N·m−2·yr−1 for both ambient N and N-fertilized plots), particularly when inorganic N was added. Most likely, loss of complementary resource use and reduced biological N demand in the monoculture plots caused the increase in DIN leaching relative to the high-diversity plots. Elevated [CO2] reduced DIN concentrations under conditions when DIN concentrations were high (i.e., in N-fertilized and monoculture plots). Contrary to the results for DIN, DON leaching was greater in the 16-species plots than in the monoculture plots (on average 0.4 g N·m−2·yr−1 in 16-species plots and 0.2 g N·m−2·yr−1 in monoculture plots). In fact, DON dominated N leaching in the 16-species plots (64% of total N leaching as DON), suggesting that, even with high biological demand for N, substantial amounts of N can be lost as DON. We found no significant main effects of elevated [CO2] on DIN or DON leaching; however, elevated [CO2] reduced the positive effect of inorganic N addition on DON leaching, especially during the second year of observation. Our results suggest that plant species richness, elevated [CO2], and N deposition alter DIN loss primarily through changes in biological N demand. DON losses can be as large as DIN loss but are more sensitive to organic matter production and turnover.Item Proceedings of the 1st Agricultural Drainage and Water Quality Field Day(2002-08-14) Strock, Jeffrey S.; Baker, Jim; Busman, Lowell; Gupta, Satish; Moncrief, John; Randall, Gyles; Russelle, Michael; Taylor, ElwynnItem Proceedings of the 2nd Agricultural Drainage and Water Quality Field Day(2005-08-19) Strock, Jeffrey S.; Fausey, Norm; Kanwar, Ramesh; Skaggs, Wayne; Gupta, Satish; Moncrief, JohnItem Proceedings of the 3rd Soil and Water Management Field Day and Workshop(2008-08-13) Strock, Jeffrey S.; Baker, John; Pitts, Don; Birr, Adam; Rice, Pam; Venterea, RodItem Proceedings of the 5th Soil and Water Management Field Day(2014-07-23) Strock, Jeffrey S.; Baker, John; Hatfield, Jerry; Sereg, Catherine; Todey, Dennis; Wohnoutka, Shawn; Castellano, Mike; Ingels, Chad; Tollefson, DavidItem Proceedings of the 6th Soil and Water Management Field Day(2017-07-18) Strock, Jeffrey S.; Ahaiblame, Lauren; Gupta, Satish; Ranaivoson, Andry; Varga, Tamas; Dalzell, Brent; Hummel, Alexander; Zhang, LuItem Soil Organic Carbon Responses Following Two Years of Subsurface Tile Drainage Installation in Northwest Minnesota(2022-07) Sherbine, KyleInstallation of subsurface tile drainage systems is growing in Minnesota as a management technique to mitigate the impacts of changing precipitation patterns, and the initial effect of drainage on soil organic carbon cycling is poorly understood. Altering the water table in arable soils may impact biogeochemical cycling and soil processes by changing soil oxygen levels and subsequently, where soil biota can persist. Drainage is likely to expose previously protected soil organic matter (SOM) to microbial decomposition, with unknown consequences for soil carbon cycling and storage. This two-year study tracked changes in SOM pools down to 90 cm in silty clay loams at the University of Minnesota Northwest Research and Outreach Center in Crookston, MN following fall 2019 drainage installation. The objective of this project is to help us evaluate changes in carbon cycling in recently drained soils, and whether drainage is likely to increase or decrease total C stocks. These measurements have implications for grower participation in carbon markets and government programs incentivizing climate-smart agriculture. As bulk soil C stocks may change slowly but active C may change seasonally, we measured potentially mineralizable carbon (PMC) and water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC), indices of labile C, three times per year. Particulate (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM), representing short and long-term SOM storage, were measured annually and characterized by their quantity, quality, and relative contribution to total soil organic carbon (SOC). Finally, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions were measured across the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons to observe changes in microbial byproducts. Precipitation across the 2020 growing season (437 mm) was more than double the precipitation across the 2021 growing season (217 mm). We found that PMC and WEOC were significantly influenced by the season in which sampling occurred with higher quantities in spring and lower quantities in fall. The POM characteristics were influenced by drainage treatments with drained plots containing greater quantities (0-30 and 60-90 cm) and a greater relative contribution of POM-OC to total SOC (30-60 and 60-90 cm). The MAOM quality decreased over the two-year study (30-60 and 60-90 cm), but the relative contribution of MAOM-OC to total SOC increased at all depths in the final year. These results indicate POM is more affected by large-scale management decisions, whereas MAOM is affected by shifts over time in local, small-scale processes. Drainage did not significantly affect CO2 or CH4 emissions; however, CO2 emissions were significantly less in 2021 due to decreased precipitation and exceptional drought conditions in Polk County, Minnesota. Overall, we found little evidence of subsurface tile drainage depleting SOM pools or increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Future research should be conducted to evaluate how soil C is affected by subsurface drainage in the long run.