ARS | Publication request: Treating Ditch Sediments to Reduce Downstream Phosphorus Delivery

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: June 1, 2004
Publication Date: August 16, 2004
Citation: Smith, D.R., Warnemuende, E.A., Huang, C. 2004. Treating Ditch Sediments To Reduce Downstream Phosphorus Delivery. In: (W.J. Chadron And G.F. Koopmans EDS.). 4th International Phosphorus Workshop: Critial Evaluation Of Options For Reducing Phosphorus Loss From Agriculture. Wageningen, The Netherlands. August 16-19, 2004. P. 69.

Technical Abstract: Tile fed ditches are commonly used for drainage in the mid-western United States. Most of these ditches are man-made, and managed by local government agencies to ensure their functionality. Each ditch can drain as many as 5,000 ha or more, with the primary source of water being a mix of surface runoff and sub-surface flow from field tile. While many best management practices (BMP's) have been studied to reduce P loads to surface waters, these practices do not eliminate P reaching these water bodies. When P enters a managed ecosystem, such as the tile-fed drainage ditches, there is one more opportunity to reduce downstream delivery of P to receiving water bodies, by a physical or chemical treatment of the sediments that will geochemically bind P to the sediments. The goal of this project was to determine if physical or chemical treatments could change the physiochemical properties of sediments to sequester P, thus reducing the potential for downstream delivery.