Assessing the Effectiveness of Alternative Tile Intakes on Agricultural Hillslopes

Christopher G. Wilson; Matthew T. Streeter; William D. Ettema; Benjamin K. B. Abban; Adrian Gonzalez; Keith E. Schilling; Athanasios N. Papanicolaou

doi:10.3390/w16020309

Back

Assessing the Effectiveness of Alternative Tile Intakes on Agricultural Hillslopes

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Assessing the Effectiveness of Alternative Tile Intakes on Agricultural Hillslopes

Christopher G. Wilson, Matthew T. Streeter, William D. Ettema, Benjamin K. B. Abban, Adrian Gonzalez, Keith E. Schilling and Athanasios N. Papanicolaou

Water (Basel), Vol.16(2), 309

01/17/2024

DOI: 10.3390/w16020309

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.3390/w16020309View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Existing surface inlets behind terraces and water and sediment control basins (WASCoBs) were replaced with alternative tile intakes (ATIs) in agricultural fields of southeast Iowa. These ATIs consisted of a buried column of gravel atop woodchips. Computational, experimental, and field methods were used to design and evaluate the ATIs’ capacity to reduce sediment and nutrient export. Single-storm simulations using the Watershed Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) provided boundary conditions for permeameter experiments that yielded a hydraulic conductivity for the layered gravel–woodchip configuration of 4.59 cm/s ± 0.36 cm/s. Additionally, a proportional amount of sediment was retained in the permeameter (42%) compared to the amount that settled on the permeameter surface (58%). Event monitoring of field-installed ATIs during three growing seasons measured a sediment trapping efficiency of 86 ± 12% that led to deposition rates of 5.44 ± 3.77 cm/yr, quantified with 210Pb profiles. Percent reduction values were 43% for nitrate and 17% for ortho-phosphate. Finally, long-term continuous-storm modeling using the WEPP suggested that these ATIs could withstand at least 75 25-year events before clogging. Modeling using the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework suggested watershed-scale load reductions of 1.6% for NO3 and 1.4% for total P for ATIs draining 6.8% of the modeled watershed. Using ATIs in conjunction with WASCOBs and terraces, or as standalone practices, can be a cost-effective means for keeping sediment and nutrients in the landscape.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Assessing the Effectiveness of Alternative Tile Intakes on Agricultural Hillslopes
Creators: Christopher G. Wilson - University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Matthew T. Streeter - University of Iowa
William D. Ettema - Ducks Unlimited
Benjamin K. B. Abban
Adrian Gonzalez - University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Keith E. Schilling - University of Iowa
Athanasios N. Papanicolaou - National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Water (Basel), Vol.16(2), 309
DOI: 10.3390/w16020309
ISSN: 2073-4441
eISSN: 2073-4441
Grant note: name: U.S. Department Of Agriculture; name: Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grants, award: #74-6114-10-012; DOI: 10.13039/100009171, name: Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grants—Iowa, award: NR186114XXXXG001
Language: English
Date published: 01/17/2024
Academic Unit: Earth and Environmental Sciences; IIHR--Hydroscience and Engineering
Record Identifier: 9984548480102771

Metrics

21 Record Views

1 Times Cited - Web of Science