Representation of Solid and Nutrient Concentrations in Irrigation Water from Tailwater-Recovery Systems by Surface Water Grab Samples
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 143, Issue 11
Abstract
Tailwater recovery (TWR) systems are being implemented on agricultural landscapes to create an additional source of irrigation water. Existing studies have sampled TWR systems using grab samples; however, the representation of solids and nutrient concentrations in these samples to water being irrigated from TWR systems has yet to be investigated. In order to test whether grab samples are representative of water pumped from TWR systems for irrigation use, this study compared concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), nitrate-nitrite (), and ammonium (). Grab samples were collected simultaneously from the surface water and from the respective outflow of irrigation infrastructure in six TWR systems. Comparison of 14 irrigation events showed TSS, TP, TN, TKN, , and did not differ (Pillai’s , ) between surface water grab samples and irrigation water samples. No differences () were found for TN, TP, , and TKN across sites. This research suggests surface water grab samples from TWR systems represent the solid and nutrient concentrations being irrigated at that moment of time.
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Acknowledgments
This study was supported by Delta Farmers Advocating Resource Management, Mississippi State’s Research and Education to Advance Conservation and Habitat program, and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experimental Station. This material is partially based on work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The authors thank the producers and landowners who allowed TWR system access. The authors thank Paul Rodrigue (USDA NRCS, Grenada, Mississippi) and Trinity Long (USDA NRCS, Indianola, Mississippi) for their help and sharing their extensive knowledge of TWR systems. The authors thank James E. Henderson (Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi) and Derek Faust (Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi) for support in preparing this manuscript, as well as Tyler Lacefield, Jonathon Rodgers, and Jay Hogue (Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, Mississippi) for field support. The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on the manuscript.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 143 • Issue 11 • November 2017
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 18, 2017
Accepted: May 12, 2017
Published online: Aug 25, 2017
Published in print: Nov 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Jan 25, 2018
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