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A comparison of erosion and water pollution control strategies for an agricultural watershed
Author(s) -
Prato Tony,
Shi Hongqi
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr026i002p00199
Subject(s) - nonpoint source pollution , riparian zone , watershed , environmental science , hectare , erosion , erosion control , hydrology (agriculture) , pollution , sediment control , agricultural pollution , water pollution , water resource management , agriculture , geography , engineering , ecology , geology , paleontology , geotechnical engineering , archaeology , machine learning , habitat , computer science , biology
The effectiveness and efficiency of two erosion control strategies and one water pollution control (riparian) strategy are compared for Idaho's Tom Beall watershed. Erosion control strategies maximize annualized net returns per hectare on each field and restrict field erosion rates to no more than 11.2 or 16.8 tons per hectare. The riparian strategy uses good vegetative cover on all fields adjacent to the creek and in noncropland areas and the resource management system that maximizes annualized net returns per hectare on remaining fields. The Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution model is used to simulate the levels and concentrations of sediment, nitrogen, phosphorus, and chemical oxygen demand at the outlet of the watershed. Erosion control strategies generate less total erosion and water pollution but are less efficient than the riparian strategy. The riparian strategy is less equitable for farmers than the erosion control strategies.