Phosphorus Transport From the Soil to Surface Water

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Phosphorus Transport From the Soil to Surface
Water

• Field Observations Supported by a Review of
  Current Literature

By Rick Wilson Ohio EPA-Division of Surface
Water September 15, 2008
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Ohio EPAs interest in Dissolved and Ortho-P and
monitoring strategy adjustment

• Claim or Myth? Phosphorus only moves when is
  sorbed or attached to sediment
• Dissolved Phosphorus is highly bioavailable. It
  is a key ingredient to harmful algal blooms and
  Lake Erie.
• Obstacle Field filtration for dissolved and
  Ortho-P analysis historically difficult and time
  consuming.

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Nonpoint source water quality pollution is all
about runoff and land useField Modeling Staff
effort to collect Dissolved/Ortho P data during
substantial runoff event in Paint Creek watershed
on June 4, 2008

• Paint Creek watershed predominant land use is
  agriculture. (77 agriculture, 19 wooded, lt1
  urban) photo.
• Total flowLooking back from 9-11-08
• Last 30 days 217 Million gallons (as low as 3.1
  cfs)
• Previous to that 30 days-- 3.7 Billion gallons
• June 4, 2008 3.9 Billion gallons (6080 cfs)
  (16,000 kg P)
• June 4-6, 2008---10.6 Billion gallons (45,000 kg
  P)

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Example High Flow event WQ data

• 12 samples collected in Paint Creek and largest
  Paint Creek tributaries during high flow on June
  4, 2008
• Samples field filtered to determine what fraction
  of Total Phosphorus is Dissolved or
  Ortho-Phosphorus (i.e., what fraction is readily
  bioavailable?
• Flow on June 4, 2008 was 6080 cfs at one gauge on
  Paint Creek. Compared to August 24 when the flow
  dipped to 3.1 cfs (2000X lower)

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12 samples from Paint Creek watershed mainstem
and largest tributaries on 6-4-08

• Average Total P 0.401 mg/L
• Average Ortho P 0.232 mg/L (Highly bioavailable)
• Average Suspended Solids 318 mg/L
• DRP concentration was 58 of Total P
• Approx 16,000 kg P between the banks in Paint
  Creek on June 4, 2008. Substantial High flow
  continued for 2 more days

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Lake Erie-Western BasinResearch from Heidelberg
College (Baker et al)

• Past 33 years of data from Ohio Tributary Loading
  program has shown dissolved reactive phosphorus
  (DRP) loading decreased 65 through mid 1990s.
  Since then, DRP loads have increased rapidly and
  in 2007 reached historic highs.
• The high bioavailability of DRP make it a prime
  suspect in the recurrence of harmful algal blooms
  within Lake Erie.
• Excessive phosphorus loading identified as cause
  for increases in Blue-green algae (Microcystis).

Photo by Thomas Bridgeman, University of Toledo
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Lake Erie-Western BasinResearch from Heidelberg
College (Baker et al)

• The increases in DRP loading are derived from
  cropland and are linked to changing fertilizer
  management associated with conservation tillage
  and to stratification in the soil column.
• Storm water from cropland runoff entering
  southern shores of Lake Erie contain high
  concentrations of dissolved nutrients, including
  DRP and Nitrate. As sediments settle out of the
  water column, these nutrients are available to
  support algal growth

Photo by Thomas Bridgeman, University of Toledo
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Baker et al, 2007
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Western and Central Basins---Lake ErieSatellite
Image, April 2, 2008Sagady Associates, East
Lansing, MI.
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Agricultural Phosphorus and Eutrophication,
Second Edition A.N. Sharpley, T. Daniel, T. Sims,
J. Lemunyon, R. Stevens, and R. Parry United
States Department of Agriculture Agricultural
Research Service, ARS149, September 2003
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Thaw Hydrograph Feb 22-March 3, 2007
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Phosphorus Leaching Through Intact Soil Columns
Before and After Poultry Manure Application-March
2005Kleinman, Srinivasan, Sharpley, Gburek

• The study highlights the role of manure in
  temporarily increasing the potential for
  subsuraface P transport in soils.
• Before manure application, concentrations of P
  in leachate were low, with DRP consisting of less
  than 10 of total P in leachate.
• After manure application, all columns exhibitied
  significant increases in leachate P
  concentrations, primarily due to DRP, identifying
  soluble P in manure as the major source of
  leachate P.

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Composted Poultry Manure Water Extraction--Dissolv
ed-P test results1.0 gram Composted Poultry
manure stirred into 1.00 liter H2O
Almost 60 of Dissolved P went into solution in
the first 10 minutes
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Poultry-Layer Manure Land Application-Union
CountySamples Collected Feb 26, 2007
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Thaw Hydrograph Feb 22-March 3, 2007
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Effect of Broadcast Manure on Runoff Phosphorus
Concentrations over Successive Rainfall
EventsPeter J.A. Kleinman and Andrew N. Sharpley
(JEQ-2003)

• Implication to Phosphorus Site Assessment Indices
• findings of this study suggest that differential
  erosion of broadcast manure can be an important
  contributor to the variation in runoff TP
  concentrations among soils. In many areas,
  manure is broadcast onto no-till and grassed
  soils that have low erosion rates. While soil
  erosion is included as a transport factor in all
  site assessment indices, it is possible that
  erosion of applied manure is not adequately
  represented.

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Downstream land where separated sand solids from
Dairy Manure were land applied onto frozen /snow
covered land
March 1, 2007, 1538 hrs.
February 26, 2007, 1225 hrs
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Effect of Broadcast Manure on Runoff Phosphorus
Concentrations over Successive Rainfall
EventsPeter J.A. Kleinman and Andrew N. Sharpley
(JEQ-2003)

• Broadcast manure concentrates soluble P at the
  soil surface where it is readily available to
  runoff into water (Sharpley et al., 1984)
• Of existing manure application methods,
  broadcasting generally results in the greatest
  potential for soluble P losses in runoff (Zhao et
  al., 2001)

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How does phosphorus move from fields to streams?
Under conservation tillage phosphorus
accumulates at the soil surface.
From Heidelberg College Baker et al.
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Poultry Manure Runoff Associated with Thaw
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Water Quality Sample Results(From One Poultry
Manure Runoff Incident)
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Effect of Broadcast Manure on Runoff Phosphorus
Concentrations over Successive Rainfall
EventsPeter J.A. Kleinman and Andrew N. Sharpley
(JEQ-2003)

• Trends with successive Rain Events
• Results confirm the importance of timing and
  sequence of runoff event relative to manure
  application on runoff P concentrations, as
  illustrated by DRP, TP, and SS concentration in
  runoff from Buchanan soil broadcast with 100 kg
  TP/ha
• Runoff water may remove sufficient quantities of
  P from the soil surface such that less P is
  available to runoff over time.
• McDowell and Sharpley (2002, 2003) found that
  eroded sediments are generally enriched with P
  relative to other solids at the soil surface, and
  are a key source of P in runoff from soils
  receiving recent applications of manure

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Effect of Broadcast Manure on Runoff Phosphorus
Concentrations over Successive Rainfall
EventsPeter J.A. Kleinman and Andrew N. Sharpley
(JEQ-2003)

• Due to the high concentration of soluble P in
  manure, much of the increase in runoff TP
  concentrations from manure-amended soils was
  related to soluble P losses, as evidenced by the
  contribution of DRP to runoff TP concentrations.
  In runoff from soils broadcast with manure, DRP
  concentrations ranged from 30-93 of TP
  concentrations, with the contribution of DRP to
  TP increasing with application rate.

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GLSM WatershedDecember 05
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GLSM Thaw- December 2005
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Feedlot RunoffA lot of manure concentrated in
one spot Higher concentration of pollutants
(load?)
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Robin ShepardJSWC-J/A 2005

• Study results show implementation of current
  nutrient management plans is far from fully
  achieved, and the evolution to phosphorus
  (P)-based CNMPS would require even more follow up
  assistance to farmers. The complexity of P-based
  plans, and because so few farmers currently
  credit on-farm sources of P2O5 will make
  widespread success difficult, possibly
  unrealistic. Given the information and
  educational needs associated with implementing a
  plan, it may be more effective to work
  extensively with a few farmers in targeted areas
  that are determined to be more susceptible to
  nutrient loss (Eghball and Power 1999
  Heathwaite, et al., 2000, Nowak and Chabot,
  2004).Although tremendous effort has gone into
  federal and state programs to protect water
  resources from nonpoint sources of pollution by
  promoting and/or requiring a nutrient management
  plan (NMP), just having an NMP does not reduce
  excess nutrient application nor does it guarantee
  improvements in water quality.

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P-Task Force

• Recommendations to Director Korleski expected in
  2008.
• OEPA should monitor or require monitoring for
  dissolved reactive P.
• Agriculture and Agronomics (laundry list)
• Soil tests (soil test methods and use)
• Work toward updated and Improved Agricultural
  BMPs which specifically address to issues raised
  today. Improve and Phosphorus Index and use it.
  
• Should open doors for increase for water quality
  research in agricultural landscape, for
  multivariate study
• Point sources (ortho-phosphate in Drinking water,
  lawns fertilizers and detergents) arent off the
  hook

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• Thaw event

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For Questions or More Info Call

• cathy.alexander_at_epa.state.oh.us
• [phone]
• rick.wilson_at_epa.state.oh.us
• [phone]
• Information on Ohio EPA Water Quality
  Information http//www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/index.
  html