Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of Shallow Water Table Depth on Vegetative Filter Strips Retarding Transport of Nonpoint Source Pollution in Controlled Flume Experiments

  • Research paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Environmental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Vegetative filter strips (VFSs) have been recommended as the best management practice for reducing runoff nonpoint source (NPS) pollution. The efficiency of VFSs located adjacent to water bodies can vary with shallow water table depths (WTD). A vegetated soil tank containing silt loam soil and Shortleaf Lilyturf vegetation was designed to study the effects of VFSs under shallow WTD (0.08, 0.22, and 0.36 m) on retentions of surface runoff, sediment, phosphorus, and bromide. Experiments were conducted with a simulated rainfall intensity of 28 mm h−1 and inflow rates of 4.02–4.56 L min−1. The results revealed that a deep WTD, low grass spacing, and low slope had high VFS retention efficiencies. The retention efficiencies varied greatly from 35%, 70%, 64%, and 55% at the 0.08-m WTD in the experimental group with high grass spacing (6.69 cm) and low slope (5%) to 96%, 98%, 96%, and 95% at the 0.36-m WTD in the experimental group with low grass spacing (4.18 cm) and low slope (5%) for surface runoff, sediment, phosphorus, and bromide, respectively. A steeper slope (at the same grass spacing) increased the effects of the WTD on VFS performance. For each experimental group, the average surface runoff outflow rate decreased with the WTD, whereas the average subsurface lateral flow rate increased. The transport of phosphorus in the surface runoff almost resembled that of bromide, and the average concentration (C/C0 Ave) of phosphorus and bromide decreased with the WTD. For the subsurface lateral flow, the transport of bromide and phosphorus exhibited typical breakthrough behaviors during each experiment, and both the normalized phosphorus and bromide concentrations in increasing limbs could be described by power equations. The high concentration of pollutants in the subsurface lateral flow may have affected the adjacent water bodies and groundwater. In quantification of the impact of WTD on effectiveness of VFS, we can effectively control the NPS pollutants in a watershed.

Article highlights

  • VFS with deep WTD, low grass spacing, and low slope was beneficial for reducing NPS.

  • At the same grass spacing, a steeper slope increased the effects of the WTD on VFS performance.

  • The solute concentrations in increasing limbs can be described by power equations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abu-Zreig M, Rudra RP, Lalonde MN, Whiteley HR, Kaushik NK (2004) Experimental investigation of runoff reduction and sediment removal by vegetated filter strips. Hydrol Process 18(11):2029–2037

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arora K, Mickelson SK, Baker JL, Tierney DP, Peters CJ (1996) Herbicide retention by vegetative buffer strips from runoff under natural rainfall. Trans ASAE 39:2155–2162

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco H, Lal R (2008) Principles of soil conservation and management. Springer, Netherlands 9(1):199–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Cardoso F, Shelton D, Sadeghi A, Shirmohammadi A, Pachepsky Y, Dulaney W (2012) Effectiveness of vegetated filter strips in retention of Escherichia coli and Salmonella from swine manure slurry. J Environ Manage 110(18):1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carluer N, Lauvernet C, Noll D, Muñoz-Carpena R (2017) Defining context-specific scenarios to design vegetated buffer zones that limit pesticide transfer via surface runoff. Sci Total Environ 575:701–712

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Devito KJ, Fitzgerald D, Hill AR, Aravena R (2000) Nitrate dynamics in relation to lithology and hydrologic flow path in a river riparian zone. J Environ Qual 29(4):1075–1084

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dorioz JM, Wang D, Poulenard J, Trevisan D (2006) The effect of grass buffer strips on phosphorus dynamics—a critical review and synthesis as a basis for application in agricultural landscapes in France. Agr Ecosyst Environ 117(1):4–21

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dosskey MG (2001) Toward quantifying water pollution abatement in response to installing buffers on crop land. Environ Manage 28(5):577–598

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dosskey MG, Helmers MJ, Eisenhauer DE (2006) An approach for using soil surveys to guide the placement of water quality buffers. J Soil Water Conserv 61:344–354

    Google Scholar 

  • Dosskey MG, Hoagland KD, Brandle JR (2007) Change in filter strip performance over ten years. J Soil Water Conserv 62:21–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Edzwald JK, Toensing DC, Leung CY (1976) Phosphate adsorption reactions with clay minerals. Environ Sci Technol 10(5):485–490

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fink JR, Inda AV, Tiecher T, Barrón V (2016) Iron oxides and organic matter on soil phosphorus availability. Ciência E Agrotecnolofia 40(4):369–379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox GA, Penn CJ (2013) Empirical model for quantifying total phosphorus reduction by vegetative filter strips. Trans ASABE 56(4):1461–1469

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox GA, Muñoz-Carpena R, Purvis RA (2018) Controlled laboratory experiments and modeling of vegetative filter strips with shallow water tables. J Hydrol 556:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gérard F (2016) Clay minerals, iron/aluminum oxides, and their contribution to phosphate sorption in soils—a myth revisited. Geoderma 262:213–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giri S, Mukhtar S, Wittie R (2010) Vegetative covers for sediment control and phosphorus sequestration from dairy waste application fields. Trans ASABE 53(3):803–811

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gumiere SJ, Bissonnais YL, Raclot D, Cheviron B (2011) Vegetated filter effects on sedimentological connectivity of agricultural catchments in erosion modelling: a review. Earth Surf Proc Land 36(1):3–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guy BT, Dickinson WT, Rudra RP (1987) The roles of rainfall and runoff in the sediment transport capacity of interrill flow. Trans ASAE 30(5):1378–1386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill AR, Vidon PGF, Langat J (2004) Denitrification potential in relation to lithology in five headwater riparian zones. J Environ Qual 33(3):911–919

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krutz LJ, Senseman SA, Zablotowicz RM, Matocha MA (2005) Reducing herbicide runoff from agricultural fields with vegetative filter strips: a review. Weed Sci 53(3):353–367

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuo YM (2007) Vegetative filter strips to control surface runoff phosphorus transport from mining sand tailings in the upper peace river basin of Central Florida. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Florida

  • Kuo YM, Muñoz-Carpena R (2009) Simplified modeling of phosphorus removal by vegetative filter strips to control runoff pollution from phosphate mining areas. J Hydrol 378:343–354

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuo YM, Liu WW, Zhao E, Li R, Yao L (2019) Water quality variability in the middle and down streams of Han River under the influences of the Middle Route of South-North Water Diversion Project, China. J Hydrol 569:218–229

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lacas JG, Carluer N, Voltz M (2012) Efficiency of a grass buffer strip for limiting diuron losses from an uphill vineyard towards surface and subsurface waters. Pedosphere 22(4):580–592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambrechts T, François S, Lutts S, Muñoz-Carpen R, Bielders CL (2014) Impact of plant growth and morphology and of sediment concentration on sediment retention efficiency of vegetative filter strips: flume experiments and VFSMOD modeling. J Hydrol 511(7):800–810

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lauvernet C, Muñoz-Carpena R (2018) Shallow water table effects on water, sediment and pesticide transport in vegetative filter strips: part B. model coupling, application, factor importance and uncertainty. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci Discuss 1–31

  • Liu X, Zhang X, Zhang M (2008) Major factors influencing the efficacy of vegetated buffers on sediment trapping: a review and analysis. J Environ Qual 37(5):1667–1674

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz-Carpena R (1993) Modeling hydrology and sediment transport in vegetative filter strips Ph.D. Dissertation. Raleigh, NC, North Carolina State University. UMI 9404122

  • Muñoz-Carpena R, Parsons JE, Gilliam JW (1999) Modeling hydrology and sediment transport in vegetative filter strips. J Hydrol 214:111–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz-Carpena R, Fox GA, Sabbagh GJ (2010) Parameter importance and uncertainty in predicting runoff pesticide reduction with filter strips. J Environ Qual 39(2):630–641

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz-Carpena R, Lauvernet C, Carluer N (2018) Shallow water table effects on water, sediment, and pesticide transport in vegetative filter strips: part A. Nonuniform infiltration and soil water redistribution. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 22(1):1–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newman BD, Campbell AR, Wilcox BP (1998) Lateral subsurface flow pathways in a semiarid ponderosa pine hillslope. Water Resour Res 34(12):3485–3496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan XL, Deng W (2003) Advances in riparian buffers in agricultural catchments. J Agro Environ Sci 22(2):244–247

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peyrard X, Liger L, Guillemain C, Gouy V (2016) A trench study to assess transfer of pesticides in subsurface lateral flow for a soil with contrasting texture on a sloping vineyard in Beaujolais. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23(1):14–22

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman A, Rahman S, Cihacek L (2014) Influence of soil pH in vegetative filter strips for reducing soluble nutrient transport. Environ Technol 35(14):1744–1752

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen JJ, Baattrup-Pedersen A, Wiberg-Larsen P, Mcknight US, Kronvang B (2011) Buffer strip width and agricultural pesticide contamination in Danish lowland streams: implications for stream and riparian management. Ecol Eng 37(12):1990–1997

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reichenberger S, Bach M, Skitschak A, Frede HG (2007) Mitigation strategies to reduce pesticide inputs into ground- and surface water and their effectiveness; a review. Sci Total Environ 384(1–3):1–35

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schiettecatte W, Verbist K, Gabriels D (2008) Assessment of detachment and sediment transport capacity of runoff by field experiments on a silt loam soil. Earth Surf Proc Land 33(8):1302–1314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schilling KE, Jacobson P (2014) Effectiveness of natural riparian buffers to reduce subsurface nutrient losses to incised streams. CATENA 114(2):140–148

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shin J, Gil K (2014) Effect of rainfall characteristics on removal efficiency evaluation in vegetative filter strips. Environ Earth Sci 72(2):601–607

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simpkins WW, Wineland TR, Andress RJ, Johnston DA, Caron GC, Isenhart TM, Schultz R (2002) Hydrogeological constraints on riparian buffers for reduction of diffuse pollution: examples from the bear creek watershed in Iowa, USA. Water Sci Technol 45(9):61–68

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tomer MD, Schilling KE, Cambardella CA, Jacobson P, Drobney P (2010) Groundwater nutrient concentrations during prairie reconstruction on an lowa landscape. Agri Ecosyst Environ 139(1):206–213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • USDA (2000) Conservation buffers to reduce pesticide losses. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

  • van Der Velde Y, De Rooij GH, Rozemeijer JC, van Geer FC, Broers HP (2010) Nitrate response of a lowland catchment: on the relation between stream concentration and travel time distribution dynamics. Water Resour Res 46(1):2387–2392

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang M, Wu JQ, Huang SF (2008) Effects of slope and width of riparian buffer strips on runoff purification. Acta Ecol Sin 28(10):4951–4956 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang C, Wang Z, Lin L, Tian B, Pei Y (2012) Effect of low molecular weight organic acids on phosphorus adsorption by ferric-alum water treatment residuals. J Hazard Mater 203–204(4):145–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Zhang GH, Shi YY, Zhang XC (2014) Soil detachment by overland flow under different vegetation restoration models in the Loess Plateau of China. CATENA 116(5):51–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wen L, Zheng F, Shen H, Bian F, Jiang Y (2015) Rainfall intensity and inflow rate effects on hillslope soil erosion in the Mollisol region of Northeast China. Nat Hazards 79(1):381–395

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Withers PJA, Haygarth PM (2007) Agriculture, phosphorus and eutrophication: a European perspective. Soil Use Manag 23(s1):1–4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu L, Muñoz-Carpena R, Gao B, Yang W, Pachepsky YA (2014) Colloid filtration in surface dense vegetation: experimental results and theoretical predictions. Environ Sci Technol 48(7):3883–3890

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao B, Wang QH, Wang HF, Dai QH, Wu JY (2011) The effects of narrow grass hedges on soil and water loss on sloping lands with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in Northern China. Geoderma 167:91–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang F, Yang Y, Li H, Cao M (2015) Removal efficiencies of vegetation-specific filter strips on nonpoint source pollutants. Ecol Eng 82:145–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu C, Gao B, Muñoz-Carpena R (2012) Effect of dense vegetation on colloid transport and removal in surface runoff. J Hydrol 434–435(3):1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang GH, Liu GB, Wang GL, Wang YX (2011) Effects of vegetation cover and rainfall intensity on sediment-bound nutrient loss, size composition and volume fractal dimension of sediment particles. Pedosphere 21(5):676–684

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao CH, Gao J, Zhang M, Wang F, Zhang T (2016) Sediment deposition and overland flow hydraulics in simulated vegetative filter strips under varying vegetation covers. Hydrol Process 30(2):163–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou Y (2009) Pesticide transport and enrichment in water–soil environment: a case study of Jianghan Plain (in Chinese with English abstract)

Download references

Acknowledgements

Special thanks are given to Ke-ji Gao, Yan Li, and Xi Liu for their help in analyzing samples. This research was financially supported by the CRSRI Open Research Program (CKWV2018491/KY), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) (CUGCJ1704), and the China Geological Survey Project (12120114069301, 121201001000150121).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China

    Ran Li

  2. School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Yi-Ming Kuo

Authors
  1. Ran Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yi-Ming Kuo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Ran Li or Yi-Ming Kuo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, R., Kuo, YM. Effects of Shallow Water Table Depth on Vegetative Filter Strips Retarding Transport of Nonpoint Source Pollution in Controlled Flume Experiments. Int J Environ Res 15, 163–175 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41742-020-00305-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41742-020-00305-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation