Influence of suspended particulates on phosphorus loading exported from farm drainage during a storm event in the Everglades Agricultural Area
PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of suspended particulates on P loading captured during a single storm event. The Everglades Agricultural Area of Florida comprises 280,000 ha of organic soil farmland artificially drained by ditches, canals, and pumps. Phosphorus (P) enriched suspended particulates in canals are susceptible to transport and can contribute significantly to the overall P loads in drainage water.Materials and methodsA settling tank experiment was conducted to capture suspended particulates during tropical storm Isaac in 2012 from three farms approximately 2.4 to 3.6 km2 in size. Farm canal discharge water was collected in a series of two 200 L settling tanks over a 7 day drainage period, during tropical storm Isaac. Water from the settling tanks was siphoned through Imhoff settling cones, where the suspended particulates were allowed to settle and collected for P fractionation analyses, and compared to intact sediment cores collected from the canals.Results and discussionThe discharged suspended particulates contained higher organic matter content, total P, and labile P fractions compared to the drainage canal sediments. Based on the equilibrium P concentrations, drainage canal sediments behave as a source of P to the water column. A 7 day continuous drainage event exported 4.7 to 11.1 t of suspended solids per farm, corresponding to 32 to 63 kg of particulate P being lost to downstream ecosystems. Drainage associated to this single 7 day storm event exported up to 61 of the total annual farm P load.ConclusionsIt is evident from this study that short term, high intensity storm events can skew annual P loads due to the export of significantly higher suspended particulate matter from farm canals. Exported particulates rich in P, if captured and replenished back on farmlands, would be a sustainable farming practice that can provide a supplemental source of nutrients.
Journal of Soils and Sediments