Progress 10/20/03 to 10/19/07
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) The project is a comprehensive evaluation of the McIntosh Park Enhanced Stormwater Treatment Wetland (ETW) Project. The McIntosh Park ETW is a combination of two BMP technologies (stormwater wetlands and alum injection). The proposed BMP evaluation project will provide answers to the following questions concerning the efficacy of this type of combined BMP: (1) What are reasonable pollutant load reduction expectations for a stormwater wetland created in an improved pasture? (2) What is the enhancement to load reduction provided by the addition of a chemical injection system? (3) What is the optimum placement of a chemical injection system when used in conjunction with a stormwater wetland? (4) What is the habitat value of a stormwater wetland? (4) What impacts can be expected to the benthic invertebrate communities when a chemical injection system is used? (5) What changes occur in the CEC and phosphorus removal efficiency of soils after treatment with alum flocculent as soil amendments? and, (6) What types of wetland and transitional zone plants are most effective in the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from surface waters? Approach (from AD-416) To better understand the biogeochemical response of soils to stormwater and alum treatments, "baseline data" and "reference conditions" of soil properties must be established and understood. This will be accomplished by conducting field sampling and short-term incubations tests and evaluations that mimic field conditions, before and after the wetland system is established. Representative soil cores (~1 meter) from previously grazed areas and adjoining natural wetlands will be collected before and after the wetland system becomes established. Soil core samples from the area (up to nine sites in grazed areas and three sites from adjoining wetland cells) using hydraulic sinker drill will be collected up to soil depth of 1 meter to establish the 'baseline' conditions. Soil samples will be collected from the same sites four weeks after flooding. This will allow us to establish the 'reference' conditions associated with initial wetting. Soil samples following initial wetting will be collected from the same sites during the wet (August) and the dry season (March). Soil core samples (about 1 meter) will be subdivided into about 20-cm increment. The mobility, reactivity, and forms of phosphorus will also be analyzed during the post-BMP condition. The spatial and temporal dynamics of soil phosphorus during the post-BMP condition (4 weeks after wetting) will be assessed using a "peeper" device. Greenhouse evaluation includes soil mixtures with alum containing 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% dried alum flocs. Bahiagrass establishment and growth properties will be monitored and evaluated. Soil samples will be collected from wetland cells prior to flooding. The field evaluation will include spraying of wet/solution alum (~100,000 gal/acre) on adjacent pasture with bahiagrass. Small plots will be established within or at adjacent pasture field. Plant growth, plant uptake, and soil properties will be monitored at the beginning of wet season and dry season of each year (Year 2 and Year 3). Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations This report serves to document research conducted under a reimbursable agreement between ARS and the Southwest Florida Water Management District on assessing effectiveness of alum and wetland best management practices for stormwater management. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent project 6619-13000-002-00D Optimizing Forage- Based Cow-Calf Operations to Improve Sustainability of Beef Cattle Agriculture and Water Quality Protection and Management. No significant progress can be reported at this time. The final construction of the McIntosh Park Enhanced Stormwater Treatment Wetlands Project was delayed because of many issues: waiting on power connection by TECO before the alum system could be tested; vegetation planting was delayed as a result of dry conditions. Currently, Southwest Florida Water Management District is preparing the first amendment of the contract agreement that will include among others, time extension to the project and the additional budget required to complete the project in 2012.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
Progress Report 4d Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a reimbursable agreement between ARS and the Southwest Florida Water Management District on assessing effectiveness of alum and wetland best management practices for stormwater management. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent project 6619-13210-001-00D Environmentally Friendly Forage-Livestock Systems for the Subtropical U.S.A. This research work will continue to quantify the effectiveness of best management practice (BMP) in enhancing the treatment of stormwater runoff. By combining treatment mechanisms in series rather than using a single method of treatment for stormwater, the overall levels and reliability of pollutant removal can be improved. Creation and restoration of wetlands of about 41 hectares located in northeastern Hillsborough County Florida is underway. The study site was largely drained and converted to beef cattle pasture in
the early 1940s. Data collected from the natural wetland sites were used as the reference data to detect potential changes in soil properties associated with the conversion of wetlands to improved beef cattle (Bos taurus) pastures from 1940 to 2003. The average concentration of total phosphorus (TP) in pasture soils (284 mg kg-1) was significantly lower than its levels in natural wetland soils (688 mg kg-1) . Compared with the adjoining natural wetlands, the beef cattle pasture soils, 63 years after being drained exhibited: (1) a decrease in total organic carbon, total nitrogen, K, and Al ; (2) an increase in soil pH, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Fe; and (3) no significant change in Na, Zn, and Cu. Wetland soils had higher concentrations (mg kg-1) of Al-P (435), CaMg-P (42), FeMn-P (43), and Org-P (162) than those of 172, 11, 11, and 84 mg kg-1, respectively, found in the pasture soils. The levels of water soluble P and KCl-bound P were comparable between wetland and pasture soils in 2003.
Results of this study therefore suggest that wetland conversion to beef cattle pastures did not function as a source of nutrients, especially P and N, even with manure and urine additions due to the presence of grazing cattle.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Sigua, G.C., Jim, G., Coleman, S.W. 2005. Stormwater best management practice: conversion of improved pastures to wetland systems [abstract]. 32nd Annual Conference on Ecosystems Restoration and Creation. Tampa, FL. October, 27-28 2005
- Sigua, G.C., Kang, W., Coleman, S.W., Albano, J.P. 2006. From wetland to beef cattle pasture: impact on soil nutrient dynamics. Florida Scientist. 69(1):26-28.
- Sigua, G.C., Griffin, J.C., Coleman, S.W. 2005. Stormwater best management practice: conversion of improved pastures to wetland systems. In: Cannizzaro, P.J. (ed). Proceedings of the thirty second Annual Conference on Ecosystems Restoration and Creation. October 27-28, 2005, Tampa, Florida. p 136.
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
4d Progress report. This research work will continue to quantify the effectiveness of best management practice (BMP) in enhancing the treatment of stormwater runoff. By combining treatment mechanisms in series rather than using a single method of treatment for stormwater, the overall levels and reliability of pollutant removal can be improved. Creation and restoration of wetlands of about 41 hectares (100 acres) located in northeastern Hillsborough County Florida is underway. The study site was largely drained and converted to beef cattle pasture in the early 1940s. These improved pastures are being converted into an enhanced stormwater wetland to remove phosphorus and primary pollutants from stormwater originating from 2,400 hectares mixed land use catchments within the Hillsborough River watershed. The enhanced BMP or BMP in series will include an alum treatment facility in addition to wetland cells to treat stormwater runoff and baseflow. By combining treatment
mechanisms (wetland + alum treatment) in series rather than using a single method of treatment for stormwater, the overall levels and reliability of pollutant removal can be improved. Treatment approach included the use of a sediment sump, a shallow wetland with intermittent deep pools and a final treatment with aluminum sulfate (alum) injection and flocculent removal. The injection of alum, Al2(SO4)3 .12H2O into a stormwater flow has been documented elsewhere for the control of phosphorus and, to a lesser extent, nitrogen. Alum also exhibits excellent treatment efficiencies for other pollutants (suspended solids, heavy metals, fecal coliforms, etc.) found in stormwater. The design of the wetland treatment includes treatment cells planted with a variety of emergent plants emphasizing persistent species such as iris, rush, and cordgrass. These species are known to enhance nutrient uptake. The overall design plan of the wetland cells will ensure that maintenance activities can be
carried out efficiently within the cells to allow periodic removal of aged plants to further enhance the nutrient removal efficiency of the cells. Estimated pollutant removal efficiency of the combined system (wet/dry season) is about 97 percent for total phosphorus, 40 percent for total nitrogen and 83 percent for total suspended solids. Despite many remaining wetlands that are being degraded, losing wetland functions, and habitat values, there is little data available to describe the process. Therefore, results from this study can provide additional systematic information and is considered a good contribution to the scientific literature.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Sigua, G.C., Coleman, S.W., Albano, J.P. 2005. Assessing the levels of nutrients in soils and water associated with forage based pasture system in subtropics. Meeting Abstract.Abstracts of the 69th Annual Meeting of the Florida Academy of Sciences. page 6, AGR-22
- Sigua, G.C., Kang, W.J., Griffin, J., Coleman, S.W. 2004. Wetland conversion to beef cattle pasture: impact on soil nutrient dynamics. 2004 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting Abstract CD-ROM. November 2004
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Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
4. What were the most significant accomplishments this past year? This report serves to document research conducted under a reimbursable agreement between ARS and the Southwest Florida Water Management District on assessing effectiveness of alum and wetland best management practices for stormwater management. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent project 6619-13210-001-00D Environmentally Friendly Forage-Livestock Systems for the Subtropical U.S.A. This research work will quantify the effectiveness of best management practice (BMP) in enhancing the treatment of stormwater runoff. By combining treatment mechanisms in series rather than using a single method of treatment for stormwater, the overall levels and reliability of pollutant removal can be improved. Baseline soils data were collected to assist in the detection of potential incipient degradation or improvement associated with the application of best management practices in
series for stormwater management. Conversion of wetland to beef cattle pastures had a significant effect on soil organic carbon pool (SOC), soil pH, and Mehlich-1 extractable nutrients. The amount of SOC and soil organic matter (SOM) in the converted wetland decreased remarkably by about 96% and 86%, respectively, when compared with the concentration of SOC and SOM from the reference wetland. It appeared that the conversion of wetland to pasture resulted to a soil condition/ composition like that of mineral soils. The levels of Zn, Cu, Al, and Na in soils from the converted pasture had not change since 1940 when compared with those in the adjoining reference wetland. 7. List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. Sigua, G. C., Griffin, J., Kang, W., and Coleman, S.W. 2004. Wetland conversion to beef cattle pasture: changes in soil properties. J Soils & Sediments 4(1):4-10.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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