Source: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
HYDROLOGIC AND WATER QUALITY IMPLICATIONS OF CHANGING LAND USE AND CLIMATE IN SOUTH DAKOTA
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1006279
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
May 27, 2015
Project End Date
Dec 22, 2017
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
PO BOX 2275A
BROOKINGS,SD 57007
Performing Department
Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering
Non Technical Summary
South Dakota is experiencing large-scale conversion of grassland to cropland in recent years. Increased land use conversion combined with a changing climate will likely influence water availability and quality. This project is proposed to quantify hydrologic and water quality impacts of land use and land cover change in the face of a changing climate in South Dakota. Field monitoring, computer-based modeling, and established statistical techniques will be used to assess trends and changes in streamflow, evaluate water quantity and quality, and evaluate adoption of conservation drainage and best management practicesacross different land use and land cover types in South Dakota. The proposed study will provide science-based information that will be disseminated through a variety of outlets to stimulate expanded research and support improved (agricultural producers, policy makers, stakeholders, and the general public) understanding of the environmental implications of grassland depletion.
Animal Health Component
75%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
15%
Applied
75%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
11202102050100%
Knowledge Area
112 - Watershed Protection and Management;

Subject Of Investigation
0210 - Water resources;

Field Of Science
2050 - Hydrology;
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this project is to quantify hydrologic and water quality impacts of land use change in light of a changing climate in South Dakota.The specific objectives are to:1.Assess contemporary streamflow trends and changes under climate variability and land use change;2.Monitor and compare hydrology and water quality from grasslands and croplands;3.Model hydrologic and water quality impacts of climate and land use changes;4.Evaluate drainage management strategies for managing water and nutrients;5.Evaluate the effectiveness of field-based and watershed-scale management strategies to improve water quality.
Project Methods
Assessment of streamflow trends and changes under climate variability and land use change in South DakotaMore than 30 years (1971-2013) of continuous streamflow data will be obtained from USGS gage stations throughout the state. Precipitation data, corresponding to the same period, will be obtained from the South Dakota Office of Climatology or National Climatic Data Center database. Both streamflow and rain gage stations will be selected so that they are evenly distributed across the state. The even distribution of streamflow and precipitation observation stations across the state will allow us to capture spatial variability in rainfall and streamflow information associated with land use change in the state. The study period (i.e.1971-2013) will be divided into 5 series of 10-year periods (i.e. 1971-1980, 1981-1990, 1991-2000, 2001-2010, 2011-2013) and established statistical methods (e.g. summary streamflow statistics, Mann-Kendall tests) will be used to determine abrupt changes and magnitude of the changes, and temporal trends in streamflow and rainfall over the study period. Available land cover maps from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Cropland Data Layer (CDL), National Land Cover Database (NLCD), or Web-enabled Landsat Data (WELD) databases will be used to estimate changes in grasslands over the study period, allowing evaluation of the impacts of land use change (i.e. grasslands to croplands) on streamflow in South Dakota rivers.Evaluation of hydrology and water quality from grasslands and croplandsThe work proposed under this objective will involve field observations and measurements. Three to four research plots (0.5 to 1 acre) or small watersheds (6 to 10 acres) will be arranged at one of the following locations: Oak Lake Field Station, Southeast Research Farm, West River Ag Center, or privately owned farm to examine water quantity and quality from grass and cash crops (e.g. corn, soybean) production systems, with the possibility to include different levels of field disturbance practices (i.e. till and no-till). The plots or mini-watersheds will be identified based on existing field installation and instrumentation. For example, a producer in Colman, SD, through preliminary discussions, is willing to offer a field site to support this study. The field has three small watersheds (6 to 10 acres) under the same cropping and management history. The outlets of the three mini-watersheds are currently equipped with flumes and auto-samplers for runoff and water quality measurements. If other study locations are selected, similar instrumentation will be installed at the outlets of the research plots. Storm runoff, infiltration rate, ambient soil moisture, soil texture, percent organic matter (% OM), electrical conductivity (EC), hydraulic conductivity, total suspended solids, PO4-P, NO3-N, TP, and TN will be monitored over a period of two years. Established statistical approaches (e.g. factorial designs) will be used to test the effect of vegetation, whilst taking into account the influence of farming practices on the hydrologic, water use, and water quality metrics mentioned above.Modeling hydrologic and water quality impacts of climate and land use changes in South DakotaThe analysis proposed under this objective will use the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT; Arnold et al., 1998) for watershed-scale simulations. Multiple LULC change scenarios will be developed to evaluate long-term hydrologic and water quality implications of decrease in grassland at various locations in South Dakota. For example, SWAT models for sample watersheds in the east and west of the state would be created for the analysis. This will give a group of SWAT models (at least two for each watershed) with two different LULC input data: land use for 1992 NLCD and 2006 NLCD. The models will be calibrated and validated at monthly time-scale for two non-overlapping 10 year periods: 1981-1990 (with NLCD 1992) and 2005-2014 (with NLCD 2011). The LULC maps will be obtained from sources discussed above (see "Assessment of streamflow trends and changes under climate variability and land use change in South Dakota"). Further analysis will be conducted with a similar approach with the General Circulation Model (http://www.ipcc-data.org) estimates of future climate change and SWAT modeling to determine the effects of projected climate change scenarios, and the combined effects of future land use change and climate projections on hydrology and water quality in South Dakota watersheds. Future land use change for the study period will be estimated with a land use change prediction model that will be developed in objective 1 of this study.Evaluation of drainage management strategies for water and nutrient managementSubsurface drainage has increased dramatically in eastern South Dakota in the last several years. This objective will evaluate hydrologic and water quality impacts of drainage in South Dakota. A network of research plots and field sites will be monitored and data collected from the plots will be used to assess crop yield, water quality, and hydrologic impacts of different drainage conditions (undrained and conventional drainage). Data will also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of selected conservation practices for reducing nutrient losses from drained lands. Conservation practices that will be evaluated will include nitrogen stabilizers, drainage water management (controlled drainage), and saturated buffers.Field- and watershed-scale evaluation of edge of field practices to improve water qualityNonpoint source pollution problems can be controlled with the implementation of best management practices (BMPs). This objective will aim at (1) implementing and evaluating BMPs through field-based demonstration projects; and (2) modeling the BMPs at various spatial and temporal scales before they are adopted or to extrapolate BMP effectiveness from field demonstration projects to watershed scales. Examples of BMPs that will be considered include buffer strips, bioreactors, wetlands, conservation tillage, animal waste systems, crop rotation, and nutrient management plans. Combinations of BMPs under various possible climate conditions will be modeled to identify the ones that are suitable and most effective for improving water quality in South Dakota. Simulation results will provide useful information to guide implementation and evaluation of BMPs.

Progress 05/27/15 to 12/22/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Water resources professionals- We have targetedwatershed managers, water practitioners, natural resources practitioners, and sustainability professionals as they are most likely to benefit from knowledge generated by this research. We targetedthis group through formal and informal classroom instruction (many students will choose to work in the natural resources conservation field), workshops, outreach activities, and regional and national professional meetings. Producers- We have targetedproducers through direct interactions and outreach activities. Through our interactions, many producers implemented the activities and results of this research in their operations. Examples include implementation of bioreactors at four cooperative private farms, implementation of saturated buffers at twocooperative private farms, and winter manure application at onecooperative private farmin the state. Research community- We have targetedscientists and engineers working in the field of hydrology, water resources, water quality, and soil science. Results from this study have been disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and papers at national and international scientific meetings, and workshops. Our projectcombined basic and applied research which generated societal benefitsby providing useful insight into water quantity and quality management in the face of climate variability and change in the Upper Midwest, andscholarship activtivies byleading other researchersto formulate new research questions and directions. Minority and underrepresented groups- We have targetedminority and underrepresented groups, including women in Science, through summer internship opportunities, student recruitment and training in our research group, and interactions with students. This project provided opportunities to successfully trained four women in science who graduted with MS degrees fromour department, one PhD student (minoritywoman), one MS graduate student intern (minority woman), one research associate (woman), and one undergradute student intern (woman). We have also attendednational conferences and symposiums organized by Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges, and Hispanic Serving Institutions to share our research, knowledge, and and expand our collaborationa dn partnership. Through this project, our research programhelp students and interns prepare for graduate school or a career in natural resources conservation. Changes/Problems:Early termination due to my departure from the institution. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?12 graduate students, one undergraduate student, one graduate student intern, and one visiting scholar, one research associate were trained with this project. Esther Mosase, Ph.D. student, August 2015-present. 49% graduate research assistantship (Geospatial Science & Engineering, Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with modeling of grassland conversion impacts on water quality and application to a semi-arid watershed in southern Africa. Sami Shokrana, Ph.D. student, August 2016-present. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with advanced analysis and modeling of edge-of field practices for agricultural water quality improvement. Most-Farzana Yesmin, M.S. student, August 2017-present (co-advised). 49% graduate student (Department of Dairy and Food Science, South Dakota State University). Assisted with testing low cost materials for in-field and edge-of-field water quality improvement practices. Jacob Comer, M.S. student, August 2017-present (co-advised). 49% graduate student (Department of Natural Resources Management, South Dakota State University). Assisted with field hydrology study on grassland conversion to cultivated cropland. Karishma Kibria, M.S. student, August 2014-December 2015. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with South Dakota hydroclimatological trend studies in South Dakota. Successfully defended M.S. thesis in fall 2015. Adnan Rajib, Ph.D. student, June 2015-July 2015. Visiting Scholar (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with modeling water quality impacts of land use change in an agricultural dominated watershed in eastern South Dakota. Vaishali Sharda, Ph.D., June 2017-August 2017. Research Associate (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with modeling downstream hydrologic alterations of subsurface drainage in an agricultural dominated watershed in eastern South Dakota. Manashi Paul, M.S. student, August 2014-August 2016. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with modeling hydrologic impacts of climate and land use changes in representative watersheds in South Dakota. Successfully defended M.S. thesis in summer 2016. Fatou Diagne, M.S. student, May 2016-September 2016. Student Intern (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with literature on water quality changes in the Midwest United States due to land use change. Shikha Singh, M.S. student, January 2015-December 2016 (co-advised). 49% graduate research assistantship (Plant Science Dept., South Dakota State University). Assisted with assessing winter manure application on water and soil quality. Successfully defended M.S. thesis in fall 2016. Shailendra Singh, M.S. student, August 2015-December 2016. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with modeling of environmental and agronomic impacts of conventional subsurface drainage systems at plot scales. Successfully defended M.S. thesis in fall 2016. Utsav Thapa, M.S. student, August 2015-December 2017. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with edge-of field practice studies for agricultural water quality improvement. The student won second place for oral presentation at the Eastern South Dakota Water Conference in October 2016. Successfully defended M.S. thesis in fall 2017. Jiyeong Hong, M.S. student, August 2015-August 2017. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with modeling water quality impacts of grassland conversion in a representative watershed in eastern South Dakota. Successfully defended M.S. thesis in fall 2017. Ashik Sahani, M.S. student, August 2015-December 2017. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with field scale study of environmental and agronomic impacts of controlled drainage systems. Successfully defended M.S. thesis in fall 2017. Alex Boger, M.S. student, August 2015-December 2017. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with water quality study in roadside ditches influenced by cool and warm season grasses. The student won second place for poster presentation at the Western South Dakota Water Conference in April 2016 and first place for oral presentation at the Eastern South Dakota Water Conference in October 2016. The student won the best student oral presentation award at the 2017 ASABE Annual International Meeting in Spokane, WA. Successfully defended M.S. thesis in fall 2017. Annika Oekten, B.S. student, May 2017-August 2017. Summer intern from Montana State University at 49% undergraduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with biochar evaluation for agricultural water quality improvement. Scott Cortus, Environmental Research Coordinator, August 2015-December 2017. 100% technician (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with site installation, instrumentation, and maintenance, as well as field data collection. JohnMaursetter, Chemist, April 2016-August 2016. 50% technician (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with data analysis in the lab. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research community. We have published eight peer-reviewed manuscripts and one iGrow fact sheet based on findings from this project. We have made presentations at national and international conferences, and submitted over 18 conference abstracts during the year 2017. The PI presented research results to the research community at renowned conferences such as the American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers Annual Meeting and UCOWR/NIWR Annual Conference. The PI also presented as an invited speaker at the USDA Agricultural Research Service - Grazing Research National Lab in El Reno, Oklahoma and in Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at Kansas State University. In addition, graduate students working under the supervision of the PI presented project activities at various national and international conferences and symposiums (see details in Products section). Stakeholders. The activities involved in this project led to more than six news releases in renowned newspapers during the year 2017 (see Other Products section). The PI attended and discussed his research activities at field days such as AgPhD Day in Baltic, South Dakota and the 2017 Southeast Research Farm Summer Research Day near Beresford, South Dakota (Jul. 11). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Assess contemporary streamflow trends and changes under climate variability and land use change(100% complete). Established statistical methods were used to assess historical trends in hydro-climatology for South Dakota watersheds from 1951 to 2013. Results show increasing streamflow trends in 16 out of 18 studied watersheds. Rainfall also showed increasing trends in majority of the watersheds during the study period. We have also evaluated decadal changes in streamflow and rainfall records. The analysis revealed that half of the watersheds examined showed a significant abrupt increase in streamflow from 1980s while rainfall analysis did not suggest a statistically significant abrupt change during the study period. Further assessment to understand the impacts of climate variability and land use change on water resources was conducted under this objective. Based on the analysis, a 10% increase in annual rainfall would result in 11%-30% increase in annual streamflow. Streamflow appears to be more sensitive to rainfall across the state; however, high sensitivity of streamflow to rapid decrease in grassland was examined in two western watersheds. These results provide evidence that changes in climate and land use can lead to changes in water resources. Objective 2:Monitor and compare hydrology and water quality from grasslands and croplands(100% complete). The work proposed involves heavy field observations and measurements. This research is being conducted at the South Dakota State University Cottonwood Research Station, located approximately 75 miles (120 km) east of Rapid City, South Dakota. The Cottonwood Research Station consists of 2,640 acres primarily in native range grass, shrubs, and forbs. We have set up blocks of seven acre plots to simulate field scale conversion of grassland to cropland in several ways (High Impact - grassland to cropland with heavy tillage; Low Impact - grassland to cropland with weeds control (no-till option); Low Impact with Animal Integration - Plots grazed heavily with cattle to reduce grass and weed population). A plot with perennial plants (range grass, shrubs and forbs) serves as a control for the experiments. We have outfitted the plots with soil moisture sensors that collect ambient moisture content continuously in the middle of each plot at four different depths (6", 18", 30", and 42"). All the plots were set up in 2015. We are at the end of the two year study period, and some of the data collected were used for a subsequent NIFA proposal, which has been funded. We hope this study will provide useful insight into short-term and long-term impacts of grassland conversion to cultivated cropland on field hydrology and water quality. A related project to quantify the magnitude of pollutants in storm runoff in roadside ditches was completed between 2015 and 2017. The ditches examined in this study appear to have an impact on downstream water quality; however, pollutant concentrations suggest that the ditches may not be the largest contributor to water quality issues in the receiving waters. Objective 3:Model hydrologic and water quality impacts of climate and land use changes(100% complete): This study used extensive computer modeling, existing USGS land use maps, projected USGS land use maps, historical climate data, and General Circulation Models' (GCMs) projected climate data to assess how hydrology and water quality are being affected and will potentially be affected by climate and land use changes in the state through scenario-base analysis. Four representative watersheds, namely the James River, Skunk Creek, Bad River, and Upper Big Sioux River watersheds, were used for this study. Based on simulations of historical land use and climate data, there are slight increases in precipitation, water yield, and percolation in Skunk Creek, Bad River, and Upper Big Sioux River watersheds between 1980s and 2000s. Water balance components showed increases mostly during the wet season (i.e. May to October) in all three watersheds. Future projections also showed that land use and climate changes will likely have an influence on hydrology and water quality. While expansion of agricultural land would increase runoff and water yield, water quality would improve with expansion of hay/pasture production. Future land use and climate changes in the James River watershed would result in 12 to 18% % and 17 to 41% increases in annual streamflow, respectively, by end of the century. The combined effects of land use and climate changes would intensify future streamflow responses with 13 to 60% increases in the region. Overall, climate change will likely contribute more to hydrologic alterations than land use change. This study provides a broad perspective on plausible hydrologic and water quality alterations in South Dakota and in the region. Objective 4:Evaluate drainage management strategies for managing water and nutrients(100% complete). We have installed and instrumented two sets of subsurface drainage plots at the SDSU Southeast Research Farm, where two types of nitrogen fertilizers (conventional urea and super urea) were also evaluated. The first set of six one-acre plots was installed to compare drainage and undrained practices. The second set of two four-acre plots aims at evaluating the effects of controlled drainage and conventional drainage on crop yields and pollutant losses. All plots are under corn-soybean rotation. Results show that yield increased in drained plots compared to undrained plots. Super urea appears to increased yield on drained plots, while super urea did not have any beneficial effects for yield in undrained plots. In-field leaf area index consistently showed quicker development of the plants in the drained plots. In-field soil penetration resistance has also shown consistently that the drained plots have greater soil strength, and thus better trafficability, which isimportant in wet spring conditions during planting. There was no statistically significant difference in crop yields between conventional and controlled drainage plots. Other datasets such as drain flow quantity and quality, shallow groundwater level, shallow groundwater quantity and quality, and soil moisture are being compiled for analysis. Overall, the benefits of tile drainage are reflected in yield data for both corn and soybean, but these benefits have not yet translated into large yields. Objective 5:Evaluate the effectiveness of field-based and watershed-scale management strategies to improve water quality(90% complete). We have installed and are monitoring five best management practices (BMPs) (four woodchip bioreactors and one phosphorus adsorption bed) in eastern South Dakota for water quality improvement from drained fields. Based on three years of monitoring data (i.e. 2014 -2016), thebioreactors removed 7-100% of nitrate, and the phosphorus adsorption bed removed 10-96% of dissolved phosphorus from drain flow during 2015 and 2016. We have also evaluated winter manure application in three experimental small watersheds near Colman, South Dakota. Results show that soil quality, organic matter, and water infiltration improved in the part of the watersheds that received manure application. The remaining project activity will use computer models to evaluate selected BMPs for attaining maximum water quality benefits. This research reveals that BMPs can be used to improve water and soil quality in agricultural watersheds. Overall impact: This research contribute to our understanding of water quantity, water quality, and ecosystem responses to climate and land use changes in South Dakota and the Upper Midwest region. The findings obtained from this study would be useful for developing watershed management strategies forcrop production and environmental quality. A total of 18 peer-reviewed manuscripts are anticipated to be published from this research; eight of these have already been published.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Reyes-Gonzalez, A., J. Kjaersgaard, T. Trooien, C. Hay, L. Ahiablame (2017). Comparative Analysis of METRIC Model and Atmometer Methods for Estimating Actual Evapotranspiration. International Journal of Agronomy. In press.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Sellner, B., Hua, G., Ahiablame, L., Trooien, T., Hay, C., Kjaersgaard, J. (2017). Evaluation of Industrial Byproducts and Natural Minerals for Phosphate Adsorption from Subsurface Drainage. Environmental Technology, In Press.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Singh, S., Brandenburg, N., Ahiablame, L., Gonzalez, A., Kjaersgaard, J., Trooien, T., Kumar. S. (2017). Response of Winter Manure Application on Surface Runoff Water Quantity and Quality from Small Watersheds in South Dakota. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, In Press.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ahiablame, L., Sheshukov, A., Rahmani, V, Moriasi, D. (2017). Annual baseflow variations as influenced by climate variability and agricultural land use change in the Missouri River Basin. Journal of Hydrology, 551, 188-202.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ahiablame, L., Sinha, T., Paul, M., Ji, J.H. and Rajib, A., 2017. Streamflow response to potential land use and climate changes in the James River watershed, Upper Midwest United States. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 14, 150-166.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Paul, M., Rajib, A., Ahiablame, L. (2016). Spatial and temporal evaluation of hydrological response to climate and land use change in three South Dakota watersheds. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 53, 69-88.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Rajib, A., Ahiablame, L., Paul, M. (2016). Modeling the effects of future land use change on water quality under multiple scenarios: A case study of low-input agriculture with hay/pasture production. Sustainability of Water Quality and Ecology (Elsevier), 8, 50-66.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Kibria, K., Ahiablame, L., Hay, C., Djira, G. (2016). Streamflow Trends and Responses to Climate Variability and Land Cover Change in South Dakota. Hydrology, 3, 2.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ahiablame, L., Sahani, A., Hay, C., (2016). Demonstration of Drainage Management Practices in Eastern South Dakota. Poster Presentation at the 10th International Drainage Symposium, September 6-9, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ahiablame L., Hua G., Mosase E., U. Thapa (2017). Nutrient Removal in Subsurface Drainage Using Edge-of-Field Practices, The 18th IWA International Conference on Diffuse Pollution & Eutrophication, August 13th -17th, Los Angeles, CA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ahiablame, L., Sheshukov, A., Rahmani, V, Moraisi, D. (2017). Annual baseflow variations as influenced by climate variability and agricultural land use change in the Missouri River Basin. Presented at the 2017 ASABE Annual Meeting, July 16-19, Spokane, WA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ahiablame, L. (2017). Streamflow response to potential land use and climate changes in the James River watershed, Upper Midwest United States. Presented at the 2017 UCOWR/NIWR Annual Conference, June 13-15, Fort Collins, CO.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ahiablame, L. (2017). Invited Speaker, Evaluation of Climate and Land Use Impacts on The Missouri River Basin Waters: Opportunities for Adaptation Through Regional Conservation Practices. Presented at USDA Agricultural Research Service  Grazing Research National Lab, March 3, El Reno, OK.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ahiablame, L. (2017). Invited Speaker, Understanding Land Use and Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources: Opportunities to Build Resiliency. Presented at a special seminar in Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at Kansas State University. April 19, Manhattan, KS.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Boger, A., L. Ahiablame, D. Beck. (2016). Vegetative Best Management Practices for Controlling Roadway Runoff. Oral presentation at Eastern South Dakota Water Conference, October 27th, Brookings, SD. [1st place in student oral presentation contest].
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Boger, A., L. Ahiablame, D. Beck. (2017). Assessing Shallow Groundwater Quality in Roadside Ditches. Oral presentation at Western South Dakota Water Conference, April 6th, 2017, Rapid City, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Boger, A., L. Ahiablame, D. Beck. (2017). Assessing Shallow Groundwater Quality in Roadside Ditches. Oral presentation at American Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers (ASABE) International Meeting, July 18th, 2017, Spokane, WA. [Selected as outstanding student presentation in Natural Resources and Environmental Science].
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Sahani, A., Ahiablame, L., Hay, C., (2016). Demonstration of Drainage Management Practices in Eastern South Dakota. Oral Presentation at Eastern South Dakota Water Conference, October 27th, Brookings, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Sahani, A., Ahiablame, L., Hay, C., (2017). Demonstration of Drainage Management Practices in Eastern South Dakota. Oral Presentation at Western South Dakota Hydrology Conference, April 6th 2017, Rapid City, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Hong, J., Mosase, E., Ahiablame L., (2017). Assessing Hydrologic and Water Quality Impacts of Grassland Establishment in Skunk Creek Watershed. Poster presentation at ASABE 2017 Annual International Meeting, July 17 -21, Spokane, WA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Thapa, U., Ahiablame, L., Trooien, T., Hay, C., Kjaersgaard (2016), Denitrification Bioreactors to Support Conservation Drainage in Eastern South Dakota. Oral Presentation at the 10th International Drainage Symposium, September 6-9, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Shokrana, M.S.B., Ahiablame, L., McDaniel, R., Trooien, T., Hua, G. (2017). Performance of Woodchip Bioreactors in Eastern South Dakota: Impact Assessment of Rainfall Intensity and Duration. Poster presentation at the Western South Dakota Hydrology Conference, April 6, Rapid City, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Shokrana, M.S.B., Ahiablame, L., McDaniel, R., Hua, G. (2017). Impacts of Rainfall Intensity and Duration on Woodchip Bioreactor Performance. Oral Presentation at ASABE International Conference, July 16  19, Spokane, WA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Thapa, U., Ahiablame, L., Hua, G., Trooien, T., Hay, C., Kjaersgaard (2016), Phosphorus Removal from Subsurface Drainage Using Low-cost Filters. Poster Presentation at the 10th International Drainage Symposium, September 6-9, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Thapa, U., Ahiablame, L., Hua, G., Hay, C., Kjaersgaard, J., Trooien, T. (2016). Using Denitrification Bioreactors and Phosphate Adsorption Media for Water Quality Conservation in Subsurface Drainage Systems in Eastern South Dakota. Oral Presentation at Eastern South Dakota Water Conference, October 27th, 2016, Brookings, SD [2nd place, student oral presentation contest].
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Thapa, U., Ahiablame, L., Hua, G., Hay, C., Kjaersgaard, J., Trooien, T. (2017). Using Denitrification Bioreactors and Phosphate Adsorption Media for Water Quality Improvement in Subsurface Drainage Systems. Oral Presentation at Western South Dakota Hydrology Conference, April 6th, 2017, Rapid City, SD.


Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Water resources professionals- We are targeting watershed managers, water practitioners, natural resources practitioners, and sustainability professionals as they are most likely to benefit from knowledge generated by this research. We are targeting this group through formal and informal classroom instruction (many students will choose to work in the natural resources conservation field), workshops, and outreach activities. Producers- We are targeting producers through direct interactions and outreach activities as they will apply research results to their operations. Research community- We are targeting scientist and engineers working in the field of hydrology, water resources, water quality, and soil science. We are disseminating our results through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national and international scientific meetings. An understanding of our research results will prove to be beneficial by leading them to formulate new research questions and directions. Minority and underrepresented groups- We are targeting minority and underrepresented groups, including women in Science, through summer internship opportunities, student recruitment and training in our research group, and interactions, knowledge sharing, and partnership expansion at national conferences and symposiums organized by Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges, and Hispanic Serving Institutions. The program will help students prepare for graduate school or a career in natural resources conservation. Changes/Problems:We have slightly modiffied the project objectives, of whichobjective 4 has been entirely changedand replaced with a new one to cover a need-driven topic in the state. The updated objectives are as follows: 1.Assess contemporary streamflow trends and changes under climate variability and land use change; 2.Monitor and compare hydrology and water quality from grasslands and croplands; 3.Model hydrologic and water quality impacts of climate and land use changes; 4.Evaluate drainage management strategies for managing water and nutrients; 5.Evaluate the effectiveness of field-based and watershed-scale management strategies to improve water quality. Updated Non-Technical Summary South Dakota is experiencing large-scale conversion of grassland to cropland in recent years. Increased land use conversion combined with a changing climate will likely influence water availability and quality. This project is proposed to quantify hydrologic and water quality impacts of land use and land cover change in the face of a changing climate in South Dakota. Field monitoring, computer modeling, and established statistical techniques will be used to assess trends in streamflow, and evaluate water quantity and quality management practices, including best management practices (BMPs) across various spatial scales in South Dakota. The proposed study will provide science-based information- useful to agricultural producers, policy makers, various stakeholders, and the general public- that will be disseminated through a variety of outlets to advance understanding of hydrologic and water quality implications of climate and land use changes in the state. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Eleven graduate students, one intern, and one visiting scholar were trained on this project. Esther Mosase, Ph.D. student, August 2015-present. 49% graduate research assistantship (Geospatial Science & Engineering, Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with modeling of grassland conversion impacts on water quality and application to a semi-arid watershed in southern Africa. Sami Shokrana, Ph.D. student, August 2016-present. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with advanced analysis and modeling of edge-of field practices for agricultural water quality improvement. Gibril Vandy, Ph.D. student, August 2016-present. 25% graduate student (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with modeling of subsurface drainage modeling systems in an agricultural dominated watershed in South Dakota. Karishma Kibria, M.S. student, August 2014-December 2015. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with South Dakota hydroclimatological trend studies in South Dakota. Successfully defended M.S. thesis in fall 2015. Adnan Rajib, Ph.D. student, June 2015-July 2015. Visiting Scholar (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with modeling water quality impacts of land use change in an agricultural dominated watershed in eastern South Dakota. Manashi Paul, M.S. student, August 2014-August 2016. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with modeling hydrologic impacts of climate and land use changes in representative watersheds in South Dakota. Successfully defended M.S. thesis in summer 2016. Fatou Diagne, M.S. student, May 2016-September 2016. Student Intern (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with literature on water quality changes in the Midwest United States due to land use change. Shikha Singh, M.S. student, January 2015-December 2016 (co-advised). 49% graduate research assistantship (Plant Science Dept., South Dakota State University). Assisted with assessing winter manure application on water and soil quality. Successfully defended M.S. thesis in fall 2016. Shailendra Singh, M.S. student, August 2015-December 2016. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with modeling of environmental and agronomic impacts of conventional subsurface drainage systems at plot scales. Successfully defended M.S. thesis in fall 2016. Utsav Thapa, M.S. student, August 2015-present. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with edge-of field practice studies for agricultural water quality improvement.The student won second place for oral presentation at the Eastern South Dakota Water Conference in October 2016. Jiyeong Hong, M.S. student, August 2015-present. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with modeling water quality impacts of grassland conversion in a representative watershed in eastern South Dakota. Ashik Sahani, M.S. student, August 2015-present. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with field scale study of environmental and agronomic impacts of controlled drainage systems. Alex Boger, M.S. student, August 2015-present. 49% graduate research assistantship (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with water quality study in roadside ditches influenced by cool and warm season grasses.The student won second place for poster presentation at the Western South Dakota Water Conference in April 2016 and first place for oral presentation at the Eastern South Dakota Water Conference in October 2016. Scott Cortus, Environmental Research Coordinator, August 2015-present. 100% technician (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with site installation, instrumentation, and maintenance, as well as field data collection. JohnMaursetter, Chemist, April 2016-present. 50% technician (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University). Assisted with data analysis in the lab. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Research community. We have published three peer-reviewed manuscripts, made presentations at four national and international conferences, and submitted over 15 conference abstracts during this reporting period. The PI presented research results to the research community at renowned conferences such as the American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers Annual Meeting and UCOWR/NIWR Annual Conference. The PI presented also as an invited speaker at the USGS Science & Decisions Center in Reston, VA on June 13. In addition, graduate students working under the supervision of the PI also presented project activities at various national and international conferences and symposiums (see details in Products section). Stakeholders. We have published four press articles in Morning Ag Clips, SDSU website, The Brookings Register, and Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan (see Other Products section). The PI hosted the newly hired Sustainability Director for South Dakota Corn, along with field specialists from the South Dakota State University Extension iGrow program, on a field tour of drainage site. He discussed drainage at the 2016 Southeast Research Farm Day near Beresford, South Dakota (Jul. 12, 2016). We also presented findings of the project at the North Central Region Water Network Spring 2016 Extension Conference in Lincoln, NE on March 21-23. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Objective 1. Assess contemporary streamflow trends and changes under climate variability and land use change While this objective is 100% complete, we plan to continue to use research results for presentations and outreach activities. Objective 2. Monitor and compare hydrology and water quality from grasslands and croplands We plan to continue preliminary data collection for the experimental plots at South Dakota State University Cottonwood Research Station and for the roadside ditch study. We plan to identify an appropriate federal funding source to submit a grant proposal to further this line of research. We will graduate one M.S. student (thesis option) in fall 2017. Objective 3. Model hydrologic and water quality impacts of climate and land use changes We will finish our analysis on the impacts of climate and land use changes on hydrology and water quality. We plan to publish two additional peer-reviewed manuscripts describing our research results. The manuscripts should be submitted by June 2017 to the journals. We will graduate one M.S. student (thesis option) in spring 2017. Objective 4. Evaluate drainage management strategies for managing water and nutrients We plan to publish a peer-reviewed manuscript and two factsheets describing research results. We will continue efforts to collect data on moisture and nutrient management on subsurface drainage systems in South Dakota to increase understanding of drainage practices that will maximize crop production and minimize environmental impacts. We will graduate one M.S. student (thesis option) in spring 2017. Objective 5. Evaluate the effectiveness of field-based and watershed-scale management strategies to improve water quality We will continue efforts to collect and analyze data on best management practices for water quality conservation from agricultural lands. We plan to publish two peer-reviewed manuscripts describing our research results. We will graduate one M.S. student (thesis option) in spring 2017.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Assess contemporary streamflow trends and changes under climate variability and land use change(100% complete) Established statistical methods were used to assess historical trends in hydro-climatology for South Dakota watersheds from 1951 to 2013. Results show increasing streamflow trends in 16 out of 18 studied watersheds. Rainfall also showed increasing trends in the majority of the watersheds during the study period. We have also evaluated decadal changes in streamflow and rainfall records. The analysis revealed that half of the watersheds examined showed a significant abrupt increase in streamflow from 1980s while rainfall analysis did not suggest a statistically significant abrupt change during the study period. Further assessment to understand the impacts of climate variability and land use change on water resources was conducted under this objective. Based on the analysis, a 10% increase in annual rainfall would result in 11%-30% increase in annual streamflow. Streamflow appears to be more sensitive to rainfall across the state; however, high sensitivity of streamflow to a rapid decrease in grassland was examined in two western watersheds. These results provide evidence that changes in climate and land use can lead to changes in water resources. This research was published in 2016 in a peer-reviewed manuscript (see Products section). Objective 2:Monitor and compare hydrology and water quality from grasslands and croplands(50% complete) The work proposed involves heavy field observations and measurements. This research is being conducted at the South Dakota State University Cottonwood Research Station, located approximately 75 miles (120 km) east of Rapid City, South Dakota. The Cottonwood Research Station consists of 2,640 acres primarily in native range grass, shrubs, and forbs. We have set up blocks of seven acre plots to simulate field scale conversion of grassland to cropland in several ways (High Impact - grassland to cropland with heavy tillage; Low Impact - grassland to cropland with weeds control (no-till option); Low Impact with Animal Integration - Plots grazed heavily with cattle to reduce grass and weed population). A plot with perennial plants (range grass, shrubs and forbs) serves as a control for the experiments. We have outfitted the plots with soil moisture sensors that collect ambient moisture content continuously in the middle of each plot at four different depths (6", 18", 30", and 42"). We also intend to convert adjacent land currently in row crop production to perennial grassland in 0.25 acre plots. Once all the plots are set up and instrumented, we will monitor shallow groundwater quantity and quality, soil properties, and water budget components, including infiltration rate, soil texture, percent organic matter, electrical conductivity, dissolved phosphorus, and nitrate in shallow groundwater over a period of two years. The data collected from this study will be analyzed and used as preliminary information for subsequent proposals. Completion of this study should lead to understanding of the short-term and long-term deleterious effects of grassland conversion to cultivated cropland. A related project to quantify the magnitude of pollutants in storm runoff in roadside ditches is being set up to generate preliminary data for subsequent proposals. This study is anticipated to be published in a peer-reviewed journal in 2017. Objective 3:Model hydrologic and water quality impacts of climate and land use changes(85% complete) This study used extensive computer modeling, existing USGS land use maps, projected USGS land use maps, historical climate data, and General Circulation Models' (GCMs) projected climate data to assess how hydrology and water quality are being affected and will potentially be affected by climate and land use changes in the state through scenario-base analysis. Four representative watersheds, namely the James River, Skunk Creek, Bad River, and Upper Big Sioux River watersheds, were used for this study. Based on simulations of historical land use and climate data, there wereslight increases in precipitation, water yield, and percolation in Skunk Creek, Bad River, and Upper Big Sioux River watersheds between 1980s and 2000s. Water balance components showed increases mostly during the wet season (i.e. May to October) in all three watersheds. Future projections also showed that land use and climate changes will likely influence hydrology and water quality. Climate will likely induce more changes in hydrology than land use. Expansion of agricultural land would increase runoff and water yield; however, water quality would improve with expansion of hay/pasture production through reduction of surface runoff volume, sediment, nitrate, and total phosphorus loads by 3-14%. The remaining project activity will assess the impacts of grassland establishment, management, and conversion on water quality in Skunk Creek watershed. The results obtained so far provide evidence that changing climate and land use are affecting water resources in South Dakota. The research will generate four publications of which two have been published (see Products section). Objective 4:Evaluate drainage management strategies for managing water and nutrients(70% complete) We have installed and instrumented two sets of subsurface drainage plots at the SDSU Southeast Research Farm, where two types of nitrogen fertilizers (conventional urea and super urea) were also evaluated. The first set of six one-acre plots was installed to compare drainage and undrained practices. The second set of two four-acre plots aims at evaluating the effects of controlled drainage and conventional drainage on crop yields and pollutant losses. All plots are under corn-soybean rotation. Results show that yield increased in drained plots compared to undrained plots. Super urea appears to increased yield on drained plots, while super urea did not have any beneficial effects for yield in undrained plots. In-field leaf area index consistently showed quicker development of the plants in the drained plots. In-field soil penetration resistance has also shown consistently that the drained plots have greater soil strength, and thus better trafficability, which isimportant in wet spring conditions during planting. There was no statistically significant difference in crop yields between conventional and controlled drainage plots. Other datasets such as drain flow quantity and quality, shallow groundwater level, shallow groundwater quantity and quality, and soil moisture are being compiled for analysis. Overall, the benefits of tile drainage are reflected in yield data for both corn and soybean, but these benefits have not yet translated into large yields. This study is anticipated to be published in a peer-reviewed journal in 2018. Objective 5:Evaluate the effectiveness of field-based and watershed-scale management strategies to improve water quality(85% complete). We have installed and are monitoring five best management practices (BMPs) (four woodchip bioreactors and one phosphorus adsorption bed) in eastern South Dakota for water quality improvement from drained fields. Based on three years of monitoring data (i.e. 2014 -2016), thebioreactors removed 7-100% of nitrate, and the phosphorus adsorption bed removed 10-96% of dissolved phosphorus from the drainage flow during 2015 and 2016. We have also evaluated winter manure application in three experimental small watersheds near Colman, South Dakota. Results show that soil quality, organic matter, and water infiltration improved in the part of the watersheds that received manure application. The remaining project activity will use computer models to evaluate selected BMPs for attaining maximum water quality benefits. This research reveals that BMPs can be used to improve water and soil quality in agricultural fields. This study will generate two peer-reviewed manuscripts to be published in 2017.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Rajib, A., Ahiablame, L., Paul, M. (2016). Modeling the effects of future land use change on water quality under multiple scenarios: A case study of low-input agriculture with hay/pasture production. Sustainability of Water Quality and Ecology 8 (2016) 5066.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Paul, M., Rajib, A., Ahiablame, L. (2016). Spatial and temporal evaluation of hydrological response to climate and land use change in three South Dakota watersheds. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, In Press.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Kibria, K., Ahiablame, L., Hay, C., Djira, G. (2016). Streamflow Trends and Responses to Climate Variability and Land Cover Change in South Dakota. Hydrology, 3; doi:10.3390/hydrology3010002.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Kibria, K.N. (2015). Contemporary Streamflow Trends and Responses to Climate Variability and Land Use Change in South Dakota. M.S. Thesis, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Paul, M. (2016). Impacts of land use and climate changes on hydrological processes in South Dakota watersheds. M.S. Thesis, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Singh, Shailendra (2016). Predicting field water balance, crop yield, and the economics of drainage under various cropping systems using DRAINMOD. M.S. Thesis, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Singh,Shikha (2016). Response of soil and water quality to winter manure application from small agricultural watersheds in South Dakota. M.S. Thesis, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ahiablame, L., Rajib, A., Paul, M. (2016). Modeling water quality impacts of hay production under potential land use change in an agricultural dominated watershed. Presented at the 2016 ASABE Annual Meeting, July 17-20, Orlando, FL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ahiablame, L. (2016). Nutrient Removal in Subsurface Drainage Using Denitrification Bioreactors and Filters. Presented at the 2016 UCOWR/NIWR Annual Conference, June 21-23, Pensacola, FL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ahiablame, L. (2016). Impacts of Drainage Water Management on field-scale hydrology and water quality in Eastern South Dakota. Poster Presented at Western South Dakota Water Conference, April 7, 2016, Rapid City, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: 1. Boger, A., Ahiablame, L., Beck, D., (2016). Vegetative Best Management Practices For Roadway Runoff. Oral Presentation at Eastern South Dakota Water Conference, October 27th, Brookings, SD [1st place, student oral presentation contest].
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Thapa, U., Ahiablame, L., Hua, G., Trooien, T., Hay, C., Kjaersgaard, J. (2016). Phosphorus Removal from Subsurface Drainage Using Low-cost Filters. Poster Presentation at the 10th International Drainage Symposium, September 6-9, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Thapa, U., Ahiablame, L., Trooien, T., Hay, C., Kjaersgaard, J. (2016). Denitrification Bioreactors to Support Conservtion Drainage in Eastern South Dakota. Oral Presentation at the 10th International Drainage Symposium, September 6-9, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Sahani, A., Ahiablame, L., Hay, C. (2016). Assessment of the Impacts of Subsurface Drainage and Agronomic Conservation Practices on Hydrology and Water Quality. Oral Presentation at the 10th International Drainage Symposium, September 6-9, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ahiablame, L., Sahani, A., Hay, C., (2016). Demonstration of Drainage Management Practices in Eastern South Dakota. Poster Presentation at the 10th International Drainage Symposium, September 6-9, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Thapa, U., Ahiablame, L., Trooien, T., Hay, C. Kjaersgaard, J., Hua, G. (2016). Combined Treatment of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from Subsurface Drainage Using Low-cost Industrial By-products and Woodchip Bioreactors. Poster presented at Soy100, March 10, Brookings, SDSU, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ahiablame, L., (2016). Invited Speaker, Integration of Computer Modeling and Field Observations to Support Sustainable Management of Water Resources. Presented at the USGS Science & Decisions Center, June 13, Reston, VA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Sahani, A., Ahiablame, L., Hay, C. (2016). Demonstration of Drainage Management Practices in Eastern South Dakota. Oral Presentation at Eastern South Dakota Water Conference, October 27th, Brookings, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ahiablame, L., Hay, C., Sahani, A., Kringen, D. (2016). Drainage management practices to improve water quality in eastern South Dakota. Poster presented at the North Central Region Water Network Spring 2016 Conference, March 21-23, 2016, Lincoln, NE.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Thapa, U., Ahiablame, L., Kringen. D., Hua, G., Hay, C., Kjaersgaard, J., Trooien, T. (2016). Using Denitrification Bioreactors and Phosphate Adsorption Media to Remove Nutrients from Agricultural Subsurface Drainage. Poster Presented at the 2016 Student Water Conference, March 24-25, Stillwater, OK. [Travel Grant Awarded by Oklahoma State University].
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Paul, M., Ahiablame, L., Rajib, M. A. (2016). Spatial and temporal evaluation of hydrological response to climate and land use change in South Dakota watersheds. Oral Presentation at 2016 Student Water Conference, March 24-25, Stillwater, OK.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Thapa, U., Ahiablame, L., Hua, G., Trooien, T., (2016), Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal from Subsurface Drainage Using Woodchip Bioreactors and Low-cost Filters. Oral Presentation at the 2016 MWAOAC Annual meeting, April 25-27, Sioux Falls, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Hong, J., Ahiablame, L., Lim, K. J., (2016). Impacts of Grassland Conversion on Hydrology and Water Quality in the Bad River Watershed, South Dakota. Poster presented at Western South Dakota Hydrology Conference, April 7th  8th , Rapid City, SD
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Boger, A., Ahiablame, L., Beck, D., (2016). Vegetative Best Management Practices For Roadway Runoff. Oral Presentation at Eastern South Dakota Water Conference, October 27th, Brookings, SD [1st place, student oral presentation contest]
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Hong, J., Ahiablame, L., Mosase, E., (2016). Assessing Hydrologic and Water Quality Impacts of Grassland in Skunk Creek Watershed. Oral Presentation at Eastern South Dakota Water Conference, October 27th, Brookings, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Sahani, A., Ahiablame, L., Hay, C., (2016). Demonstration of Drainage Management Practices in Eastern South Dakota. Oral Presentation at Eastern South Dakota Water Conference, October 27th, Brookings, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Thapa, U., Ahiablame, L., Hua, G., Hay, C., Kjaersgaard, J., Trooien, T. (2016). Using Denitrification Bioreactors and Phosphate Adsorption Media for Water Quality Conservation in Subsurface Drainage Sytems in Eastern South Dakota. Oral Presentation at Eastern South Dakota Water Conference, October 27th, Brookings, SD [2st place, student oral presentation contest].


Progress 05/27/15 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:Agricultural producers, the general public andother stakeholders,visiting scholars,watershed practioners andplanners. Changes/Problems:There were no changestoreport for this reporting period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?September 8, 2015, Grant Proposal Writing Workshop, Part I, SDSU, Brookings, SD. October 12-16, SWAT-MODFLOW Workshop. The 2015 International SWAT Conference and Workshops, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. October 19-20, NSF Food-Energy-Water Nexus Workshop, SD School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD. October 28-29, 2015, Grant Proposal Writing Workshop, Part II, SDSU, Brookings, SD. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Conferences, peer-reviewed publications, invited talks, and outreach acitivities (e.g. AgOutlook annual meeting, December-10, Sioux Fall, SD). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?I will continue working on objectives 2, 3, and 5. This involve mentoring students, publishing, and attending conferences and invited talks. I plan to modify objectives 2 and 4 to leverage some of my work in watershed modeling and subsurface drainage management.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Due to rapid conversion of grassland to cultivated cropland in recent years in South Dakota, this project sought to providescience-based information to helpunderstanding of the environmental implications of grassland conversion, and foster adoption ofsustainable water management strategies to meet the needs of present and future generations. Specific Objective1 (completed):Trends instreamflow and rainfall were evaluated for a period of 1951-2013 for 18 selected gauge stations and 21 rainfall observation stations in South Dakota. The concept of elasticity was also used to examine sensitivity of streamflow to variation in rainfall and land cover (i.e., grassland) in the study watersheds. Results indicated that about half of the studied streams exhibited significant increasing trends in low and moderate flow conditions. Ten rainfall stations showed slight increasing trends and seven showed decreasing trends for annual rainfall. Streamflow elasticity analysis revealed that streamflow was highly influenced by rainfall across the state.Based on this analysis, a 10% increase in annual rainfall would result in 11%-30% increase in annual streamflow in more than 60% of SD streams. Specific objective2 (ongoing): Field experiments were installed in fall 2015 at the Cottonwood Research Station to quantify soil moisture from grass and croplandresearch plots.The goal is to compare hydrologic changes in the soil profile among newly converted perennial grasses to cropland, long-term annual cropland, and long-termperennial grasses. Specific objective 3 (ongoing): The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was calibrated and validated for long-term simulation of hydrology and water quality in the following watersheds: BadRiver, Skunk Creek, Upper Big Sioux River, andJames River. This work is ongoing and should lead to interesting results. Specific objective 4(not started): This objective will be modified for the next reporting period. The objective will be amended to include subsurface drainage research in eastern South Dakota. This topic is of a great interrest to stakeholders and the general public in the state. Specific objective 5 (ongoing): This objective aims todemonstrate the utility of using woodchip denitrification bioreactors and phosphorus adsorption beds as a conservation drainage practice to remove nitrate-nitrogen and phosphorus from tile drain water at large scales. Currently, fourwoodchip denitrification bioreactors and a phosphorus removal bed have been installed, and are beingmonitored and evaluated for their effectiveness in conserving water quality in Eastern South Dakota.

Publications

  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Kibria, K.N. (2015). Contemporary Streamflow Trends and Responses to Climate Variability and Land Use Change in South Dakota. M.S. Thesis, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Kibria, K., Ahiablame, L., Hay, C., Djira, G. 2015. Streamflow Trends and Responses to Climate Variability and Land Cover Change in South Dakota. Hydrology (In press).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2015 Citation: Paul, M., Ahiablame, L., Rajib, M. A. (2015). Spatial and temporal evaluation of hydrological response to climate and land use change in South Dakota watersheds. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, Under review
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Hong, J., Ahiablame, L., Lim, K., 2015. Evaluating Water Quality Impacts of Grassland Establishment. Poster presented at the 2015 International SWAT Conference and Workshops, October 12-16, West Lafayette, IN.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Paul, M., Ahiablame, L., Rajib, M. A. (2015). Hydrologic and Water Quality Impacts of Climate and Land Use Changes in South Dakota. Poster Presentation at the Student Water Conference, March 26-27, Stillwater, OK. [Accepted for Travel Grant]
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Paul, M., Ahiablame, L., Rajib, M. A. (2015). Hydrologic and Water Quality Impacts of Climate and Land Use Changes in South Dakota. Oral Presentation at the 2015 ASABE North Central Intersectional Conference, April 10-11, Fargo, ND.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Paul, M., Ahiablame, L., Rajib, M. A. (2015). Hydrologic and Water Quality Impacts of Climate and Land Use Changes in South Dakota. Poster Presented at 2015 Annual International Meeting, July 26-29, New Orleans, LA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Paul, M., Ahiablame, L., Rajib, M. A. (2015). Spatial and temporal evaluation of hydrological response to climate and land use change in South Dakota watersheds. Oral Presentation at the 2015 International SWAT Conference and Workshops, October 12-16, West Lafayette, IN.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Paul, M., Ahiablame, L., Rajib, M. A. (2015). Spatial and temporal evaluation of hydrological response to climate and land use change in South Dakota watersheds. Poster presented at NSF Food-Energy-Water Nexus Workshop, October 19-20, Rapid City, SD [Best Poster Award].
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Thapa, U., Ahiablame, L., Trooien, T., Hay, C. Kjaersgaard, J., Hua, G. (2015). Combined Treatment of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from Subsurface Drainage Using Low-cost Industrial By-products and Woodchip Bioreactors. Poster presented at ASA/SSA/CSSA Annual meeting, November 15-18, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Thapa, U., Ahiablame, L., Trooien, T., Hay, C. Kjaersgaard, J., Hua, G. (2015). Combined Treatment of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from Subsurface Drainage Using Low-cost Industrial By-products and Woodchip Bioreactors. Poster presented at AgOutlook annual meeting, December-10, Sioux Fall, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Kibria, K., Ahiablame, L. (2015). Contemporary Streamflow Trends Under Climate Variability and Land Use Change in South Dakota. Paper presented at the 2015 Student Water Conference, March 25-27, Stillwater, OK.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Kibria, K., Ahiablame, L. (2015). Contemporary Streamflow Trends Under Climate Variability and Land Use Change in South Dakota. Poster Presented at the 2015 ASABE International meeting, New Orleans, LA, July 26-29.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Kibria, K., Ahiablame, L. (2015). Contemporary Streamflow Trends Under Climate Variability and Land Use Change in South Dakota. Poster presented at NSF Food-Energy-Water Nexus Workshop, October 19-20, Rapid City, SD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ahiablame, L. (2015). November 13, 2015, Invited Speaker, Drainage Water management To Conserve Water Quality. Mini Symposium on Environmental and Water Resources Sustainability. North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ahiablame, L. (2015). July 13, 2015, Invited Guest Speaker, Land Use Mapping and Modeling Symposium. Brookings, SD: Hydrologic Changes in South Dakota Watersheds Over the Last Few Decades: Human Impact or Climate Change?
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ahiablame, L. (2015). March 25, 2015, Invited Guest Speaker, Grazinglands Research Lab, El Reno, OK: Hydrologic and water quality implications of changing climate and land use in South Dakota.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ahiablame, L. (2015). September 29 - October 3, 2015, Invited Speaker, International Conference on Sustainable Agricultural and Environment. Konya, Turkey: Assessment and management of agricultural water quality in South Dakota.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Sellner, B., Hua, G., Kjaersgaard, J., Trooien, T., Hay, C., Ahiablame, L. (2015). Phosphorus Removal in Agricultural Subsurface Drainage Using Low-Cost Adsorbents. Poster presented at the 2015 Student Water Conference in Sillwater, OK, OSU, March 26-27, 2015.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Amiri, S., Trooien, T., Hay, C., Ahiablame, L., Hay, C., Kjaersgaard, J., Hua, G., Sellner, B. (2015). Phosphorus removal media: A potential alternative to prevent phosphorus loss from agricultural drained lands. Poster presented at the SD 2015 Gamma Sigma Delta Achievement Day and Awards Banquet and Initiation Ceremony, Brookings, SDSU, SD, April 2, 2015.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Sellner, B., Hua, G., Kjaersgaard, J., Trooien, T., Hay, C., Ahiablame, L. (2015). Phosphorus Removal in Agricultural Subsurface Drainage Using Low-Cost Adsorbents. Poster presented at the 2015 Western South Dakota Hydrology Meeting, Rapid City, SD, April 15-16, 2015.