Quantifying seasonal variation in total phosphorus and nitrogen from prairie streams in the Red River Basin, Manitoba Canada

Rattan, K.J.; Corriveau, Julie; Brua, Robert B.; Culp, Joseph M.; Yates, Adam G.; Chambers, Patricia A.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.09.073

Cited by 83 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Of these models, CRHM offers the most complete range of physically based process representation for the northern Great Plains, including blowing snow, interception and sublimation of snow, energy balance snowmelt, canopy influence on radiation, and infiltration to frozen soils Fang et al, 2010Fang et al, , 2013. Although CRHM currently does not feature a module to represent nutrient dynamics in either soil or water, such modules are under development (Roste, 2015) and the platform is a powerful tool for assessing watershed nutrient dynamics because of the well-established relationships between phosphorus concentrations and discharge rate in tributaries of the Red River, including the La Salle River (McCullough et al, 2012), which is the focus of the research presented here.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, the CRHM was used to simulate the hydrology of an intensively managed agricultural sub-watershed of the Red River Valley and to gain insight into the dominant hydrological controls of streamflow in this landscape that, although unique, embodies many of the problems faced by other cold regions. For example, phosphorus transport from farmland, which is a problem in the Red River Basin (Rattan et al, 2016;Yates et al, 2012), is also an issue in many other coldclimate regions, including northwestern European countries such as Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Ireland (Ulén et al, 2007). The research presented here provides insight into those periods of time, weather conditions, and associated process representations with which poor model performance is associated, indicating either limitations of model input data or the need for improved understanding and representation of watershed hydrology in the region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Simulating cold-region hydrology in an intensively drained agricultural watershed in Manitoba, Canada, using the Cold Regions Hydrological Model

Cordeiro

Wilson

Vanrobaeys

et al. 2017

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Etrophication and flooding are perennial problems in agricultural watersheds of the northern Great Plains. A high proportion of annual runoff and nutrient transport occurs with snowmelt in this region. Extensive surface drainage modification, frozen soils, and frequent backwater or icedamming impacts on flow measurement represent unique challenges to accurately modelling watershed-scale hydrological processes. A physically based, non-calibrated model created using the Cold Regions Hydrological Modelling platform (CRHM) was parameterized to simulate hydrological processes within a low slope, clay soil, and intensively surface drained agricultural watershed. These characteristics are common to most tributaries of the Red River of the north. Analysis of the observed water level records for the study watershed (La Salle River) indicates that ice cover and backwater issues at time of peak flow may impact the accuracy of both modelled and measured streamflows, highlighting the value of evaluating a non-calibrated model in this environment. Simulations best matched the streamflow record in years when peak and annual discharges were equal to or above the medians of 6.7 m 3 s −1 and 1.25 ×10 7 m 3 , respectively, with an average Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of 0.76. Simulation of low-flow years (below the medians) was more challenging (average NSE < 0), with simulated discharge overestimated by 90 % on average. This result indicates the need for improved understanding of hydrological response in the watershed under drier conditions. Simulation during dry years was improved when infiltration was allowed prior to soil thaw, indicating the potential importance of preferential flow. Representation of in-channel dynamics and travel time under the flooded or ice-jam conditions should also receive attention in further model development efforts. Despite the complexities of the study watershed, simulations of flow for average to high-flow years and other components of the water balance were robust (snow water equivalency (SWE) and soil moisture). A sensitivity analysis of the flow routing model suggests a need for improved understanding of watershed functions under both dry and flooded conditions due to dynamic routing conditions, but overall CRHM is appropriate for simulation of hydrological processes in agricultural watersheds of the Red River. Falsifications of snow sublimation, snow transport, and infiltration to frozen soil processes in the validated base model indicate that these processes were very influential in stream discharge generation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulating cold-region hydrology in an intensively drained agricultural watershed in Manitoba, Canada, using the Cold Regions Hydrological Model

Cordeiro

Wilson

Vanrobaeys

et al. 2017

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…As such, 23 runoff events were identified during the 2015–2016 study period. Season‐specific event dynamics were also examined, with seasons delineated based on calendar dates as well as general weather and soil conditions (e.g., presence/absence of soil–ice) and crop growth stage (i.e., preplant, growing, postharvest; Rattan et al, ; Table ). Spring (April 1–May 31) events, therefore, included rain events occurring on wholly or partially frozen soils with cool air temperatures, no crop growth, and wet antecedent conditions following snowmelt.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydroclimatic controls on runoff activation in an artificially drained, near‐level vertisolic clay landscape in a Prairie climate

Kokulan

Macrae

Ali

et al. 2018

Hydrological Processes

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Water quality problems are frequently influenced by hydrological processes, particularly in landscapes in which land drainage has been modified. The expansion of agricultural tile drainage in the Northern Great Plains of North America is occurring, yet is controversial due to persistent water quality problems such as eutrophication. Runoff-generating mechanisms inNorth American tile-drained landscapes in vertisolic soils have not been investigated but are important for understanding the impacts of tile drainage on water quantity and quality. This study evaluated the role of climate drivers on the activation of overland (OF) and tile (TF) flow and groundwater flow responses (GWT) on tile-drained and nontile-drained farm fields in Southern Manitoba, Canada. The response times of different flow paths (OF, TF, and GWT)were compared for 23 hydrological events (April-September 2015, 2016) to infer dominant runoff generation processes. Runoff responses (all pathways) were more rapid following higher intensity rainfall. Subsurface responses were hastened by wetter antecedent conditions in spring and delayed by the seasonal soil-ice layer. The activation of OF did not differ between the tiled and nontiled fields, suggesting that tile drains do little to reduce the occurrence of OF in this landscape. Rapid vertical preferential flow into tiles via preferential flow pathways was uncommon at our site, and the soil profile instead wet up from the top down. These conclusions have implications for the expansion of tile drainage and the impact of such an expansion on hydrological and biogeochemical processes in agricultural landscapes.

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“…Spring rain storms on wet antecedent soil conditions can also produce significant P loads (Macrae et al, 2010; Kokulan et al, 2019). Further, regions such as the Lake Winnipeg watershed and the Great Lakes are prone to periodic large‐magnitude summer and autumn events that can generate substantial runoff volumes when drainage systems become overwhelmed (Macrae et al, 2007; Shook and Pomeroy, 2012; Rattan et al, 2017). In contrast, although snowmelt runoff is less important in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and absent in the Okeechobee watershed, these watersheds are prone to peak flow conditions following significant summer and autumn rainfall produced by warm, moist air masses that often originate over the Atlantic Ocean.…”

Section: Watershed Phosphorus Concerns Across Latitudesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Latitudes, Attitudes, and Platitudes of Watershed Phosphorus Management in North America

et al. 2019

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Phosphorus (P) plays a crucial role in agriculture as a primary fertilizer nutrient—and as a cause of the eutrophication of surface waters. Despite decades of efforts to keep P on agricultural fields and reduce losses to waterways, frequent algal blooms persist, triggering not only ecological disruption but also economic, social, and political consequences. We investigate historical and persistent factors affecting agricultural P mitigation in a transect of major watersheds across North America: Lake Winnipeg, Lake Erie, the Chesapeake Bay, and Lake Okeechobee/Everglades. These water bodies span 26 degrees of latitude, from the cold climate of central Canada to the subtropics of the southeastern United States. These water bodies and their associated watersheds have tracked trajectories of P mitigation that manifest remarkable similarities, and all have faced challenges in the application of science to agricultural management that continue to this day. An evolution of knowledge and experience in watershed P mitigation calls into question uniform solutions as well as efforts to transfer strategies from other arenas. As a result, there is a need to admit to shortcomings of past approaches, plotting a future for watershed P mitigation that accepts the sometimes two‐sided nature of Hennig Brandt's “Devil's Element.” Core Ideas North American P mitigation experiences spanning 26 degrees of latitude are explored. Uncertainty and lag times create schisms in mitigation programs. One‐size‐fits‐all approaches cannot account for management trade‐offs. Acknowledging shortcomings in messages and approaches is imperative to moving on. Unified P mitigation provides a framework and eliminates solution singularities.

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Quantifying seasonal variation in total phosphorus and nitrogen from prairie streams in the Red River Basin, Manitoba Canada

Cited by 83 publications

References 24 publications

Simulating cold-region hydrology in an intensively drained agricultural watershed in Manitoba, Canada, using the Cold Regions Hydrological Model

Simulating cold-region hydrology in an intensively drained agricultural watershed in Manitoba, Canada, using the Cold Regions Hydrological Model

Hydroclimatic controls on runoff activation in an artificially drained, near‐level vertisolic clay landscape in a Prairie climate

The Latitudes, Attitudes, and Platitudes of Watershed Phosphorus Management in North America

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