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Quantifying Nutrient Loads with Estimated Drain Flow Using Water Table Observations

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  2016 10th International Drainage Symposium Conference, 6-9 September 2016, Minneapolis, Minnesota  .(doi:10.13031/IDS.20162514998)
Authors:   Samaneh Saadat, Jane Frankenberger, Laura Bowling
Keywords:   Drainage, Nitrate, Phosphorus, Water table

Abstract. Quantifying nitrate and phosphorus loads from subsurface tile drainage requires a complete drain flow dataset. Due to monitoring challenges, drain flow observations are often missing and conclusions about annual flow and thus nutrient loads have been limited. However, water table data are very consistent. The goal of this study was to estimate drain flow during missing periods using water table observations, and to use the complete dataset to estimate nutrient loads over a 4-year period at the Davis Purdue Agricultural Center (DPAC) in eastern Indiana. Drain flow was estimated using Hooghoudt's equation and the measured water table height.

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