Effectiveness of Best Management Practices to Reduce Phosphorus Loading to a Highly Eutrophic Lake
Reducing nonpoint source pollution is an ongoing challenge in watersheds throughout the world. Implementation of best management practices, both structural and nonstructural, is the usual response to this challenge, with the presumption that they are effective. However, monitoring of their efficacy...
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doaj-ee1c13f1152e404cae5535b004fa146c2020-11-24T22:49:17ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1660-46012018-09-011510211110.3390/ijerph15102111ijerph15102111Effectiveness of Best Management Practices to Reduce Phosphorus Loading to a Highly Eutrophic LakeAlan D. Steinman0Michael Hassett1Maggie Oudsema2Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University, 740 W. Shoreline Drive, Muskegon, MI 49456, USAAnnis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University, 740 W. Shoreline Drive, Muskegon, MI 49456, USAAnnis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University, 740 W. Shoreline Drive, Muskegon, MI 49456, USAReducing nonpoint source pollution is an ongoing challenge in watersheds throughout the world. Implementation of best management practices, both structural and nonstructural, is the usual response to this challenge, with the presumption that they are effective. However, monitoring of their efficacy is not a standard practice. In this study, we evaluate the effectiveness of two wetland restoration projects, designed to handle runoff during high flow events and serve as flow-through retention basins before returning flow further downstream. The Macatawa Watershed is located in west Michigan, is heavily agricultural, and drains into Lake Macatawa, a hypereutrophic lake with total phosphorus concentrations usually exceeding 100 µg/L. We measured turbidity, total phosphorus, and soluble reactive phosphorus both upstream and downstream of these wetland complexes during base flow and storm events. While both turbidity and phosphorus increased significantly during storm events compared to baseflow, we found no significant difference in upstream vs. downstream water quality two years following BMP construction. We also measured water quality in Lake Macatawa, and found the lake remained highly impaired. Possible reasons for the lack of improved water quality: (1) The restored wetlands are too young to function optimally in sediment and phosphorus retention; (2) the scale of these BMPs is too small given the overall loads; (3) the locations of these BMPs are not optimal in terms of pollutant reduction; and (4) the years following postconstruction were relatively dry so the wetlands had limited opportunity to retain pollutants. These possibilities are evaluated.http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/10/2111best management practiceseutrophicationLake Macatawawatershed restoration |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Alan D. Steinman Michael Hassett Maggie Oudsema |
spellingShingle |
Alan D. Steinman Michael Hassett Maggie Oudsema Effectiveness of Best Management Practices to Reduce Phosphorus Loading to a Highly Eutrophic Lake International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health best management practices eutrophication Lake Macatawa watershed restoration |
author_facet |
Alan D. Steinman Michael Hassett Maggie Oudsema |
author_sort |
Alan D. Steinman |
title |
Effectiveness of Best Management Practices to Reduce Phosphorus Loading to a Highly Eutrophic Lake |
title_short |
Effectiveness of Best Management Practices to Reduce Phosphorus Loading to a Highly Eutrophic Lake |
title_full |
Effectiveness of Best Management Practices to Reduce Phosphorus Loading to a Highly Eutrophic Lake |
title_fullStr |
Effectiveness of Best Management Practices to Reduce Phosphorus Loading to a Highly Eutrophic Lake |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effectiveness of Best Management Practices to Reduce Phosphorus Loading to a Highly Eutrophic Lake |
title_sort |
effectiveness of best management practices to reduce phosphorus loading to a highly eutrophic lake |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2018-09-01 |
description |
Reducing nonpoint source pollution is an ongoing challenge in watersheds throughout the world. Implementation of best management practices, both structural and nonstructural, is the usual response to this challenge, with the presumption that they are effective. However, monitoring of their efficacy is not a standard practice. In this study, we evaluate the effectiveness of two wetland restoration projects, designed to handle runoff during high flow events and serve as flow-through retention basins before returning flow further downstream. The Macatawa Watershed is located in west Michigan, is heavily agricultural, and drains into Lake Macatawa, a hypereutrophic lake with total phosphorus concentrations usually exceeding 100 µg/L. We measured turbidity, total phosphorus, and soluble reactive phosphorus both upstream and downstream of these wetland complexes during base flow and storm events. While both turbidity and phosphorus increased significantly during storm events compared to baseflow, we found no significant difference in upstream vs. downstream water quality two years following BMP construction. We also measured water quality in Lake Macatawa, and found the lake remained highly impaired. Possible reasons for the lack of improved water quality: (1) The restored wetlands are too young to function optimally in sediment and phosphorus retention; (2) the scale of these BMPs is too small given the overall loads; (3) the locations of these BMPs are not optimal in terms of pollutant reduction; and (4) the years following postconstruction were relatively dry so the wetlands had limited opportunity to retain pollutants. These possibilities are evaluated. |
topic |
best management practices eutrophication Lake Macatawa watershed restoration |
url |
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/10/2111 |
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