Agricultural runoff management

The Agricultural Runoff Management (ARM) Model, developed by Hydrocomp Inc. for the U.S.EPA (2 ). It simulates the hydrology, sediment yield, and nutrient and pesticide behavior of the land phase of the hydrological cycle. The same organizations also developed the Non-Point Source (NPS) Model (3) which handles the washoff of miscellaneous pollutants from land surfaces. 

N.H. Crawford. Agricultural Runoff Management (ARM) Model Version II Refinement and Testing. Env. Res. Lab., Athens, Georgia. 1977. EPA600/3-77-098. 294 pages. 

This Is a compilation ofartides and papers from WEF Journals and conferences. Topics Indude water management, urban runoff, toxics, storm water, agricultural runoff, and regulations. 

Knisel, W.G., editor (1980). CREAMS. A field scale model for Chemicals, Runoff, and Erosion from Agricultural Management Systems. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC. 

While phosphorus export from agricultural systems is usually dominated by surface runoff, important exceptions occur in sandy, acid organic, or peaty soils that have low phosphorus adsorption capacities and in soils where the preferential flow of water can occur rapidly through macropores (Sharpley et al., 1998 Sims et al., 1998). Soils that allow substantial subsurface exports of dissolved phosphorus are common on parts of the Atlantic coastal plain and Honda, and are thus important to consider in the management of coastal eutrophication in these regions. 

Some models like CREAMS (Chemicals, Runoff and Erosion from Agricultural Management systems) are available for simulation of pesticide surface runoff (Knisel, 1980). 

New awareness of the potential danger to water supplies posed by the use of agricultural chemicals and urban industrial development has also focused attention on the nature of rainfall-runoff and recharge processes and the mobility of various solutes, especially nitrate and pesticides, in shallow systems. Dumping and spills of other potentially toxic materials are also of concern because these chemicals may evenmally reach streams and other public water supplies. A better understanding of hydrologic flow paths and solute sources is required to determine the potential impact of contaminants on water supplies, develop management practices to preserve water quality, and devise remediation plans for sites that are already polluted. 

A last application of the previous reference (Thomas et al., 2005) was the study of pollution sources of lake Brome (Southern Quebec) from its tributaries, giving useful information related to agricultural pressure (manure spreading), wastewater management (urban runoff discharges) or golf management (use of fertilizers and pesticides). 

The study site was selected so that it would (1) have multilayered soils, (2) have relatively flat topography (to minimize runoff), (3) be of manageable size (less than 20 acres), (4) have a shallow water table, (5) be isolated from domestic wells, (6) be within close proximity of a ground-water divide, (7) be available for a 5-year study, with owner cooperation, and (8) be in a major agricultural area. 

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