IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i5p4045-d1077609.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Best Management Practices Affect Water Quality in Coastal Watersheds

Author

Listed:
  • Shreeya Bhattarai

    (Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA)

  • Prem B. Parajuli

    (Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA)

Abstract

Coastal ecosystems are vulnerable due to watershed sediment and nutrient loads. In this study, the hydrology and water quality of two coastal watersheds, Wolf River watershed (WRW) and Jourdan River watershed (JRW), were assessed using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Model performance evaluation was performed using the coefficient of determination (R 2 ) and the Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE). After model calibration and validation, the effectiveness of ponds, wetlands, riparian buffers, and their combination as best management practices (BMPs) were analyzed. Total suspended solids (TSS) was reduced by 31.15% in the pond scenario and 30.37% in the wetland in WRW. In addition, mineral phosphorous (MinP) was reduced by 11.84% and 9.63% in ponds and wetlands, respectively. Similarly, in JRW, TSS was reduced by 74.89% in ponds and 74.90% in wetlands. Likewise, ponds and wetlands reduced MinP by 8.05% and 13.40%, respectively. Among four riparian buffer scenarios, the 30 m buffer prompted the estimation of higher reductions such as TSS by 28.36% and MinP by 29.77% in WRW, whereas a 13.14% TSS and 22.89% MinP reduction in JRW. In addition, combined BMP, TSS was reduced by 30.37% and MinP by 52.09% in WRW, followed by a 74.92% reduction in TSS and 27.37% in MinP in JRW. All BMP implementations were effective in reducing TSS and MinP. This study suggests that ponds and wetlands were effective in reducing TSS and riparian buffers were effective in reducing MinP. These findings could be insightful in coastal watershed management.

Suggested Citation

  • Shreeya Bhattarai & Prem B. Parajuli, 2023. "Best Management Practices Affect Water Quality in Coastal Watersheds," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4045-:d:1077609
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/5/4045/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/5/4045/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gassman, Philip W. & Reyes, Manuel R. & Green, Colleen H. & Arnold, Jeffrey G., 2007. "The Soil and Water Assessment Tool: Historical Development, Applications, and Future Research Directions," ISU General Staff Papers 200701010800001027, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    2. Leh, Mansoor D.K. & Sharpley, Andrew N. & Singh, Gurdeep & Matlock, Marty D., 2018. "Assessing the impact of the MRBI program in a data limited Arkansas watershed using the SWAT model," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 202-219.
    3. Vivek Venishetty & Prem B. Parajuli, 2022. "Assessment of BMPs by Estimating Hydrologic and Water Quality Outputs Using SWAT in Yazoo River Watershed," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-14, March.
    4. Avay Risal & Prem B. Parajuli, 2022. "Evaluation of the Impact of Best Management Practices on Streamflow, Sediment and Nutrient Yield at Field and Watershed Scales," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 36(3), pages 1093-1105, February.
    5. Sith, Ratino & Watanabe, Atsushi & Nakamura, Takashi & Yamamoto, Takahiro & Nadaoka, Kazuo, 2019. "Assessment of water quality and evaluation of best management practices in a small agricultural watershed adjacent to Coral Reef area in Japan," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 659-673.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dipesh Nepal & Prem B. Parajuli, 2022. "Assessment of Best Management Practices on Hydrology and Sediment Yield at Watershed Scale in Mississippi Using SWAT," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-19, April.
    2. Momm, Henrique G. & Bingner, Ronald L. & Moore, Katy & Herring, Glenn, 2022. "Integrated surface and groundwater modeling to enhance water resource sustainability in agricultural watersheds," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    3. Shailendra Singh & Soonho Hwang & Jeffrey G. Arnold & Rabin Bhattarai, 2023. "Evaluation of Agricultural BMPs’ Impact on Water Quality and Crop Production Using SWAT+ Model," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-16, July.
    4. Rossetto, Rudy & De Filippis, Giovanna & Triana, Federico & Ghetta, Matteo & Borsi, Iacopo & Schmid, Wolfgang, 2019. "Software tools for management of conjunctive use of surface- and ground-water in the rural environment: integration of the Farm Process and the Crop Growth Module in the FREEWAT platform," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 223(C), pages 1-1.
    5. Egbendewe-Mondzozo, Aklesso & Swinton, Scott M. & Bals, Bryan D. & Dale, Bruce E., 2011. "Can Dispersed Biomass Processing Protect the Environment and Cover the Bottom Line for Biofuel?," Staff Paper Series 119348, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    6. Andersson, Jafet C.M. & Zehnder, Alexander J.B. & Rockström, Johan & Yang, Hong, 2011. "Potential impacts of water harvesting and ecological sanitation on crop yield, evaporation and river flow regimes in the Thukela River basin, South Africa," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(7), pages 1113-1124, May.
    7. Hongxing Liu & Wendong Zhang & Elena Irwin & Jeffrey Kast & Noel Aloysius & Jay Martin & Margaret Kalcic, 2020. "Best Management Practices and Nutrient Reduction: An Integrated Economic-Hydrologic Model of the Western Lake Erie Basin," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 96(4), pages 510-530.
    8. Alan F. Hamlet & Nima Ehsani & Jennifer L. Tank & Zachariah Silver & Kyuhyun Byun & Ursula H. Mahl & Shannon L. Speir & Matt T. Trentman & Todd V. Royer, 2024. "Effects of climate and winter cover crops on nutrient loss in agricultural watersheds in the midwestern U.S," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(1), pages 1-21, January.
    9. Yates, Andrew J. & Doyle, Martin W. & Rigby, J.R. & Schnier, Kurt E., 2013. "Market power, private information, and the optimal scale of pollution permit markets with application to North Carolina's Neuse River," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 256-276.
    10. Eini, Mohammad Reza & Salmani, Haniyeh & Piniewski, Mikołaj, 2023. "Comparison of process-based and statistical approaches for simulation and projections of rainfed crop yields," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    11. Jeong, Hanseok & Kim, Hakkwan & Jang, Taeil & Park, Seungwoo, 2016. "Assessing the effects of indirect wastewater reuse on paddy irrigation in the Osan River watershed in Korea using the SWAT model," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 393-402.
    12. Lingcheng Li & Liping Zhang & Jun Xia & Christopher Gippel & Renchao Wang & Sidong Zeng, 2015. "Implications of Modelled Climate and Land Cover Changes on Runoff in the Middle Route of the South to North Water Transfer Project in China," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 29(8), pages 2563-2579, June.
    13. Roy Brouwer & Rute Pinto & Jorge Garcia‐Hernandez & Xingtong Li & Merrin Macrae & Predrag Rajsic & Wanhong Yang & Yongbo Liu & Mark Anderson & Louise Heyming, 2023. "Spatial optimization of nutrient reduction measures on agricultural land to improve water quality: A coupled modeling approach," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 71(3-4), pages 329-353, September.
    14. Ramesh P. Rudra & Balew A. Mekonnen & Rituraj Shukla & Narayan Kumar Shrestha & Pradeep K. Goel & Prasad Daggupati & Asim Biswas, 2020. "Currents Status, Challenges, and Future Directions in Identifying Critical Source Areas for Non-Point Source Pollution in Canadian Conditions," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-25, October.
    15. Javier Senent-Aparicio & Sitian Liu & Julio Pérez-Sánchez & Adrián López-Ballesteros & Patricia Jimeno-Sáez, 2018. "Assessing Impacts of Climate Variability and Reforestation Activities on Water Resources in the Headwaters of the Segura River Basin (SE Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-13, September.
    16. Elias Bekele & H. Knapp, 2010. "Watershed Modeling to Assessing Impacts of Potential Climate Change on Water Supply Availability," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 24(13), pages 3299-3320, October.
    17. Gao, Jie & Xie, Pengxuan & Zhuo, La & Shang, Kehui & Ji, Xiangxiang & Wu, Pute, 2021. "Water footprints of irrigated crop production and meteorological driving factors at multiple temporal scales," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    18. N. Maier & J. Dietrich, 2016. "Using SWAT for Strategic Planning of Basin Scale Irrigation Control Policies: a Case Study from a Humid Region in Northern Germany," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(9), pages 3285-3298, July.
    19. Ribaudo, Marc & Savage, Jeffrey, 2014. "Controlling non-additional credits from nutrient management in water quality trading programs through eligibility baseline stringency," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 233-239.
    20. Lin Ye & Nancy Grimm, 2013. "Modelling potential impacts of climate change on water and nitrate export from a mid-sized, semiarid watershed in the US Southwest," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 120(1), pages 419-431, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4045-:d:1077609. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.