The Influence of Two-Stage Ditches with Constructed Floodplains on Water Column Nutrients and Sediments in Agricultural Streams

Abstract

The two-stage ditch is a novel management practice originally implemented to increase bank stability through floodplain restoration in channelized agricultural streams. To determine the effects of two-stage construction on sediment and nutrient loads, we monitored turbidity, and also measured total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (N) species, and phosphorus (P) after two-stage ditch construction in reference and manipulated reaches of four streams. Turbidity decreased during floodplain inundation at all sites, but TSS and P, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and total phosphorus (TP) decreased only in the two-stage ditches with longer duration of inundation. Both TSS and TP were positively correlated within individual streams, but neither were correlated with turbidity. Phosphorus was elevated in the stream to which manure was applied adjacent to the two-stage reach, but not the reference reach, suggesting that landscape nutrient management plans could restrict nutrient transport to the stream, ultimately determining the efficacy of instream management practices. In addition, ammonium and nitrate decreased in two-stage reaches with lower initial N concentrations. Overall, results suggest that turbidity, TSS, and TP were reduced during floodplain inundation, but the two-stage alone may not be effective for managing high inorganic N loads.