A GIS-aided two-phase grey fuzzy optimization model for nonpoint source pollution control in a small watershed

A method for allocating allowable ranges of total nitrogen (TN) load to nonpoint (diffuse pollution) sources in a watershed has been developed by adopting the two-phase grey fuzzy optimization approach. Competing goals of water quality management authorities and TN load dischargers at nonpoint sources such as paddy field, upland crop field, and residential area are described with linear imprecise membership functions including interval numbers. TN load discharged from each cell of the nonpoint sources is assumed to be transported along with surface, subsurface, and river flow under the conventional first-order kinetic removal with respect to distance. The travel length of the load is estimated with a digital elevation model in a geographic information system (GIS). Uncertainty of river discharge and self-purification coefficients appearing in the TN transport model is also expressed with interval numbers. The GIS-aided grey fuzzy optimization model developed here is applied to the Seimei River watershed, Japan. By solving the optimization model, the allowable load represented by an interval number at each cell is procured, which would be a scientific base for effluent control regarding nonpoint sources in the area.     

Simulation of water quality with the application of system dynamics model for population and land-use changes

Water quality is degraded due to urbanization because it causes population growth and land-use changes in a watershed. These changes are usually simulated using a linear equation; however, in reality, population and land use are very closely related. A watershed system dynamics model (WSD model) was developed in the simulation of the relation among population, land use (paddy fields, upland fields, forest, and household), and runoff. The model comprised of three sectors: the agricultural sector, nature sector, and urban sector. The elements in the WSD model were selected based on interviews with local government officers and references. The WSD model simulated population, land use, and runoff with an average relative error of about 5%. Total nitrogen (T-N) and total phosphorus (T-P) were simulated using the results of the WSD model and unit effluent loads. Field surveys were conducted to determine the rate of mitigation in paddy fields. In addition, correction equations for runoff and phosphate-containing detergent were introduced. The model simulated T-N with an average relative error of 9%, and T-P with 27%; a sensitivity analysis for the principal elements in the WSD model showed reasonable results.     

Development of a water quality tank model classified by land use for nitrogen load reduction scenarios

Water quality in the watershed mainly used for agriculture is degraded by nutrients from fertilizers and animal wastes. These diffuse (non-point) sources have accumulated in soils and been released into the river system for the long-term. In this paper, a water quality tank model classified by land use is modified for the accumulation, and total nitrogen (T-N) is simulated over 40 years in the Yamada River basin within the Lake Kasumigaura watershed, Japan. For considering the nitrogen balance, the model has a database comprising statistical data such as population, land use, rain, fertilizer, and animal waste; it calculates cumulative load in soils and dissolved load separately. The model simulated the measured data with relative error of 15% for runoff and 7% for T-N. Five scenarios for the reduction of cumulative load were developed as a countermeasure plan: soil washing, slow-release fertilizer, fertilizer application reduction, cover crop, and animal waste reduction. The results show that T-N first decreases and then increases after 30 years in the case of the slow-release fertilizer scenario and that T-N is reduced by 30% after 40 years in the case of the 100% animal waste reduction scenario.     

SWAT modeling of best management practices for Chungju dam watershed in South Korea under future climate change scenarios

Suitable and practicable best management practices (BMPs) need to be developed due to steadily increasing agricultural land development, intensified fertilization practices, and increased soil erosion and pollutant loads from cultivated areas. The soil and water assessment tool model was used to evaluate the present and future proper BMP scenarios for Chungju dam watershed (6,642 km²) of South Korea, which includes rice paddy and upland crop areas. The present (1981–2010) and future (2040s and 2080s) BMPs of streambank stabilization, building recharge structures, conservation tillage, and terrace and contour farming were examined individually in terms of reducing nonpoint source pollution loads by applying MIROC3.2 HiRes A1B and B1 scenarios. Streambank stabilization achieved the highest reductions in sediment and T-N, and slope terracing was a highly effective BMP for sediment and T-P removal in both present and future climate conditions.     

Simulation of rainfall runoff and pollutant load for Chikugo River basin in Japan using a GIS-based distributed parameter model

In watershed management, the determination of peak and total runoff due to rainfall and prediction of pollutant load are very important. Measurement of rainfall runoff and pollutant load is always the best approach but is not always possible at the desired time and location. In practice, diffuse pollution has a complex natural dependence on various land-use activities such as agriculture, livestock breeding, and forestry. Estimation of pollutant load is therefore essential for watershed management and water pollution control. In this study, a model of rainfall runoff and pollutant load, which uses a geographical information system (GIS) database, is a convenient and powerful tool for resolving the abovementioned complexities. This technology was applied in order to simulate the runoff discharge and the pollutant load of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in the Chikugo River basin of Kyushu Island, Japan. First, a hydrologic modeling system (HEC-HMS) and GIS software extension tool were used for simulations of elevation, drainage line definition, watershed delineation, drainage feature characterization, and geometric network generation. The spatial distributions of land cover, soil classes, rainfall, and evaporation were then analyzed in order to simulate the daily runoff discharge at the Chikugo Barrage from April 2005 to December 2007. An important point in this approach is that a new development for data input processing with HEC-HMS was introduced for optimizing parameters of the model. Next, the water quality indicators TN and TP were examined, and an efficient approach was investigated for estimating monthly pollutant loads directly from unit load and ground-observed hydrological data. Both nonpoint and point sources of pollutants were considered, including different land-cover categories, sewers, factories, and livestock farms. The observed and simulated results for the runoff discharges and pollutant loads were in good agreement and totally consistent, indicating that the proposed model is applicable to simulation of rainfall runoff and pollutant load in the Chikugo River basin. Further, this model will be able to provide managers with a useful tool for optimizing the water surface management of this river basin.     

Optimal fallow area and location for multifunctional benefits of a paddy field during drought periods

Paddy fields not only serve to produce food but also have a variety of important ecological functions. Apart from the internal benefit (i.e., crop production), there are external benefits (i.e., reduction of greenhouse gases, oxygen generation, reduction of biological oxygen demand, flood mitigation, and other functions that are difficult to quantify). In the present study, the optimal fallow locations and areas were determined for evaluating the multifunctional benefits of paddy fields during drought periods, by using an optimization model for fallow fields under different exceedance probabilities of river inflows. For each time step, the appropriate probability distributions for river inflows to the Chi-Chi Weir (range 50–90 %) for generating system inflows were obtained. The optimization model for fallow fields was solved using Lingo. It was observed that the external benefits of paddy fields accounted for 76 % of total benefits, with the production benefit accounting for the remainder. The total benefits decreased as the exceedance probability of river discharges increased. Our findings indicate that fallow areas increase as irrigation areas shift downstream.     

Estimation of pollutant loads in an estuarine reservoir considering pollution source characteristics and seasonal variation

The Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program is an integrated process of watershed assessment and management to address surface water quality impairment. The management of organic contaminants and nutrients is a primary concern in conserving surface water bodies. Watershed-scale pollutant loads simulation can assist stakeholders and watershed planners in making decisions on immediate and long-term land use schemes to improve water quality. However, the behavior of contaminants in a watershed needs to be characterized prior to such model applications. The objectives of this study were to characterize point and nonpoint pollutants runoff at a watershed scale and to develop a Pollutant Load Calculation Model (PLCM), which facilitates the estimation of pollutant delivery to a watershed outlet. The developed model was applied for the six sub-watersheds of the Saemangeum estuarine watershed in Korea, where a large tidal reclamation project has been underway. Two years stream flow and water quality data were used for the model calibration, while 1 year data were utilized for the model validation. The model calibration resulted in the R ² values of 0.58, 0.53, and 0.35 for BOD, TN, and TP, respectively. Overall performance for the validation period was similar with that for the calibration period although the R ² values were slightly decreased. The PLCM tends to substantially under or overestimate delivery pollutants loads during the summer rainy seasons when most rainfall events occur. This is probably because once-a-month-measured water quality data, which might not represent appropriately monthly water quality, particularly, for rainy seasons, were used for the loads calculation. Thus, more frequently monitored water quality data should be used for the delivery loads estimation at least for a rainy season in order to improve the PLCM performance. Nevertheless, the developed model took the pollutant reduction process into account, which is not allowed with the conventional unit loading method, and furthermore temporal variations of pollutant loads based on stream flows were also incorporated into the pollutant loads estimation. The developed PLCM can be a useful tool to assess pollutants delivery loads at a watershed scale and thus assist decision makers in developing watershed pollution management schemes.     

Long-term evaluation of the BMPs scenarios in reducing nutrient surface loads from paddy rice cultivation in Korea using the CREAMS-PADDY model

Curbing nutrient loads from rice cultivation has been an issue for the water quality management of surface water bodies in the Asian monsoon region. The objectives of this study were to develop paddy BMP scenarios and to evaluate their effectiveness on nutrient loads reduction using long-term model simulation. Totally five BMP scenarios were developed based on the three paddy farming factors of drainage outlet height, fertilizer type, and application amount and were compared with conventional practices. CREAMS-PADDY model was chosen for the paddy nutrient simulation, and two-year field experimental data were used for the model calibration and validation. The validated model was used to evaluate the developed BMP scenarios for the 46 years of simulation period. The observed nutrient loads were 15.2 and 1.45 kg/ha for nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively, and mainly occurred by early season drainage and rainfall runoff in summer. The long-term simulation showed that the soil test-based fertilization and drainage outlet raising practice were the two most effective methods in nutrient loads reduction. The combination of these two resulted in the greatest loads reduction by 29 and 37 % for T-N and T-P, respectively (p value < 0.001). Overall the effectiveness of the BMP scenarios was decreased in the wet season. As the conclusion, outlet height control and soil nutrient-based fertilization were suggested as the effective practices in paddy loads reduction and their combination can be a practicable BMP scenario for the paddy nutrient management.     

Interval number fuzzy linear programming for climate change impact assessments of reservoir active storage

The major uncertainty in the climate change impact study inherits from applying the predictions of General Circulation Models (GCMs). Different results might be obtained by using various GCMs’ predictions, which causes difficulties on the decision making of water resources management. This study proposed an integrated hydrological simulations and optimization framework, consisting of a fuzzy linear programming model with interval numbers, a streamflow simulation model, and agricultural water demand projections, to evaluate the impacts of climate change on reservoir active storage. The reservoir inflows are simulated by the WatBal model, while agricultural water demands are predicted based on the projected change of potential evapotranspiration. Inflows and water demands are used to formulate an interval number fuzzy linear programming model. Fuzzy relationships are used to describe tolerable deficits of water resources, and the interval number is employed to indicate ranges of possible inflows and water demands. This systematic framework is applied to study the Tsengwen reservoir watershed to provide an optimal interval of active storage. The results further indicate the higher tolerable deficit, the smaller difference between superior and inferior active storage.     

Pollution control via a dredged pool at the inlet of a reservoir

We investigated the applicability of a dredged pool formed at the inlet of a reservoir for pollution control. To quantify the effect of a dredged pool on the water quality of a reservoir, we monitored the water quality of the Masan Reservoir, located in the city of Asan, Choongnam Province, Korea, before and after dredging. In addition, a completely mixed box model was applied to simulate the water quality of the dredged pool and reservoir. The model included a water balance equation and chemical mass balance equation, into which several interactions among water quality components, such as phytoplankton, total nitrogen (T-N), total phosphorus (T-P), dissolved oxygen, and chemical oxygen demand (COD), were incorporated. The water quality monitoring and modeling results indicated that reservoir water quality was greatly affected by the dredged pool. The loads of T-N and T-P into the reservoir were reduced by the dredged pool, which may have induced the removal of nutrients by settling. However, the dredged pool may have had a negative effect on the reservoir in terms of COD and chlorophyll-a because of the internal production of organic matter and/or algae with water detention. Therefore, a dredged pool may be used for pollution control in a reservoir, as long as it is combined with measures to reduce concentrations of organic matter and/or algae.     

A physically based FVM watershed model fully coupling surface and subsurface water flows

A sophisticated modeling approach for simulating-coupled surface and subsurface flows in a watershed is presented. The watershed model developed is a spatially distributed physically based model of composite dimension, consisting of 3-D variably saturated groundwater flow submodel, 2-D overland flow submodel and 1-D river flow submodel. The 3-D subsurface flow is represented by the complete Richards equation, while the 2-D and 1-D surface flows by the diffusive approximations of their complete dynamic equations. For piecewise integration of these equations, the finite volume method (FVM) is employed assuming unknown variables such as the water depth and the pressure head to be volume-averaged state ones. Problem plane geometry is meshed with the unstructured cells of triangular shape which conforms to external as well as internal irregular boundaries such as those between 1-D and 2-D flows. A cell size controlling scheme, referred to as quasi-adaptive meshing scheme, is introduced to keep the local discretization errors caused by topographic elevation gradient even over the entire-meshed geometry. Performance of the model is tested through its practical application to a rugged intermountain watershed. Tuning the values of the three key parameters ensures successful calibration of the model. Once the model is so calibrated, it could reproduce satisfactory runoff response to any rainfall event. Expansion and shrinkage of the contributing area importantly affecting the direct runoff, caused by the vicissitude of rainfall during its total duration, are well reproduced, like what the commonly accepted runoff theory argues. It is thus concluded that the model developed could serve as a powerful watershed simulator usable for investigating and assessing the hydrological aspect of a watershed.     

Evaluation of pollutant removal in a constructed irrigation pond

A year-long study on the water quality and hydrology was carried out to investigate the characteristics of the pollutant concentrations and pollutant removal in a constructed irrigation pond. The pond is part of a circular irrigation system for paddy fields within Lake Kasumigaura watershed, Japan. The average concentrations of the total nitrogen (TN), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (TP), and suspended solids (SS) at the pond outlet were 7.4, 8.6, 0.2, and 18.8 mg L⁻¹, respectively. The average removed loads for the same indices were 0.14, 2.47, 0.11, and 24.2 g m⁻² day⁻¹, respectively. The percentages of pollutant removals from the inflow loads for the same indices were 3, 26, 42, and 63%, respectively. The pond discharged the TN loads of 128 kg due to sediments stirred by operation of a pump for April and May. The average TN removal was 19% from June to August and was smaller than that reported in published literatures (40–50%). Major reasons were considered to be that the turnover of water in the pond was rapid (86% per day) and that the TN concentration of inflow water was relatively low (5.9 mg L⁻¹). The percentages of pollutants that flowed into the pond to the outflow loads from the study site were 6.6, 4.8, 1.6, and 1.1% for TN, COD, TP, and SS loads, respectively. The pollutant removal will be increased if the design of the circular irrigation system is reconsidered to utilize a pollutant removal function in the irrigation pond.     

Influence of paddy rice terraces on soil erosion of a small watershed in a hilly area of Northern Vietnam

Soil erosion is the main cause of soil degradation in northern Vietnam. In this study, soil erosion was measured in 2 m² field plots, a 19.1-ha sub-watershed, and a 248.9-ha main watershed in Tam Quan commune, Tam Duong district, northern Vietnam during 2 years, i.e., 2004–2005. The main watershed includes lowland paddy fields, and is representative for watersheds in the northern Vietnamese landscape. Soil erosion was measured for eight events, at all the three scales to increase our understanding of erosional processes and to assess the effects of paddy fields within the main watershed. The results show that total discharge and sediment yield in both sub-watershed and main watershed were much lower than those in the field plots. Total discharge per unit area in the main watershed was higher than in the sub-watershed, because during the growing season, the paddies are filled with water and any rainfall on them therefore becomes runoff. Sediment yield in the main watershed fluctuated, depending on the soil erosion contribution from many sub-watersheds. Annual rainfalls in 2004 and 2005 were 1,172 and 1,560 mm, respectively, resulting in corresponding total discharges of 54 and 332 mm and total soil losses of 163 and 1,722 kg ha^?1 year^?1. High runoff volumes occurred in July, August, and September, but April, June, the last 10 days of September and October, were the susceptible periods for soil erosion in the study area because of low plant cover and many agricultural activities during these periods.     

The impacts of the water quality of the inflow water from tea fields on irrigation reservoir ecosystems

Authors observed that the nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) concentration is approximately 30 mg/L and that the average pH value is 4.3 in a small river in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Further, when there is heavy rain, the pH value of the river water decreases to below 3.5 at times. There is a small irrigation reservoir in the watershed. The reservoir receives this water and mixed with other river water, the pH in the reservoir reaches below 5.0 at times, making it impossible for fauna to survive there. This water is also used for paddy irrigation, however no damage to rice production was reported. The authors clarified the fact that the low pH and high NO₃-N concentrations were brought about by the overuse of nitrogen fertilizers in tea fields. Further, the authors proposed a model, which can be used to estimate the pH value and the NO₃-N concentration.     

Geographical information system (GIS) mapping of spatio-temporal pollution status of rivers in Ibadan, Nigeria

More accurate spatio-temporal predictions of urban environment are needed as a basis for assessing exposures as a part of environmental studies and to inform urban protection policy and management. In this study, an information system was developed to manage the physico-chemical pollution information of Ibadan river system, Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria. The study took into account the seasonal influences of point and non-point discharges on the levels of physico-chemical parameters. The overall sensitivity of the watershed to physicochemical environmental pollution revealed that during dry season, of the 22 (100%) sample points, only 3 (13.6%) were unpolluted; 6 (27.3%) were slightly polluted; 10(45.4%) were moderately polluted; 2 (9.1%) were seriously polluted and 1 (4.5%) was exceptionally polluted. During rainy season, 3 (13.6%) were unpolluted; 7 (31.8%) were slightly polluted; 9 (40.9%) were moderately polluted; 2 (9.1%) were seriously polluted and 1 (4.5%) was exceptionally polluted. There is a considerable environmental risk associated with the present level of pollution of the Ibadan river water body on fish health and biodiversity. This research provides a basis for aquatic management and assist in policy making at national and international levels. Appropriate strategies for the control of point and non-point pollution sources, amendments and enforcement of legislation should be developed.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus runoff modeling in a flat low-lying paddy cultivated area

Chiyoda basin is located in Saga Prefecture in Kyushu Island, Japan, and lies next to the tidal compartment of the Chikugo River to which the excess water in the basin is drained away. Chiyoda basin has a total area of about 1,100 ha and is a typical flat and low-lying paddy-cultivated area. The main environmental issue in this basin is total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) load management because TN and TP, which loaded from farmlands, degrade surface water as a result of anthropogenic eutrophication. This paper presents a mathematical model of TN and TP runoff during an irrigation period in Chiyoda basin in order to elucidate the pollutant fluxes that accompany water transportation in paddy fields and drainage canals, and to evaluate pollutant removal from the study area to the Chikugo River. First, the water flow and the algorithm of gate operation were simulated by a continuous tank model and the accuracy of the model was then evaluated by comparing the simulated water levels with observed ones during an irrigation period. The observed and simulated water levels were in good agreement, indicating that the proposed model is applicable for drainage and water supply analyses in flat, low-lying paddy-cultivated areas. Second, the TN and TP runoff during an irrigation period was simulated based on the TN and TP loads that were determined by observed data in paddy fields. For TN runoff, the simulated results and observed data were in good agreement whereas for TP runoff, the simulated results were higher than the observed data. However, if the settled TP within the paddy tank was calculated as 6%, then the simulated results and the observed data were in good agreement. We concluded that TN runoff from paddy field to the drainage canal system was not affected much by the sediment related process. The present study could provide farmers and managers with a useful tool for controlling the water distribution in an irrigation period, and the TN and TP loads in the downstream area as well as the Chikugo River.     

A refined hydro-environmental watershed model with field-plot-scale resolution

A distributed hydro-environmental model is developed that achieves detailed analysis of the movement of water at a field-plot-scale resolution in a mesoscale watershed including lowland areas where, especially for agricultures, it is an essential need to get rid of redundant groundwater by drainage facilities such as rivers, canals and/or underdrains. For this, the problem geometry is meshed with unstructured cells of triangular shape. Profile of a column cell is zoned into two: surface zone and groundwater zone in which water movement is represented by combined tank and soil moisture sub-models, and well-defined two-dimensional unconfined shallow groundwater flow sub-model, respectively. The top-two sub-models serve to evaluate evapotranspiration, infiltration, soil water content, lateral surface water flow, and vertical percolation. The vertical percolation so evaluated is given as longitudinal recharge to the bottom sub-model for computing groundwater flow. Surface water–groundwater interactions through beds and stream-banks of perennial and ephemeral canals are considered by treating the canal courses as internal boundaries in the groundwater flow model. The finite volume method (FVM) that allows of unstructured mesh and produces conservative solutions is employed for groundwater flow computation. The model developed is applied to an actual watershed which includes a low-lying paddy area to quantify the hydrological impact of land-use management practices over a period of 29 years in which the farmland consolidation project was implemented and part of the paddy fields were converted to upland crop fields and housing lands. From the results obtained, it is concluded that the model presently developed lends itself to water—as well as land-use management practices.     

Assessing the effect of watershed slopes on recharge/baseflow and soil erosion

Aquatic ecosystems are threatened by increasing variability in the hydrologic responses. In particular, the health of river ecosystems in steeply sloping watersheds is aggravated due to soil erosion and stream depletion during dry periods. This study suggested and assessed a method to improve the adaptation ability of a river system in a steep watershed. For this, this study calibrated soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) for runoff and sediment, and quantified the changes in hydrologic responses such as groundwater recharge rate soil erosion and baseflow according to two scenarios for adjustment of the watershed slope (steep to mild). Here, one scenario was set by three measured slopes, and the other was set by fixing the entire watershed slopes with 5 %. Moreover, SWAT and web-based hydrograph analysis tool (WHAT) models were applied to estimate groundwater recharge, soil erosion, and baseflow in the Haean-myeon watershed in South Korea. The results show that the reduction of watershed slope increased groundwater recharge and baseflow, and decreased sediment. Specifically, groundwater recharge rate was increased from 257.10 to 364.60 mm, baseflow was increased from 0.86 to 1.19 m³/s, and sediment was decreased from 194.6 to 58.1 kg/km². Based on these results, the suggested method will positively contribute to aquatic ecosystems and farming environments in a steeply sloping watershed due to improvements in the quantity and quality of river water.     

Sediment yield modelling of an agricultural watershed using MUSLE, remote sensing and GIS

A study was undertaken to estimate the sediment yield of the Karso watershed of Hazaribagh, Jharkhand State, India using modified universal soil loss equation (MUSLE), remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) techniques. The runoff factor of MUSLE was computed using the measured values of runoff and peak rate of runoff at outlet of the watershed. The topographic factor (LS) was determined using GIS while crop management factor (C) was determined from land use/land cover data, obtained from RS and field survey. The conservation practice factor (P) was obtained from the literature. Sediment yield at the outlet of the study watershed was simulated for 345 rainfall events spread over a period of 1996–2001 and validated with the measured values. Nash–Sutcliffe simulation model efficiency of 0.8 and high value of coefficient of determination (0.83) indicated that MUSLE model estimated sediment yield satisfactorily.