A preliminary study of an alternative controlled drainage strategy in surface drainage ditches: Low-grade weirs

This study examined hydrological characteristics of low-grade weirs, an alternative controlled drainage strategy in surface drainage ditches. Chemographs of vegetated and clear scraped (control) replicates of weir vs. non-weir treatments were compared to determine differences in time to peak (T_p) and time to base (T_b). Drainage ditches T_p and T_b were affected by both vegetation and weir presence. The order of treatment efficiency for T_p was observed to be: non-vegetated non-weir < vegetated non-weir < non-vegetated weir < vegetated weir. Furthermore, T_b for each ditch was the reverse relationship from T_p where vegetated weir > non-vegetated weir > vegetated non-weir > non-vegetated non-weir. Low-grade weirs increase chemical retention time (vegetated and clear scraped), the average time a molecule of contaminant remains in the system. Future research in water quality improvement and weir management will yield useful information for non-point source pollutant reduction.