Water quality and sludge characterization at raceway-system trout farms

Studies were conducted to characterize raceway water quality, effluent water quality, and waste solids within three, raceway-type trout farms. No significant differences were found in effluent water quality between the three farms during 7 months of monitoring. Average effluent quality over the course of the day was not found to be impaired. However, effluent quality was found to change significantly during times of feeding and harvesting. In a concrete/earthen-lined farm, normalized total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations were as high as 115 and 63 mg/l during harvesting and feeding events, respectively. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and ortho-phosphate (OP) also increased with higher TSS loads. The majority of particles (by weight) measured in effluent samples at all three farms were evenly divided between the smallest range (1.5–30 μm) and the largest (>210 μm). For settled sludge samples, the majority of the particles were in the size range of 1.5–30 μm. Particle size in the raceway was positively correlated with fish size during feeding events, but this correlation dissipated during the 4-h period after feeding. The accumulation and characteristics of sludge in a sediment trap were also monitored over a 22-day period.