Influence of suspended particulates on phosphorus loading exported from farm drainage during a storm event in the Everglades Agricultural Area

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of suspended particulates on P loading captured during a single storm event. The Everglades Agricultural Area of Florida comprises 280,000 ha of organic soil farmland artificially drained by ditches, canals, and pumps. Phosphorus (P)-enriched suspended particulates in canals are susceptible to transport and can contribute significantly to the overall P loads in drainage water. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A settling tank experiment was conducted to capture suspended particulates during tropical storm Isaac in 2012 from three farms approximately 2.4 to 3.6 km² in size. Farm canal discharge water was collected in a series of two 200-L settling tanks over a 7-day drainage period, during tropical storm Isaac. Water from the settling tanks was siphoned through Imhoff settling cones, where the suspended particulates were allowed to settle and collected for P fractionation analyses, and compared to intact sediment cores collected from the canals. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The discharged suspended particulates contained higher organic matter content, total P, and labile P fractions compared to the drainage canal sediments. Based on the equilibrium P concentrations, drainage canal sediments behave as a source of P to the water column. A 7-day continuous drainage event exported 4.7 to 11.1 t of suspended solids per farm, corresponding to 32 to 63 kg of particulate P being lost to downstream ecosystems. Drainage associated to this single 7-day storm event exported up to 61 % of the total annual farm P load. CONCLUSIONS: It is evident from this study that short-term, high-intensity storm events can skew annual P loads due to the export of significantly higher suspended particulate matter from farm canals. Exported particulates rich in P, if captured and replenished back on farmlands, would be a sustainable farming practice that can provide a supplemental source of nutrients.