Soil Water Retention at Varying Matric Potentials following Repeated Wetting with Modestly Saline-Sodic Water and Subsequent Air Drying
2007
Browning, L.S. | Hershberger, K.R. | Bauder, J.W.
Coal bed natural gas (CBNG) development in the Powder River (PR) Basin produces modestly saline, highly sodic wastewater. This study assessed impacts of wetting four textural groups 0-11%, 12-22%, 23-33%, and >33% clay (g clay/100 g soil) x 100%) with simulated PR or CBNG water on water retention. Soils received the following treatments with each water quality: a single wetting event, five wetting and drying events, or five wetting and drying events followed by leaching with salt-free water. Treated samples were then resaturated with the final treatment water and equilibrated to -10, -33, -100, -500, or -1,500 kPa. At all potentials, soil water retention increased significantly with increasing clay content. Drought-prone soils lost water-holding capacity between saturation and field capacity with repeated wetting and drying, whereas finer textured soils withstood this treatment better and had increased water-retention capacity at lower matric potentials.
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