Optimal allocation of best management practices based on receiving water capacity constraints

Lin Yang, Shujiang Pang, Xiaoyan Wang, Yi Du, Jieyu Huang and Charles S. Melching

Agricultural Water Management, 2021, vol. 258, issue C

Abstract: Best management practices (BMPs) are generally considered the most economical and effective methods to control nonpoint source pollution (NPS). However, the existing research on BMPs does not consider the local receiving water capacity, and, thus, may not yield much practical guidance for controlling local NPS. In order to improve the practical function of BMP schemes, load reduction and BMP implementation cost optimization under receiving water capacity constraints were considered to provide a new optimization methodology for BMPs in this study. The Soil Water and Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate the temporal and spatial distribution of nutrient load and identify priority management areas (PMAs). A multi-objective, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) was used to explore optimal BMPs with tradeoffs between economic cost and water quality responses. This optimization methodology is applied to the Chao River watershed (CRW), north China. The main results are as follows. A total nitrogen (TN) priority management area (PMA) was mainly located in the upstream areas of the CRW, while a total phosphorus (TP) PMA was mainly located in the middle of the CRW. Terrace and contour planting were the most effective BMP measures to reduce TN and TP loads from the CRW, and filter belts played an important role in reducing the TN and TP loads. The allocation scheme of BMPs with TN as the control index could meet the receiving water capacity constraints for the CRW. The optimal allocation method yielded a significantly different BMP allocation from the previous objective of a total control strategy, which fully considered the receiving water capacity of the Miyun Reservoir. The new method has been successfully applied in the Miyun Reservoir watershed, and the BMP configuration schemes with practical guidance values were obtained. The applied methodology can be a good alternative for controlling agricultural NPS in other reservoir water source areas.

Keywords: Nonpoint source pollution; Best management practices; SWAT model; NSGA-II; Receiving water environmental constraints; Optimal allocation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:258:y:2021:i:c:s037837742100456x

DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107179

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