Effectiveness of Best Management Practices to Reduce Phosphorus Loading to a Highly Eutrophic Lake

Alan D. Steinman, Michael Hassett and Maggie Oudsema
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Alan D. Steinman: Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University, 740 W. Shoreline Drive, Muskegon, MI 49456, USA
Michael Hassett: Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University, 740 W. Shoreline Drive, Muskegon, MI 49456, USA
Maggie Oudsema: Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University, 740 W. Shoreline Drive, Muskegon, MI 49456, USA

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-23

Abstract: Reducing nonpoint source pollution is an ongoing challenge in watersheds throughout the world. Implementation of best management practices, both structural and nonstructural, is the usual response to this challenge, with the presumption that they are effective. However, monitoring of their efficacy is not a standard practice. In this study, we evaluate the effectiveness of two wetland restoration projects, designed to handle runoff during high flow events and serve as flow-through retention basins before returning flow further downstream. The Macatawa Watershed is located in west Michigan, is heavily agricultural, and drains into Lake Macatawa, a hypereutrophic lake with total phosphorus concentrations usually exceeding 100 µg/L. We measured turbidity, total phosphorus, and soluble reactive phosphorus both upstream and downstream of these wetland complexes during base flow and storm events. While both turbidity and phosphorus increased significantly during storm events compared to baseflow, we found no significant difference in upstream vs. downstream water quality two years following BMP construction. We also measured water quality in Lake Macatawa, and found the lake remained highly impaired. Possible reasons for the lack of improved water quality: (1) The restored wetlands are too young to function optimally in sediment and phosphorus retention; (2) the scale of these BMPs is too small given the overall loads; (3) the locations of these BMPs are not optimal in terms of pollutant reduction; and (4) the years following postconstruction were relatively dry so the wetlands had limited opportunity to retain pollutants. These possibilities are evaluated.

Keywords: best management practices; eutrophication; Lake Macatawa; watershed restoration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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