71st SWCS International Annual Conference July 24-27, 2016 Louisville, KY

1. Surface Ditch Vegetation in the Paulding
Plains of the Lake Erie Watershed
Kayla Miller, Graduate Student at The Ohio State University
SWCS Annual Conference Louisville, Kentucky July 27, 2016

2. Project Funding
The Perfect Storm: NW OH History
Surface Ditch 101
Project Design and Implementation
Preliminary Results
Moving Forward

3. Maumee River Sediment Reduction Project
Funded by: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative FY 2014
Awarded to: Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

4. The Perfect Storm
2014 HAB Peak Photo courtesy of NOAA

5. Observed Problem:
Surface ditches are carrying a
significant amount of sediment and
nutrients to Western Lake Erie Basin.
Hypothesis:
Vegetating surface ditches will reduce
sediment and nutrient loading into
Western Lake Erie Basin.

6. What are Surface Ditches?
 Dimensions
 Minimum 300 ft long
 20 ft wide
 1.5 ft deep at outlet
 1/10th grade
 Locations
 Paulding Clay
Basin/Paulding Plains
 Nearly flat
 Ponded soils
 Paulding Clays heaviest
soil series in Ohio
 Tile spacing 15-20 ft

7. How is a Surface Ditch Made?
 Dremel-type tractor drawn implement developed
by the Liebrecht family
Photo courtesy of Liebrecht family

8. Project Design- Site Selection
 Paired design study
 3 agricultural field sites in Putnam County
 ~0% slope
 Paulding Clay soil series
 Large collection ditch
 Similar drainage areas
 Farmer requirements
 Asked for regular farming practices
(i.e. crop, tillage, fertilization)
 Willing to allow bi-weekly vehicle access
 Promised to take care operating around sampling equipment

9. Project Design- Vegetation
Hydroseeded
Kentucky bluegrass, 31 fescue, and perennial ryegrass mix
Vegetated Ditch Non-vegetated Ditch
Same field site
~400 ft separated

10. Monitoring Strategy
 Similar to Edge of Field research sites in Ohio (USGS and ARS)
 1.5 ft cut throat flume with automated ISCO sampler
 Solar powered
 ISCO 730 bubbler module
 Collect sample every 500 cf
 Composite 5 samples/bottle

11. Water Analysis Techniques
 Store samples in refrigerators
 Filter samples in lab
 Also unfiltered samples
 Total residue analysis (sediment)
 Lachat- Flow Injection Analysis
 Total Nitrogen
 Total Phosphorus
 Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus

12. Preliminary Results- Total Residue (mg/L)
 Flow weighted mean, paired site after 9 rainfall events
Non-Vegetated x̄ = 3035 mg/L
Vegetated x̄ = 883 mg/L

13. Preliminary Results- Total Phosphorus (mg/L)
 Flow weighted mean, paired site after 9 rainfall events
Vegetated x̄ = 0.29 mg P/L
Non-Vegetated x̄ = 0.85 mg P/L

14. Preliminary Results- Total Nitrogen (mg/L)
 Flow weighted mean, paired site after 9 rainfall events
Vegetated x̄ = 24.25 mg N/L
Non-Vegetated x̄ = 13.11 mg N/L

15. Conclusions and Moving Forward
 Is the hypothesis supported by preliminary data?
 Nutrients and sediment will be reduced by vegetating surface ditches.
 Yes, Total Residue and Total Phosphorus decreased in vegetated
ditches.
 No, Total Nitrogen increased in vegetated ditches.
 Outlier in data set?
 Not enough retention time in a 300 ft ditch
 Next Steps:
 Analyze hydrology to determine loading rates
 Analyze dissolved reactive phosphorus

16. Acknowledgements
 Ohio State University
 Dr. Andy Ward
 Putnam SWCD
 Albert Maag
 Participating farmers and contractors
 USDA-ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit
 Dr. Kevin King
 Dr. Jed Stinner, Katie Rumora, Sara Henderson, Marie
Pollock, Eric Fischer, Philip Levison, Mark Day
Shininger Family Farms

17. Kayla Miller
Department of Food,Agricultural, and Biological Engineering at
The Ohio State University
miller.5287@osu.edu