Pilot Watershed Phosphorus Mitigation: Municipal Wastewater Lagoon Agricultural Water Reuse and Phosphorus Loading Distribution Study.

Abstract

Phosphorus runoff contributes to harmful algal blooms in the Western Lake Erie Basin. This study investigates strategies to reduce phosphorus loads in Shallow Run, a tributary of the Blanchard River that drains into the Lake Erie watershed. Chapter one examines the feasibility of redirecting wastewater lagoon effluent from Shallow Run onto a neighboring farm for irrigation. The study assesses the risks and effects of reusing the wastewater by analyzing water quality, including heavy metals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and nutrient loads. The study found that the contaminant levels in the effluent are safe for irrigation, making the site suitable for land application based on current data. Chapter two evaluates phosphorus distribution across the watershed to identify high-loading areas. Water samples collected from targeted points across the watershed were analyzed in the OSU Ecohydrology Lab for nutrient concentrations. The data were further supplemented with water quality monitoring data from the National Center for Water Quality Research. These findings provide an opportunity to target areas of the watershed with the largest phosphorus loadings with mitigation strategies. A few areas were found to have higher phosphorus loads, but more data is necessary to confirm these findings.Pilot Watershed Project (NRCS)No embargoAcademic Major: Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineerin