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Graduate Exit Seminar - Scott Hickman

Plan to join Scott Hickman's graduate exit seminar on August 8, 2024, at 9:00 am in Kottman Hall 333 or via Zoom. Scott will present, "Cascading Waterways: Evaluating the Viability of a Novel Agricultural Management Practice in Ohio."

Abstract: Agricultural runoff is one of the largest sources of nutrient pollution throughout the United States. Rainfall transports large amounts of nutrients and suspended solids in fertilizers and livestock manure from agriculture into nearby surface waters. Excess nutrient levels can lead to eutrophication and harmful algal blooms, which is seen throughout the Western Lake Erie Basin watershed. Best management practices (BMPs) are practices that are developed for a specific region as feasible and effective methods for environmental protection. Cascading waterways are a novel BMP that consist of a series of retention basins within a grassed waterway, designed to handle concentrated flow from agricultural sources. The systems provide room for storage of runoff and therefore the opportunity for prolonged treatment of captured stormwater. There is, however, little information or research on how these systems function or their overall efficiencies. Almost all knowledge comes from one study for a cascading waterway in Maryland that demonstrated statistically significant reductions of sediments, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen masses. In this dissertation, four different cascading waterway systems across Northwest Ohio are studied for their viability in Ohio’s agricultural landscape. Through water level monitoring and isotopic analysis, a better understanding is formed of the mechanisms behind which the cascading waterways function. Despite Northwest Ohio’s poorly drained soils, the study found the cascading waterway systems succeeded in reducing the volume of runoff leaving the system, potentially reducing nutrient pollution. The results from this dissertation provide a strong foundation for future research on cascading waterways as a viable BMP in Ohio, recommending further nutrient analysis to better characterize the systems.

Advisor: Dr. Steve Lyon