69th SWCS International Annual Conference July 27-30, 2014 Lombard, IL

1. Jill A. Kostel, The Wetlands Initiative, Chicago, IL
Jim J. Monchak, The Wetlands Initiative, Chicago, IL
Ron L. Bingner, USDA/ARS, National Sedimentation Laboratory,
Oxford, MS
EVALUATION OF NUTRIENT
REDUCTIONS FOR POTENTIAL
WETLAND LOCATIONS USING THE
WETLAND AND BUFFERS FEATURES
OF ANNAGNPS

2. USGS SPARROW model
(Robertson et al., 2009):
Illinois #1 TN and TP flux
Illinois River-Lake Senachwine
 23rd for TN delivered
 83rd for TP delivered
ILLINOIS RIVER WATERSHED

3. Land Cover
 92% agriculture
 77% cultivated crops
BBC Watershed Plan
 1,680 Mg (mt) TN/yr
 60 Mg TP/yr
 281,000 tons sediment
Watershed Reduction
Goals
 58% TN
 43% TP
 58% sediment
BIG BUREAU CREEK WATERSHED

4. CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
Nutrient Management & Nutrient Reduction
Practices
Source:USDAARSSource:USDAARS
Constructed Wetland for Tile Drainage
 Wetland positioning and size key to nutrient removal
 Positioned to capture high nutrient loads
 Sized to allow adequate residence time
(wetland area : watershed area - 0.5 – 5%)
Role of Constructed Wetlands in a Nutrient
Credit Trading Program

5. OBJECTIVES
Develop a methodology to identify potential wetland sites
in the Big Bureau Creek watershed based on a
conservative set of design criteria
Determine baseline nutrient loadings using the Annualized
Agricultural Non-Point Source (AnnAGNPS) pollution model
Evaluate the potential wetland sites for nutrient reduction
using the AnnAGNPS pollution model with enhanced
wetland and buffer features

6. LIME CREEK SUBWATERSHED  MANUAL
Manual method utilized by USDA ARS
using 1 m LiDAR data
Total Wetland Area = 96 acres
Average Wetland Size = 8.5 acres
Total Wetland & Buffer Area = 295 acres
Average nitrogen removal = 48%
Tomer, M.D., Crumpton, W.G., Bingner, R.L., Kostel, J.A., and James,
D.E. 2013. Estimating nitrate load reductions from placing constructed
wetlands in a HUC-12 watershed using LiDAR data. Ecological
Engineering 56: 69-78

7. BBC WATERSHED – SEMI-AUTOMATED
2. Calculate Watershed Position
1. Locate Preliminary Areas of Interest

8. BBC WATERSHED – SEMI-AUTOMATED
3. Converts Areas of Interest into Impoundment Points

9. BBC WATERSHED – SEMI-AUTOMATED
4. Convert Impoundment Points into Wetland/Buffer Areas
Design Specifications:
 Wetted area = 0.9 m above ditch height
 Buffer area = 2.4 m above ditch height
 Wetland Area : Contributing Area = 0.1  6.0% Extended Range from typical 0.5 – 5.0%

10. BBC POTENTIAL WETLAND SITES
 Total Number of Wetland Complexes = 80
 Total Wetland Area = 225 ha
 Range of Wetland Sizes = 0.14 - 38.7 ha
 Total Wetland & Buffer Area = 351 ha
 Range of Wetland & Buffer Area = 0.54 – 46.5 ha
 Area : Total BBC Watershed Area = 0.3%
 % of Runoff of BBC Watershed = 23%

11. Annualized Agricultural Non-Point Source Model Version 5.4
 Continuous simulation tool based on daily time step (30 years)
 Runoff, sediment, and pollutant movement from surface and subsurface flow is
tracked through the stream network to the watershed outlet
 Watershed response to agricultural management and conservation practices can
be evaluated
Model Input (Data)
 Climate – 30 year daily simulated weather
 Topographic – 10 m DEM
 Land use – 2009 Illinois Cropland Data Layer
 Soil type – USDA Soil Survey Geographic database (SSURGO)
 Point sources – Average Design Flow rates and estimated effluent concentrations
ANNAGNPS MODEL

12. Baseline Results:
Nutrients
 TN Load = 2,542,400 kg
 TN Loss = 20.4 kg/ha
 Dissolved N = 72%
 TP Load = 60,150 kg
 TP Loss = 3.7 kg/ha
 Attached P = 56%
 Dissolved Inorganic P = 14%
 TSS = 100,446 Mg
Point Sources
 TN = 0.70% increase
 TP = 0.66% increase
Seasonal Effects
 Spring and summer seasons
higher loadings
ANNUAL AVERAGE LOAD DELIVERED

13.  Accounts for the effectiveness of the potential
wetland sites to trap water, sediment, and
nutrients
 Wetland nutrient retention and transformation
processes based on current research
 Daily time step approach simulates wetland
processes for individual precipitation events
 Individual wetland impact can be tracked to
any downstream point in the watershed
 Each practice scenario can be evaluated
separately
 The wetlands in series, individually within
series, and independent of other wetlands can
be evaluated
ANNAGNPSWETLAND & BUFFER FEATURE

14.  The 80 potential wetlands plus buffer (351 ha) would reduce the
entire BBC watershed TN annual avg load by 14% and TP by 11%.
 Dissolved N, primarily NO3-N, accounted for 84% of the TN removed
by potential wetlands plus buffer.
 Dissolved inorganic P accounted for only 14-17% of TP removed by
the potential sites; attached inorganic P accounted for 51-67%.
 % nutrient removal is consistent between seasons at the sub-basin
level.
 The mass nutrient reduction is higher in the spring and summer,
corresponding to the higher delivered loads available for removal.
ANNAGNPSWETLAND & BUFFER FEATURE

15. PRACTICE SCENARIOS
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Wetland 505 Wetland 505
Wetland 573 Wetland 573
TotalNitrogenatWetlandOutlet(kg)
TotalPhosphorusatWetlandOutlet(kg)
Years
Baseline Buffer Only Wetland Only Wetland with Buffer

16. ANNUAL LOAD DELIVERED-NITROGEN

17. ANNUAL LOAD DELIVERED-PHOSPHORUS

18. *
*
*
*
LIME CREEK NITROGEN REDUCTION
Average Annual Nitrogen Reduction (kg)
Lime Creek Potential Wetland & Buffer Sites
-
4,000
8,000
12,000
16,000
20,000
24,000
566 567 565 564 573 561 580 585 576 574 547 555 556
SYSTEM
*
*
*
*
*
-
4,000
8,000
12,000
16,000
20,000
24,000
566 567 565 564 573 561 580 585 576 574 547 555 556
* *
*
*
*
INDIVIDUAL
-
4,000
8,000
12,000
16,000
20,000
24,000
566 567 565 564 573 561 580 585 576 574 547 555 556
INDEPENDENT
*
*
*
*
*
*

19. Annual Average Nitrogen and Phosphorus Reduction
Top 20 wetlands plus buffers based on nitrogen reduction (kg/ha)
BBC POTENTIAL SITE EVALUATION
Wetland Ratio
AHL
m/yr
Total nitrogen reduction Total phosphorus reduction
(kg) % (kg/ha) (kg) % (kg/ha)
1919 0.13% 272 30,159 59.1 7,455 5,096 54.6 1,260
566 0.10% 385 3,699 54.5 5,183 613 67.4 859
555 0.19% 187 5,720 67.7 3,769 512 61.4 338
574 0.16% 213 13,802 50.8 3,626 1,518 32.5 399
1924 0.13% 270 6,872 22.1 2,788 1,110 20.1 450
1136 0.11% 339 3,325 33.8 2,784 322 0.1 270
815 0.13% 282 10,019 23.8 2,483 607 10 151
160 0.24% 144 15,598 30.9 2,462 1,585 17.5 250
1146 0.20% 174 6,296 8.9 2,397 679 27.7 259
832 0.13% 280 2,707 26.6 2,320 242 15.8 208
1730 0.25% 138 1,803 60.5 2,272 250 62.3 315
1906 0.16% 212 2,775 31.9 2,220 371 25.3 296
567 0.23% 160 1,917 51.2 2,208 296 56.5 341
860 0.15% 210 11,634 34.7 2,207 1,034 21.6 196
2142 0.24% 157 3,037 31.9 2,050 427 26.4 288
1174 0.14% 235 2,779 35.1 1,981 291 22.9 208
2114 0.53% 70 9,814 48.5 1,975 1,013 35 204
491 0.15% 218 3,893 42.7 1,921 747 36.9 369
2065 0.48% 69 11,890 50.2 1,910 2,059 41.4 331
2130 0.65% 55 15,573 51.4 1,818 2,063 39.5 241
585 0.14% 245 1,924 29.3 1,790 124 14.4 116

20. SITE POSITIONING

21. Annual Average Nitrogen and Phosphorus Reduction
Top 20 wetlands plus buffers based on nitrogen for wetland: watershed ratios (w:w) of 0.5-5.0%
BBC POTENTIAL SITE EVALUATION
Wetland Ratio
AHL
m/yr
Total nitrogen reduction Total phosphorus reduction
(kg) % (kg/ha) (kg) % (kg/ha)
2114 0.53% 70 9,814 48.5 1,975 1,013 35 204
2130 0.65% 55 15,573 51.4 1,818 2,063 39.5 241
2150 0.65% 53 10,250 57.9 1,672 1,352 41.3 220
337 0.58% 50 15,044 59.1 1,514 3,092 46.7 311
1960 0.57% 59 13,238 57.2 1,492 1,799 43.5 203
2063 0.80% 44 1,857 72.2 1,473 333 77.8 264
2151 0.53% 62 2,167 52 1,345 466 44.5 289
561 0.68% 53 11,576 54.8 1,319 787 28.3 90
556 0.80% 46 3,406 73.4 1,191 289 66 101
1600 0.67% 48 9,261 65.6 1,175 1,170 47.6 148
303 1.00% 32 5,248 81.2 1,161 480 36.4 106
512 0.80% 46 3,913 73.3 1,143 604 63.6 177
1117 0.71% 49 2,901 64.5 1,077 181 38.5 67
2095 0.58% 50 1,974 59 1,034 332 45.8 174
1815 0.77% 44 4,389 69.2 989 382 50.7 86
505 1.10% 31 5,041 72.5 965 946 61.9 181
1111 1.03% 34 7,055 70.3 952 506 43.6 68
1926 2.00% 18 13,861 79.7 949 366 11.7 25
1928 2.90% 13 11,099 94.5 820 1,709 91.6 126
1076 0.60% 56 1,404 60.1 815 67 28.7 39
2022 1.90% 18 5,668 79.8 802 931 70.2 132

22.  A partially automated wetland siting methodology identified 80 potential
individual wetland plus buffer sites in areas of higher nutrient loadings.
 An AnnAGNPS model with the wetlands and buffers feature was a
valuable tool to assess and evaluate the nitrogen and phosphorus
removal provided by these 80 potential wetlands site.
 Carefully sited and sized constructed wetlands are a key practice in the
suite of practice needed to achieve watershed nutrient reductions.
 Nutrient credit trading: potential wetland sites have more than
sufficient supply of nitrogen and phosphorus to meet the demand set
by a set of proposed effluent limits for the 8 point sources.
CONCLUSIONS
Kostel, J. A. et al. 2014. Feasibility Assessment of a Nutrient Credit Trading Market in the Big Bureau Creek
Watershed. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Targeted Watershed Grant WS-00E71101. The Wetlands
Initiative, Chicago, Illinois.

23. Major Project Funders:
 USEPA Targeted Watershed Grant
 McKnight Foundation
 Alliance Pipeline
CONCLUSIONS
Next Steps:
 Refine site section methodology and model as better data become
available
 Advance the adoption of the wetland practice
 Proof-of-concept of nutrient removal