CoBAGNPS: A Toolbox to Estimate Sediment Removal Efficiency of WASCoBs–Pipe Risers and Blind Inlets

Anand K Gupta,Bahram Gharabaghi,Pradeep K Goel,Gary Parkin,Prasad Daggupati,Rituraj Shukla,Ramesh P Rudra

doi:10.5539/enrr.v8n3p84

Abstract

Water and Sediment Control Basin (WASCoB) is an important BMP constructed along concentrated flow-paths (gullies etc.) to control the movement of water and sediment within a watershed. A WASCoB constitutes of a berm, surface inlets, and a drainage pipe to route water into a ditch. Direct runoff ponded behind the berm is routed through surface inlets into an underground drainage pipe. Therefore, surface inlets are an exceedingly important constituent of a WASCoB. Further pipe risers and blind inlets are the two most common type of surface inlets used. Therefore, maximum sediment removal efficiency of WASCoBs at a watershed-scale can be attained by the appropriate selection of a surface inlet, since the efficiency of a WASCoB is greatly impacted by the quantity of runoff and sediment leaving the surface inlet. In this study a toolbox was developed viz., CoBAGNPS to compute the sediment removal efficiency of pipe risers and blind inlets. A watershed-scale model (AGNPS) was integrated within the toolbox. Output files of the AGNPS model are fed as input files into the toolbox where a sediment routing module is programmed separately for pipe risers and blind inlets to obtain the sediment removal efficiency for each type of surface inlet. Further, the sediment routing module programmed for blind inlets integrates the AGNPS model with the HYDRUS 1-D model. The toolbox developed was applied to the Gully Creek watershed in Ontario, and the sediment load routed through pipe risers and blind inlets were compared.

Highlights

Non-point source (NPS) pollution culminating due to agricultural practices extensively pollutes water bodies globally (Das et al, 2006; Babin et al, 2016; Fraga et al, 2016; Fu et al, 2012; Malawska, 2008; Wang et al, 2016)
Creek watershed located in Ontario, Canada along with one of its sub-basins, the DFTILE sub-basin were selected for this study (Figure 1)
We developed a user-driven stand-alone graphical user interface toolbox, called CoBAGNPS, to evaluate the sediment removal efficiency of surface inlets, which are an exceedingly important constituent of a Water and Sediment Control Basin (WASCoB)

Summary

Introduction

Non-point source (NPS) pollution culminating due to agricultural practices extensively pollutes water bodies globally (Das et al, 2006; Babin et al, 2016; Fraga et al, 2016; Fu et al, 2012; Malawska, 2008; Wang et al, 2016). ; precisely locating these gullies, followed by implementation of appropriate BMP is cardinal for the abatement of NPS pollution (Daggupati et al, 2011, 2013). BMPs could be constructed in a watershed either randomly or by strategic targeting (Tomer et al, 2010; Daggupati et al, 2011). Several studies have revealed that constructing BMPs randomly is not ideal for obtaining their maximum efficiency in mitigating NPS pollutants (Dillaha et al, 1988; Sprague & Gronberg 2012; Tomer et al, 2010). Strategically identifying and prioritization of regions, followed by implementation of adequate BMPs is a crucial step for an effective watershed management (Diebel et al, 2008; Daggupati et al, 2011; Daggupati et al, 2013)

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Conclusion