Salt Discharge from an Inland Farm for Marine Shrimp in Alabama

Abstract

Abstract The total salt input in saline well water, mineral amendments, feed, and rainfall and runoff to ponds of an inland shrimp farm in Alabama was 1980.8 tonnes over a 5‐yr period. A residual of 270.4 tonnes of salt remained in pond water and 38.3 tonnes in bottom soil. Only 8.0 tonnes of salt were removed in harvested shrimp. A total of 1588.0 tonnes of salt or 80.2% of the input was lost to the environment with about equal amounts exiting the ponds in seepage and in overflow and harvest effluent. About 4.2% of the salt input (84.1 tonnes) could not be accounted for because of errors in assumptions and measurements. Salt concentration was elevated in a small stream passing through the farm and in the shallow aquifer beneath it. Needham Creek, the receiving water body for runoff and base flow from the farm watershed, had elevated salt concentrations when ponds were partially drained for harvest in the fall. At this time, chloride concentration exceeded 230 mg/L, the maximum concentration allowed by Alabama Department of Environmental Management regulations. Greater water reuse or more gradual release of pond effluent during harvest would reduce the peak in‐stream chloride concentration and avoid noncompliance with the in‐stream chloride criterion.