Dynamics of diffuse pollution from US southern watersheds

To understand the effects of diffuse pollution information on the source of pollutants, quantities in transport, mode of transport, transient nature of the pollution event, and most importantly, a consideration of remediation efforts need to be known. For example, water quality research in the Yazoo Basin uplands in Mississippi has shown sediment loads from a conventional-till upland soybean watershed to be about 19,000 kg/ha/yr, and responsible for 77–96% of P and N in transport. In contrast, sediment loads from a comparable no-till soybean watershed were only 500 kg/ha/yr, transporting about 31% of P and N in transport. Sediment loads from a nearby forested area were low, about 200 kg/ha/yr, but responsible for about 47–76% of P and N in transport. Transient pollution events are responsible for the transport of large quantities of sediment, nutrients, and pesticides; in some storm events nearly the annual load. Best management practices (BMPs) must be designed to remediate diffuse pollution and the transient nature of pollution events which can have a profound effect on the ecological health of steams and reservoirs.