[PPT] - Understanding Surface Understanding Surface Water Runoff at Breneman PowerPoint Presentation

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Understanding Surface

Understanding Nutrient & Sediment Loss at Breneman Farms ‐ 4

Understanding Surface Water Runoff at Breneman Farms

Kevan Klingberg, Dennis Frame and Fred Madison UW Extension/Discovery Farms Anita Thompson Amanda Crowe and Tim Radatz Anita Thompson, Amanda Crowe and Tim Radatz UW Madison Biological Systems Engineering

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Breneman Farms

f h d d h

On‐farm research was conducted on the Breneman

farm to investigate environmental challenges and

pportunities for grass‐based dairies on the
pportunities for grass based dairies on the

Wisconsin landscape, 2002‐2007.

Surface water quality monitoring was conducted to

measure sediment and nutrient loads in runoff water from paddocks that were used for regular water from paddocks that were used for regular rotational grazing, then again used to seasonally

ut‐winter the dairy herd.

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Breneman Farms

Grazing‐based dairy. 42 paddocks. 80 crossbred dairy cows + young stock cows + young stock. (1.6 acres / AU) Coarse textured soil Out‐winter cows and

lder heifers

Columbia County, WI

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Breneman Farms

Total watershed =
Total watershed =

142.7 acres

Area east of road

as well as western wooded area were wooded area were determined to contribute negligible runoff towards watershed outlet. watershed outlet.

Monitored acreage

Monitored area: small watershed where cattle are d h h h ll i d

adjusted to 28.5 acres.

grazed through the season as well as out‐wintered. (middle area)

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Data

The data presented in this presentation were

provided by the UW – Madison Biological Systems Engineering Department, as part of a cooperative project with the UW‐Discovery Farms Program.

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Data

Breneman Farms, Rio, WI: Monitored surface

water runoff from October 2005 – September 2007 2007.

Field year = 12‐months (Oct 1 – Sept 30)

– Always represents the year in which it ends

Field year coincides with the crop year.

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2006 Field Year

The first year October 2005 – September 2006 =
verall average year.

g y

Precipitation (ice sleet and snow) was 33 0

Precipitation (ice, sleet and snow) was 33.0 inches, compared to the 30‐year average of 34.5 inches for Portage Wisconsin inches for Portage, Wisconsin.

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9.0

2006 Precipitation vs. Average

6.0 7.0 8.0 tion, in 30‐Year Average 2006 Precipitation 3.0 4.0 5.0 Precipita 0.0 1.0 2.0 October November December January February March April May June July August September

Season Average Precipitation 2006 Precipitation Deviation (in) Deviation (% of Avg) Fall Sept‐Nov 8.39 7.64 ‐0.75 91 Winter Dec‐Feb 3.89 2.14 ‐1.75 55 Spring Mar Ma 9 30 12 10 +2 8 130 Spring Mar‐May 9.30 12.10 +2.8 130 Summer Jun‐Aug 12.95 11.10 ‐1.85 86

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2006 Field Year

3 of 4 seasons were drier than normal.
Winter was most severe, with precipitation down

by one half.

Still, the big picture showed this to be an average

year for total precipitation. y p p

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2006 Field Year

Winter began with a snowfall accumulation of 8

Winter began with a snowfall accumulation of 8 inches through mid‐December, followed by a warming trend with highs of 35‐40°F and lows of 28‐ g g 32°F. With only shallow frost in the soil at this time, the snowpack melted and infiltrated with no runoff.

Because of the dry winter months, no surface water

Because of the dry winter months, no surface water runoff was measured from November through February for field year 2006. y y

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2006 Field Year

March began with a 5 to 7 inch snowpack and

g p surface water first began flowing through the monitoring equipment on March 4 as temperatures warmed warmed.

Snowmelt generated subsequent surface water

Snowmelt generated subsequent surface water runoff events on March 7 and 9.

The runoff events of March 9 and 12 were a result of

melting snow and rain on frozen ground.

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2006 Field Year

Through the remainder of field year 2006 there

Through the remainder of field year 2006 there were two more surface water runoff events

ccurring on July 20 and August 24 as a result of
ccurring on July 20 and August 24 as a result of

short, intense rainfalls of greater than 1.5 inches each each.

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2006 Field Year

Precipitation Event Runoff Cumulative

Runoff Events

Start Date Type Precipitation Amount (in) Event Runoff Depth (in) Cumulative Depth (in) 3/4/06 Snowmelt NA <0.01 <0.01 3/7/06 Snowmelt NA <0.01 <0.01 3/9/06 Snowmelt/Rain NA <0.01 <0.01 3/12/06 Rain 1 5 <0 01 0 01 3/12/06 Rain 1.5 <0.01 0.01 7/20/06 Rain 2.0 <0.01 0.01 8/24/06 Rain 1.5 <0.01 0.01 2006 had very little runoff. Less than 1% (0.01 inches) of total precipitation (33 inches) left the site as surface water runoff. 79 % of runoff was during frozen ground conditions. Very little runoff resulted from 3.5 inches of intense summer storms.

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2007 Field Year

Second year monitoring on the Breneman farm was another

average year for precipitation.

Precipitation (ice, sleet and snow) was 32.4 inches, compared

to the 30‐year average of 34.5 inches for Portage, Wisconsin.

Although the annual precipitation was average, 9 months were

below average and 3 months were above average precipitation.

Winter 2007 was dry again, concluding with slightly more than

Winter 2007 was dry again, concluding with slightly more than

ne half the normal precipitation.
August 2007 precipitation was 4 6 inches above normal

August 2007 precipitation was 4.6 inches above normal.

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9 0

2007 Precipitation vs. Average

6 0 7.0 8.0 9.0

n, in

30‐Year Average 2007 Precipitation 4.0 5.0 6.0 Precipitatio 1.0 2.0 3.0 0.0

S A P i it ti 2007 D i ti D i ti Season Average Precipitation 2007 Precipitation Deviation (in) Deviation (% of Avg) Fall Sept‐Nov 8.39 8.80 +0.41 104 Winter Dec‐Feb 3 89 2 15 ‐1 74 55 Winter Dec‐Feb 3.89 2.15 ‐1.74 55 Spring Mar‐May 9.30 8.14 ‐1.16 88 Summer Jun‐Aug 12.95 14.20 +1.25 110

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2007 Field Year

Winter began moderately cool and dry with no surface water

runoff measured from November through mid‐February for field year 2007 year 2007.

On February 21st, surface water began flowing through the

monitoring equipment as warming temperatures melted most of the five to seven inch snowpack, generating a two‐day runoff event.

This event produced twice as much runoff as the entire 2006

winter season (0.01 inches compared to 0.02 inches), but it is not ( p ) large when compared with winter runoff events measured at

ther Discovery Farms Program study sites.

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2007 Field Year

Late February temperatures stayed at or below freezing and

10 to 15 inches of snowpack accumulated by the first week in M h March.

A fast warm up began with temperatures climbing from 26°F
A fast warm up began with temperatures climbing from 26 F

to near 50°F over six days.

This created a significant runoff event, March 10 through

March 13, which completely melted the snowpack.

This rapid snowmelt, in combination with the frozen soil,

produced a very large runoff event (2 85 inches of runoff) produced a very large runoff event (2.85 inches of runoff).

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2007 Field Year

Snowmelt runoff, March 12, 2007

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2007 Field Year

Temperatures remained in the range of 40 to 60°F

Temperatures remained in the range of 40 to 60 F through early April. An early April snowfall of five inches melted immediately because of the warm inches melted immediately because of the warm temperatures, yet no surface water runoff was generated as snowmelt water infiltrated into non‐ generated as snowmelt water infiltrated into non frozen soil.

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2007 Field Year

Three more surface water runoff events occurred

ee

e su ace

ate u o e e ts occu ed through the remainder of field year 2007:

– June 10, – June 21, and – July 3. All f th h t i t i f ll t d li d t l All of these short, intense rainfall events delivered extremely low runoff volume, even though the storms each delivered approximately one inch of rain in 20 minutes approximately one inch of rain in 20 minutes.

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2007 Field Year

Start Date Type Precipitation Amount (in) Event Runoff Depth (in) Cumulative Depth (in)

Runoff Events

Start Date Type Amount (in) Depth (in) Depth (in) 2/21/07 Snowmelt NA 0.016 0.02 2/22/07 Snowmelt NA <0 01 0 02 2/22/07 Snowmelt NA <0.01 0.02 3/10/07 Snowmelt NA 2.85 2.88 6/10/07 Rain 0.8 <0.01 2.88 6/10/07 Rain 0.8 0.01 2.88 6/21/07 Rain 0.8 <0.01 2.88 7/03/07 Rain 1.2 <0.01 2.88 For the 2007 season, 9 percent of the total precipitation left the site as surface runoff (2.9 inches of 32.4 inches). 91 percent infiltration. The majority of 2007 runoff at the Breneman farm was the result of rapid snowmelt on frozen soil, March 10‐13, which contributed 99 percent of the total annual runoff.

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2006‐2007 Water Budget 2006 2007 Water Budget

Occurrence of Runoff Events for Water Years 2006‐2007

12 total runoff events. 5 snowmelt 1 rain on snow 6 non‐frozen

5 6 Snow Rain on Snow Rain 1

99.68 percent of total surface water runoff volume for the 2 year monitoring period was year monitoring period was during frozen / snow‐covered ground conditions.

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Conclusions

On the sandy soils of this farm, intense rainfall events

did produce runoff on non‐frozen ground, but the ff t li ibl runoff amount was negligible. Al ll f h l ff i 2006/2007 f h

Almost all of the total runoff in 2006/2007 from the

Breneman farm came as a result of melting snow.

– 99.68 percent of total surface water runoff volume for the 2 year monitoring period was during frozen / snow 2 year monitoring period was during frozen / snow covered ground conditions.

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Conclusions

Conservation planning is challenging in this region

Conservation planning is challenging in this region

f the state because the majority of runoff occurs

when the ground is frozen and vegetative materials are dead or dormant.

Upland conservation systems should be paired

with vegetative buffers to keep runoff water near the point of origin in the field and away from surface water.

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Conclusions

The potential for runoff from sandy soil fields during the non‐

frozen period is very limited.

– An intense two‐inch rainfall event in July 2006 did not generate significant surface water runoff. – There is always the possibility that rain on already saturated non‐ frozen soil will produce runoff that can affect surface waters.

In these gently sloping – sandy soil conditions:

Soil and water conservation professionals (and agencies) should – Soil and water conservation professionals (and agencies) should prioritize their time and resources towards assisting agricultural producers to implement practices that reduce runoff risks during snowmelt or rain on frozen soil .

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Information Available

This presentation is the fourth in a series of

seven developed to provide the data and seven developed to provide the data and information collected at Breneman Farms.

All of the presentations, factsheets and briefs

are available on the UW ‐ Discovery Farms are available on the UW Discovery Farms website.

http://www.uwdiscoveryfarms.org

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Information Available

There are seven factsheets available for

Breneman Farms.

There are eight briefs available for Breneman

Farms (2 page summaries of the factsheets) Farms (2 page summaries of the factsheets). Th t ti il bl f

There are seven presentations available for

Breneman Farms.

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