Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Riparian buffers are a common nutrient and sediment mitigation technique for agriculture runoff in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Buffer bypassing channels concentrate flow from agricultural fields, potentially decreasing a buffer’s effectiveness. We installed a channel monitoring station and a rain gauge at a buffer bypassing channel in Charles City County, VA to determine what triggered the channel and estimate fluxes of sediment and nutrients. During our study periods in 2010 and 2011 the bypassing channel transported over 14 tons of suspended sediment and over 1 kg of dissolved phosphorus (Table 1). Storms with over 1 in total precipitation generally caused flow (Fig. 6 & 7). The buffer bypassing channel activated a few times each year, transporting significant fluxes of sediment and nutrients, which suggests that they are worthy of further study.
Date Awarded
2012
Department
Geology
Advisor 1
Gregory S. Hancock
Advisor 2
James M. Kaste
Recommended Citation
Reilly, Charles, "Predicting Flow and Measuring Fluxes in Riparian Buffer Bypassing Channels" (2012). Geology Senior Theses. William & Mary. Paper 279.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/geologyseniors/279
