<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <article key="pdf/284" mdate="2010-05-24 00:00:00"> <author>Roy R. Gu and Mahesh Sahu and Xianggui Zhao</author> <title>Water and Soil Environment Pollution Reduction by Filter Strips</title> <pages>144 - 147</pages> <year>2010</year> <volume>4</volume> <number>5</number> <journal>International Journal of Environmental and Ecological Engineering</journal> <ee>https://publications.waset.org/pdf/284</ee> <url>https://publications.waset.org/vol/41</url> <publisher>World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology</publisher> <abstract>Contour filter strips planted with perennial vegetation can be used to improve surface and ground water quality by reducing pollutant, such as NO3N, and sediment outflow from cropland to a river or lake. Meanwhile, the filter strips of perennial grass with biofuel potentials also have economic benefits of producing ethanol. In this study, The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was applied to the Walnut Creek Watershed to examine the effectiveness of contour strips in reducing NO3N outflows from crop fields to the river or lake. Required input data include watershed topography, slope, soil type, landuse, management practices in the watershed and climate parameters (precipitation, maximumminimum air temperature, solar radiation, wind speed and relative humidity). Numerical experiments were conducted to identify potential subbasins in the watershed that have high water quality impact, and to examine the effects of strip size and location on NO3N reduction in the subbasins under various meteorological conditions (dry, average and wet). Variable sizes of contour strips (10, 20, 30 and 50, respectively, of a subbasin area) planted with perennial switchgrass were selected for simulating the effects of strip size and location on stream water quality. Simulation results showed that a filter strip having 1050 of the subbasin area could lead to 55 90 NO3N reduction in the subbasin during an average rainfall year. Strips occupying 1020 of the subbasin area were found to be more efficient in reducing NO3N when placed along the contour than that when placed along the river. The results of this study can assist in costbenefit analysis and decisionmaking in best water resources management practices for environmental protection.</abstract> <index>Open Science Index 41, 2010</index> </article>