| Title: | A Watershed-scale assessment of cost-effectiveness of sediment abatement with flow diversion terraces |
| Authors: | Yang, Q., Z. Zhao, G. Benoy, T.L. Chow, H.W. Rees, C.P.-A. Bourque and F.-R. Meng |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Journal: | Journal of Environmental Quality |
| Volume (Issue): | 39 |
| Pages: | 220-227 |
| Article ID: | |
| DOI: | 10.2134/jeq2009.0157 |
| URL (non-DOI journals): | |
| Model: | SWAT |
| Broad Application Category: | pollutant only |
| Primary Application Category: | BMP and/or cropping system assessment |
| Secondary Application Category: | economic assessment |
| Watershed Description: | 14.5 km^2 Black Brook in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada |
| Calibration Summary: | |
| Validation Summary: | |
| General Comments: | |
| Abstract: | Soil conservation benefi cial management practices (BMPs) are
eff ective at controlling soil loss from farmlands and minimizing
water pollution in agricultural watersheds. However, costs
associated with implementing and maintaining these
practices are high and often deter farmers from using them.
Consequently, it is necessary to conduct cost-benefi t analysis of
BMP implementation to assist decision-makers with planning
to provide the greatest level of environmental protection with
limited resources and funding. Th e Soil and Water Assessment
Tool (SWAT) was used to evaluate the effi cacy of fl ow diversion
terraces (FDT) in abating sediment yield at the outlet of Black
Brook Watershed (BBW), northwestern New Brunswick.
Diff erent FDT-implementation scenarios were expressed as the
ratio of land area protected by FDT to the total cultivated area.
From this analysis, we found that average annual sediment yield
decreased exponentially with increased FDT protection. When
the proportion of FDT-protected areas was low, sediment
reductions caused by FDT increased sharply with increasing
use of FDT. Similarly, marginal sediment yield abatement
costs (dollar per tonne of sediment reduction) increased
exponentially with increasing proportion of FDT-protected
area. Th e results indicated that increasing land protection with
FDT from 6 to 50% would result in a reduction of about 2.1
tonne ha–1 yr–1 and costs of sediment reduction increased from
$7 to $12 per tonne. Increasing FDT-protected cropland from
50 to 100%, a reduction of about 0.9 tonne of sediment ha–1
yr–1 would occur and the costs would increase from $12 to $53
per tonne of sediment yield reduction. |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | |