Date of Degree
2011
Document Type
thesis
Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
First Advisor
Jerald L. Schnoor
Abstract
Phosphorus is a nutrient crucial to row crop production, but phosphorus runoff from fields to nearby surface waters is a persistent problem that threatens the quality of rivers and streams. This is especially true for Iowa with its abundance of agricultural practices. In order to better understand the phosphorus dynamics of a watershed with agricultural land use, Clear Creek in Iowa was studied. Total, dissolved, and suspended reactive phosphorus concentrations were measured and mass fluxes were calculated. Through this research it was determined that most of the mass of phosphorus in Clear Creek is transferred during high flow events and is attached to solids. The headwaters area of this stream was found to be a major source of phosphorus due to the abundance of row crops and steeply sloped land.
Pages
vii, 70
Bibliography
59-62
Copyright
Copyright 2011 Kyla Kimberly Dean
Recommended Citation
Dean, Kyla. "Phosphorus runoff to Clear Creek." master's thesis, University of Iowa, 2011.
http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/943.