Instrumentation for measuring runoff, sediment, and chemical losses from agricultural fields.
This work describes a simple, passive sampling system for measuring runoff, sediment, and chemical losses from typical agricultural fields. The sampler consists of a 5 to 7 m wide runoff collector connected to a series of multislot divisors. These divisors split the flow into aliquots, providing a continuous sampling during the runoff event. Divisors were located in a wooden box below ground level. With an adequate pump, this system can operate in fields with a slope gradient as low as 2%, and can stay in the field during winter to record first snowmelt-generated runoff. A radio transmitter reports by telemetry the occurrence and magnitude of any runoff event, and indicates when the system should be sampled and emptied. This article includes a description of the equipment, advantages, and disadvantages based on 2 yr of operation, and examples of data collected.
Bonilla
Carlos A
CA
Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1525 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA. cabonilla@wisc.edu
Kroll
David G
DG
Norman
John M
JM
Yoder
Daniel C
DC
Molling
Christine C
CC
Miller
Paul S
PS
Panuska
John C
JC
Topel
Jeffrey B
JB
Wakeman
Peter L
PL
Karthikeyan
K G
KG
D000383:Agriculture; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D014867:Water
D014867:Water