Research Topics > Water Quality Characterization

Water Quality in Drainage Ditches When Flow is Dominated by Agricultural Tile Drainage

Cygnet Ditch at Cygnet Road, one of the sampling sites.

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Water samples were taken approximately once per month at three sites on each of the six drainage ditches (shown on the linked detailed map).

All stations were sampled as nearly at the same time as possible; a typical sampling run took about two hours. Samples were delivered to the Heidelberg College Water Quality Laboratory, where they were analyzed for suspended sediment, total phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, dissolved reactive silica, specific conductance, chloride, sulfate, and fluoride.