Design of best management practice applications for diffuse phosphorus pollution using interactive GIS.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Hydrology
• Water Resource Management

Background:

• Effective watershed management requires tools to predict pollutant transport and evaluate mitigation strategies.
• Phosphorus (P) runoff from catchments significantly impacts water quality and aquatic ecosystems.
• Decision-making for best management practices (BMPs) in catchments needs quantitative support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the PhosFate tool, an environmental engineering solution for watershed management.
• To enable planning and simulation of BMPs' impacts on diffuse phosphorus (P) emissions and immissions.
• To support decision-making processes in catchment management.

Main Methods:

• Development of a two-part method: a phosphorus (P) fate model and an interactive BMP design tool.
• The P fate model calculates diffuse P emissions, surface transport, and retention (field and in-stream).
• The interactive tool allows for scenario planning and impact assessment of BMPs in small catchments.

Main Results:

• The P fate model demonstrated good performance in the Zala River catchment case study.
• The developed tool effectively simulates the impacts of various BMP scenarios on diffuse P fluxes.
• Evaluation of different management scenarios highlights the approach's suitability for small catchment scales.

Conclusions:

• The PhosFate tool is a viable environmental engineering solution for watershed management.
• The approach effectively supports the planning and evaluation of BMPs to reduce P emissions.
• The tool facilitates informed decision-making for improving water quality at the catchment scale.