Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2007TX259B

Chemically-Treated Composted Biosolids Enhance Water Conservation and Quality on Urban Landscapes

Institute: Texas
Year Established: 2007 Start Date: 2007-03-01 End Date: 2008-02-29
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $10,000

Principal Investigators: Ronnie Schnell, Don Vietor

Project Summary: Water conservation in urban areas can be improved with the incorporation of chemically amended CB for turfgrass establishment without degradation of water quality. Incorporation of volume based rates of CB can increase water infiltration and retention and enhances turf growth and establishment compared to un-amended soils. Use of chemically stabilized CB will permit the use of large volume based rates of CB without sacrificing water quality. The objectives of this research will be to compare turf responses, water and nutrient conservation and losses among differing soil types, with and without P stabilized and un-stabilized CB. Soil bulk density and organic carbon concentration will be related to soil water content and runoff of simulated rainfall for contrasting CB amendments during turf establishment over three simulated rain events. Soil water conservation and losses and turf responses will be monitored throughout establishment period. Soil and CB components will be sampled and analyzed to quantify concentrations and amounts of N and P forms applied and recovered in the surface layer. In addition, extractable N and P concentrations in the amended soil layer will be correlated with total and dissolved concentrations of N and P in surface runoff over three simulated rain events.