Anneli Ylimartimo, Tiina Siimekselä, Tarja Stenman & Samuli Lahtela

Development of Water Protection in agrarian Areas along Waterways in Saarijärvi, Central Finland

(MAISA 2010-2014)

June 11, 2014 / 1

JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Bioeconomy

Central Finland, Saarijärvi Waterways The ecological condition of more than half of the waterways in Saarijärvi region is classified in “satisfactory” or poorer classes.

The target is “good” ecological condition.

Agriculture in the region

• cereals and grass cultivation, cattle raising, milk production • hilly terrain and abundance of waterways cause challenges in

• controlling nutrient loads from the fields to surface waters • imprecise or uncontrollable spreading of slurry increases leaching of P

MAISA project

• studied nutrient load from

arable land by the newest technology

• advanced implementation of new knowledge and technologies for water protection

MAISA, 2010-2014, budget of 720 000 € (mainly EAFRD), coordinated by JAMK

1. Continuous automatic in situ monitoring of water quality

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• New technology for Central Finland

• Automatic measuring stations with

S::can UV-VIS spectrometers

The system produces real time information about water quality by internet (measuring density was once in hour enormous amount of data from Sept 2010 until Dec 2013)

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Water to measuring stations came from surface run-off and underground drainage

• optical measurement of NO3-N, DOC, and turbidity (FTU) • P-tot and solids are calculated based on correlation with turbidity • samples for laboratory analyses for calibration etc. • based on concentrations mg/L and flow rate L/s loads e.g. 2 kg/ha/year of P-tot

Flow rate was measured by v-notch weirs and pressure sensors or acoustic measurement:

(1.)

Weather data was measured by

our own weather station in Tarvaala

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Two different watershed areas

Tarvaala research area:

* 9 ha, 100 % field

* humous silt

* steepness varies 2-5 %

129 ha Measuring stations in the

main outlet ditch above and

below the studied field area

(1.)

9 ha

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Satosuo research area:

.

* 396 ha

* 64% field (253 ha), of which 39% organic peat field

* steepness < 1 % .

Measuring stations in brook above and below the research area

1218 ha

(1.)

Nitrogen concentrations (mg/L) varied according to water’s flow rate…

8

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

0

2,5

5

7,5

10

12,5

15

40

76

7,0

00

69

40

78

6,9

16

67

40

79

8,5

84

27

40

81

0,2

09

72

40

82

1,8

75

64

40

83

3,5

45

14

40

84

5,2

12

5

40

85

6,8

75

69

40

86

8,5

43

06

40

88

0,2

09

72

40

89

1,8

76

39

40

90

3,5

43

06

40

91

5,2

10

42

40

99

8,9

16

67

41

01

0,5

83

33

41

02

2,2

5

41

03

3,9

16

67

41

04

5,5

83

33

41

05

7,2

5

41

06

8,9

16

67

41

08

0,5

83

33

41

09

2,2

5

41

10

3,9

16

67

41

11

5,5

83

33

41

12

7,2

50

69

41

13

8,9

17

36

41

15

0,5

84

03

41

16

2,2

50

69

41

17

3,9

18

06

41

18

5,5

85

42

41

19

7,2

52

08

41

20

8,9

20

83

41

22

0,7

13

19

41

23

2,3

79

86

41

36

4,7

09

14

41

37

6,4

58

72

41

38

8,4

59

2

41

40

0,1

25

46

41

41

1,7

92

6

41

42

3,4

58

83

41

43

5,1

26

02

41

44

7,3

34

46

41

45

9,0

01

06

41

47

0,6

67

42

41

48

2,5

00

89

41

49

4,1

67

36

41

50

5,8

34

22

41

51

7,5

01

27

41

52

9,1

67

7

41

54

0,8

34

54

41

55

2,5

00

87

41

56

4,1

67

5

41

57

5,7

92

12

41

58

7,4

59

48

41

60

0,1

25

98

Vir

taam

a (l

/s)

NO

3-N

ja N

-to

t (m

g/l)

NO3-N (mg/l) N-tot (mg/l) Virtaama (l/s)

Satosuo

August---Dec 2011 / March-------------December 2012 / March----------------December 2013

(1.) Results

…and so did the concentration of solids, but not that of organic matter (DOC)

9

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

40

76

7,0

00

69

4

07

87

,12

5

40

79

9,0

00

79

4

08

10

,83

47

2

40

82

2,7

10

42

4

08

34

,58

68

1

40

84

6,4

62

5

40

85

8,3

34

03

4

08

70

,20

97

2

40

88

2,0

84

72

4

08

93

,95

97

2

40

90

5,8

34

72

4

09

89

,70

83

3

41

00

1,6

25

4

10

13

,5

41

02

5,3

75

4

10

37

,25

4

10

49

,12

5

41

06

1

41

07

2,8

75

4

10

84

,75

4

10

96

,62

5

41

10

8,5

4

11

20

,37

5

41

13

2,2

50

69

4

11

44

,12

56

9

41

15

6,0

00

69

4

11

67

,87

56

9

41

17

9,7

52

08

4

11

91

,62

70

8

41

20

3,5

02

08

4

12

15

,37

98

6

41

22

7,3

79

86

4

12

39

,25

55

6

41

37

1,8

75

93

4

13

84

,08

37

5

41

39

5,9

59

29

4

14

07

,83

38

8

41

41

9,7

08

94

4

14

31

,58

39

8

41

44

3,4

58

7

41

45

5,8

76

01

4

14

67

,75

08

8

41

47

9,7

92

51

4

14

91

,66

73

5

41

50

3,5

42

53

4

15

15

,41

78

7

41

52

7,2

92

29

4

15

39

,16

75

2

41

55

1,0

42

4

41

56

2,9

17

38

4

15

74

,75

07

5

41

58

6,6

25

83

4

15

99

,50

06

9

Vir

taam

a (l

/s)

Kiin

toai

ne

ja D

OC

(m

g/l)

Kiintoaine (mg/l) DOC (mg/l) Virtaama (l/s)

Satosuo

August----Dec 2011 / March------------December 2012 / March----------------December 2013

(1.)

The loads (kg/ha/year) of N and P (and even organic substances) in

2012 -2013 were smaller in Satosuo (organic peat) than in Tarvaala (humous silt field). N load in Tarvaala was much higher than general estimates of load of agriculture.

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Hovin kosteikon valuma-alue 2008 - 2009 (Hyttinen 2010), sekä maatalouden yleiset kuormitusarviot (kg/ha/a) maksimiarvoilla Rekolaisen ym. (1992) ja VEPS:n (Tattari ja Linjama 2004) mukaan.

(1.)

• The loads of N, P, solid and organic substances varied between years and locations according to weather conditions and topography long time monitoring is needed

• Biggest loads in April-May and in Sept-November

• The load (eg. N) is shifting from spring to autumn and winter more attention to water protection for winter is needed

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(1.) Conclusions

Continuous Automatic in situ Monitoring (CAM)

– Produced more accurate and real time information about nutrient loads from fields in Central Finland

– However, optical measurement of turbidity did not always result in good correlations in silt, moraine, and peat soils in Central Finland

disturbance by high concentrations of soluble P-tot and humus sometimes P-tot had to be measured by less accurate ”old”

methods

– Leaching of P to run-off is not resource-efficient and is causing eutrophication of waterways more accurate information is needed new technological innovations are needed to CAM of P in grass cultivation areas

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(1.)

– Measuring stations require regular maintenance

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(1.)

A frog inside another type of sensor

Insect worms in spectrometers caused abnormal turbidity results

– Quality control of data is essential

• daily checks, reasons for abnormalities must be analysed, data must be cleaned by removing verified abnormalities… …such as swans’ washing results just above our measuring station (verified by game camera)

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(1.)

Analyzing the data and results is time-consuming!

The effect of two spreading methods of slurry, injection and spreading on surface, on nutrient load from surface run off was studied

2. Spreading methods of slurry in grass cultivation

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in 2010-2013, in real grass cultivation conditions, in three experimental plots of 0,62 – 1,14 ha.

The surface run off was collected by automatic samplers

(altogether 127 samples)

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(2.)

(2.) Results

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The most significant differences between the plots were found for P: - spreading on surface resulted in the highest concentrations and loads of P in surface run-off - spreading on surface during rain 20-fold N and 10-fold P concentrations - most of tot-P was in soluble form (ca. 82%)

Blue column and line = spreading on surface; Red = injection; Green = ”control” (mineral nutrients)

Concentrations (µg/L) in surface run-off: Loads (kg/ha/year) through surface run-off:

Total-P

Column = Total-P Line = Soluble total-P

(2.) Conclusions

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• Notable year-to-year variation in the concentrations (µg/L in surface run-off) and in the loads (kg/ha/year through surface run-off) of nutrients and solid matters long-time experiments are needed

• The nutrients of slurry are easily leached.

• Remarkable amount of annual nutrient load may come in surface-run off (e.g. < 54% of tot-P, 12% of tot-N, and 16% of solids).

• Injection of slurry prevents nutrient leaching – even in rainy conditions – and is recommended in grass cultivation.

The amount of manure produced in cattle and pig farms located along the waterways in the region was studied by interviewing the farmers. Also the spreading methods of slurry and timing of spreading were studied (Löytöjärvi & Stenman 2012).

The manure balances of municipalities located along waterways in the region were calculated as amount of N and P in manure per arable land area per municipality in 2010.

Conclusions:

The amount of manure in the region is not adequate for fertilizing all fields.

Injection of slurry is already a widely used spreading method.

However, more controllable and precise application of slurry would prevent nutrient leaching, would increase the resource efficiency of external nutrient input, and would save the costs of buying mineral fertilizers.

3. Manure balances of municipalities

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4. Water protection measures in the farms

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Farmers’ attitudes to water protection were studied by interviews The attitudes were positive. Farmers found water protection important, had new ideas for water protection, and also participated actively in project events.

New knowledge and technologies for water protection were promoted in cooperation with farmers and partners, e.g. Guidance on wetlands (to be established between the fields and lakes) and riparian zones (buffer zones) for 30 targets,

half of which were established by landowners during the project…

… One of them was the model wetland in the school farm of our partner in cooperation, the Vocational Education Institute of Northern Central Finland, POKE.

The Northern

part of POKE’s

model wetland

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Photo: Arto Ahonen, Saarijärven Eräpalvelut ky

(4.)

The planning and constraction process of the model wetland of POKE was documented and described by Samuli Lahtela (2012)

Please see a video in Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct2Ppuynm1Q

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(4.)

…Another example is a continuous / solid riparian zone for

the fields surrounding the lake of Alajärvi in Kalmari, Saarijärvi

(established in cooperation by 3 landowners)

.

Please see the video in Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v88aES2PlkQ

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(4.)

For future development of water protection in agrarian areas, there is need for • long-term experiments on nutrient loads • long-term monitoring of water quality • new technology for measuring e.g. soluble P and organic substances • stable political measures such as financial support for water protection

Farmers attitudes to water protection in the region are positive,

water protection measures have been done and new ones are planned

and are being established by the farmers these will contribute to better ecological condition of waterways in Saarijärvi in future.

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To summarize

Pohjoisen Keski-Suomen oppimiskeskus (POKE)

MTT, Maaninka

Saarijärven kaupungin ympäristötoimi

Saarijärven reitin alueen viljelijät ja kunnat

MTK Keski-Suomen TÄKY- ja TÄKY+ -hankkeet

Keski-Suomen ELY-keskuksen TASO-hanke

Suomen ympäristökeskus (SYKE)

Suomen riistakeskuksen Kotiseutukosteikko Life+ -hanke

Luode Consulting Oy

Vesieko Oy

Thanks also to many other quarters for good cooperation during MAISA project (2010–2014).

MAISA project thanks all the partners in cooperation:

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Thank you!

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