Runoff Management

Nursery runoff should be considered from day 1 of any nursery planning process. Waiting to plan for runoff is a costly mistake that will require a shutdown of large production areas and significant grading costs.

Runoff must be handled responsibly. Proper grading of nursery lands can direct runoff waters into retention ponds by way of strategically placed ditches. This water can then be processed to remove pesticides and pathogens before being utilized again and again. This processing may take the form of constructed wetlands. Water reuse can result in significant cost savings in many cases.

If you are interested in recycling and reusing water various factors need to be considered including:

1. Irrigation efficiency to reduce leaching and thus nutrient loss from containers
2. Improving runoff conveyance structures
3. Determining maximum runoff volume to capture for irrigation purposes
4. Calculating stormwater runoff volume and containment basin sizing needs
5. Remediation technologies both chemical and ecologically based to facilitate water reuse

Water need not be cleansed of nutrient residues when reuse is intended because these fertilizers can be reapplied to the cropping area if they remain in solution. Pesticides can be of concern if they rise to phytotoxic levels in irrigation waters. Methods must be employed to prevent this from happening by either cleaning the water or reducing pesticide use. Pathogen removal has been accomplished using chlorine, ozone, UV light etc.