Selenium in agricultural drainage: Essential nutrient or toxic threat
- Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento, CA (USA)
The essential nutrient selenium is believed responsible for numerous deformities, reproductive failures, and deaths of migratory birds at Kesterson Reservoir in California's San Joaquin Valley Wildlife problems at the reservoir appeared only a few years after the area began receiving selenium laden subsurface drainage water from less than 42,000 acres of irrigated agricultural land on the west side of the valley. Although substantially reduced in acreage from their historic extent, the valley's wetland habitats continue to satisfy the wintering and migratory needs of substantial populations of Pacific Flyway migratory birds. Remnant anadromous fish populations struggle to survive the inadequate flows and low water quality of the valley's riverine habitats. It is estimated that in order to sustain intensively managed, irrigated agriculture and associated high levels of crop production, more than 1,000,000 acres of land on the west side of the valley must eventually be drained. Unless extraordinary measures are taken, the potential is great for contaminated agricultural drainage to further harm fish and wildlife resources of the San Joaquin Valley. 15 refs., 1 fig.
- OSTI ID:
- 6898035
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering; (USA) Vol. 115:1; ISSN 0733-9437; ISSN JIDED
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AGRICULTURE
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIRDS
CALIFORNIA
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION IX
FISHES
HABITAT
INDUSTRY
MASS TRANSFER
NORTH AMERICA
NUTRIENTS
POLLUTION
RUNOFF
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
TOXICITY
USA
VERTEBRATES
WATER POLLUTION