Student Research Reports

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Roadsides ditches contribute 30,000 miles to Ohio’s watershed and are one of the leading conduits of nutrient pollution entering the Lake Erie watershed. This research focuses on analyzing soil nutrient levels of roadside ditches that align both an agricultural field and a municipal road. This is achieved by sampling both the agricultural and municipal slopes of a drainage ditch and analyzing the nutrient levels of the resulting soil samples. This analysis seeks to evaluate if elevated levels of nitrates and phosphates are present in the soil on either side of a drainage ditch and to determine which side is at fault for contributing more nutrient run-off. This research indicates significant relationships between the width of a slope and the soil pH levels, as well as between pH and phosphorus levels within a drainage ditch. Results conclude two-thirds of the sample sites demonstrate increased nitrate-nitrite levels on the agricultural slope when compared to the municipal slope. Research also indicates the variance in nutrient levels across a wide range of sites. This study is significant in the recent discussions of nutrient run-off, erosion of drainage ditch banks, and their role in nutrient run-off mitigation. Upon further inquiry, this research will also indicate where nutrient run-off is occurring, and if nutrient levels are within range to support buffer zones and rain gardens. The need for more information on this topic will become ever more apparent as excess nutrient run-off continues to cause environmental and economic distress in the Lake Erie region.