Conservation practices termed tailwater recovery (TWR) systems are being installed throughout the Lower Mississippi River basin to mitigate damage from agricultural production. Many of the costs and benefits of these systems have yet to be documented; therefore, the objective of this study is to assess whether TWR systems have the potential to impact on the hydrology of downstream systems. In this study, we compare hydrologic parameters of two TWR systems—one with an on-farm storage reservoir (TWR-OFS) and one without (TWR-D)—and a control ditch (CTRL). Systems were monitored at one outflow location each using flow meters. Estimated percentage differences between TWR-D and CTRL sites were determined, in which the CTRL site was found to have greater values reflected in the parameters, including length of event median 94% and mean 60%; time to peak median 80% and mean 70%; time to base median 88% and mean 60%; peak flow median 86% and mean 67% and discharge median 134% and mean 101%. The TWR-D and TWR-OFS sites differed in peak flow, with TWR-OFS being 40% greater. Evidence from this investigation shows that TWR systems have the potential to influence downstream hydrology by retaining water.

中文翻译：

---

尾水回收系统的出流水文学与控制集水区的比较*

整个密西西比河下游流域正在安装称为尾水回收 (TWR) 系统的保护措施，以减轻农业生产造成的损害。这些系统的许多成本和收益尚未记录；因此，本研究的目的是评估行波波系统是否有可能影响下游系统的水文。在这项研究中，我们比较了两个行波堆系统的水文参数——一个有农场蓄水库 (TWR-OFS)，一个没有 (TWR-D)——和控制沟 (CTRL)。系统在一个流出位置分别使用流量计进行监测。确定了 TWR-D 和 CTRL 位点之间的估计百分比差异，其中发现 CTRL 位点具有更大的反映在参数中的值，包括事件长度中位数 94% 和平均值 60%；达到峰值的时间中位数为 80%，平均值为 70%；中位数为 88%，平均为 60%；峰值流量中位数为 86%，平均为 67%，排放中位数为 134%，平均为 101%。TWR-D 和 TWR-OFS 站点的峰值流量不同，TWR-OFS 高 40%。这项调查的证据表明，行波堆系统有可能通过蓄水来影响下游水文。