No significant differences were found between mean NO3-N and Total P concentrations in non buffered and buffered runoff under sprinkler irrigation (p [greater than] 0.05), but mean TSS concentration was significantly higher (p = 0.005) for non buffered than buffered runoff (Table 1).
Under flood irrigation, mean irrigation amount was 1487 [m.sup.3] [ha.sup.-1] and 1798 [m.sup.3] [ha.sup.-1] for the buffered and non buffered treatments, respectively.
One might expect reduced runoff from the buffered systems as a result of increased infiltration in the buffer; however, it is unreasonable to expect an increase in runoff as a result of buffer establishment.
As a result of these runoff differences, mean concentrations (Table 2) realized under the flood irrigated buffered treatment could be biased downward due to dilution or biased upwards due to increased mobilization and transport from sources in the pasture compared to the non buffered treatment.
Buffered Lands (including farmed wetlands) were seeded and used for native grass/hay production, while all other hectares were used for field crop and alfalfa hay production.
buffered and non buffered wetland systems (Table 1).
For all nutrients analyzed, concentration in the wetland soils were less if the wetland was buffered (Table 2).