A Trapezoidal Flume used by the Colorado State University Conservation Tillage Demonstration and Outreach Project to measure the effectiveness of different tillage approaches to reducing runoff, improving water quality, and increasing the economic output of furrow-irrigated croplands.

Strip tillage was shown to result in considerably less irrigation induced erosion (1.6 tons/acre vs 2.6 for convential tillage) and decreased phosphorus concentration (1.4 mg/L vs 2.0 - total soluable) (although slightly higher nitrogen concentrations).  

Trapezoidal Flumes are particularly useful for such studies as they pass solids easily and they conform to the natural shape of furrows, ditches, and channels.