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Theme:
"Headwaters of Conservation" For
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Monday, July
26, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Symposia
Sessions Topic: Agricultural Management
and Environmental Quality, Room - Wabasha II & III, Conservation
implications of a changing climate High intensity
rains and extreme temperatures - observed and projected trends - Jim Bruce, SWCS
Canadian Representative, Erosion implications of increased rain
intensities - Mark Nearing, USDA-ARS, Climate change and water quality
- Jerry Hatfield, USDA-ARS, Streamflow trends in the USA - Steven
Mauget, USDA-ARS, Panel discussion: Adaptation actions needed -
adjustments in erosion control and water management - Jim Bruce, SWCS
Canadian Representative; Mark Nearing and Jerry Hatfield, USDA-ARS Description - This session will update
conference participants on the growing evidence of the increased frequency of
heavy rains and high temperatures in a changing climate. These observed trends are expected to
continue. They have important
implications for soil erosion, water quantities, and water quality. These impacts will be examined along with
proposals for policies and programs needed to adapt to the changing
conditions. Topic: Assessing the
Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental Programs, Room - Kellogg I, Conservation
Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) - Status of the national assessment Opening
remarks -
Wayne Maresch, USDA-NRCS, Overview of the national assessment: Status and
plans - Robert Kellogg, USDA-NRCS, Estimating on-site benefits of
conservation practices for cropland and CRP for national reporting -
Robert Kellogg, USDA-NRCS, Estimating off-site water quality benefits of
conservation practices for cropland and CRP for national reporting - Jeff
Arnold, USDA-ARS, Plans for estimating benefits of conservation practices
for wildlife - Charlie Rewa, USDA-NRCS Description - The Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have
joined together, in collaboration with other Federal agencies, to initiate
the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) to quantify the
environmental benefits of conservation practices implemented under the 2002
Farm Bill. The national assessment component of this project will track the
accumulation of benefits over time for annual reporting beginning in 2005.
The purpose of these two symposia is to provide an overview of the national
assessment approach with examples of how the benefits will be measured for
cropland, including CRP. Examples will be based on preliminary results
derived from the 2003 CEAP farmer survey conducted in 2003 at about 10,000
NRI sample points. Specific presentations will address: 1) an overview of the
national component of CEAP, 2) results from the 2003 CEAP farmer survey, 3)
EPIC/APEX results on soil loss, nutrient loss, and soil quality, 4) plans for
estimating instream-concentrations of sediment and nutrients associated with
agricultural activities using HUMUS, and 5) plans for estimating wildlife
benefits associated with cropland. Room - Wabasha I
& II, Technical Service Provider Implementation - Part I NRCS lessons
learned from first year implementation experience - Paul Flynn, USDA-NRCS Description - The sessions will cover
current issues and perspectives of implementing the Technical Service
Provider provision of the 2002 Farm Bill.
These perspectives will be presented from three vantage points: 1) the
agency, 2) mid- to large-size TSP firms, and 3) individual TSP. Topics will include certification,
training, acquisition of technical services, delivery of technical services,
payment rates, e-government, technical references, liability, progress
reporting, quality assurance, funding and other related issues. Concurrent
Sessions Topic: Agricultural Management and Environmental Quality, Governors II,
Environmental management systems This session will
provide a description of environmental management systems (EMS) and discuss
their application to animal feeding operations and use of biosolids in
sustainable agriculture. Moderator: Mike Jawson, USDA-ARS 10:30 – 10:50 a.m. Environmental
management systems applied on NY dairy farms - Peter Wright and Lee
Telega, Cornell University 10:50 – 11:10 a.m. USU Extension's Agriculture Environmental Management
Systems program - John Harrison, Dallen Smith, and Aditya Toney, Utah
State University 11:10 – 11:30 a.m. The
role of biosolids in sustainable agriculture - Lynne Moss, Camp Dresser
& McKee, Inc. Environmental
management systems applied on NY dairy farms, Peter Wright and Lee
Telega, Cornell University An environmental
management system (EMS) is designed to identify practices that pose risks to
human health and the environment and develop a plan to reduce those
risks. Dairy businesses of the future
will need to use this tool to help them recognize, prioritize, implement,
document, and evaluate their impacts on the environment. A dairy business may benefit from this
process by increasing market opportunities, controlling costs of regulations,
controlling costs of production as well as reducing environmental risks. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has recognized the value of this process in other industries and is
encouraging agriculture to adopt it as well. This paper
explains the components of an EMS as described by the International
Organization for Standardization (IOS) 14001 standard and compares them with
both the traditional Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) planning
process and the Agricultural Environmental Management process adopted by New
York State. The paper describes the
portions most applicable to dairy farms, and the tools developed for its use
on dairy farms. This work was part of
a larger process to pilot EMS plans in nine other states over a four-year period. The support mechanisms that will encourage
producers to adopt an EMS will be identified. USU
Extension’s Agriculture Environmental Management Systems program, John Harrison, Dallen
Smith, and Aditya Toney, Utah State University This program
seeks to integrate environmental management systems into Concentrated Animal
Feeding Operations (CAFO). The
methods and tool developed by this program assist owner/operators in focusing
on continual improvement of their operation's interactions with air, water
and land resources. Utah CAFO
operators are realizing the benefits of effective environmental management by
using a systematic approach to planning, controlling, measuring and improving
their environmental effort. These
operators envision the potential for significant improvements and cost
savings that will be achieved by improving the operations management
processes. They understand the
crucial point is that not all environmental problems need to be solved by
installing expensive pollution control equipment. All participating
CAFO operations have accomplished the following: identified the environmental
aspects of each operation; developed AEMS environmental policy statements;
conducted gap analyses to determine which environmental aspects are
significant; and developed a means of setting environmental objectives and
targets. The program web
site, http://aems.aste.usu.edu/, is a multifacted information, education and
co-development knowledge repository.
It contains information to those in the agriculture industry and an
enterprise information system that provides the livestock and poultry
industry with efficient, accurate access to the latest information about
manure management methods and tools.
The Agriculture Environmental Management Information System (AEMIS) is
a decision support tool that allows data sharing over the Internet and
cooperator co-development of queries and documents in support of the
Agriculture Environmental Management System process. The AEMIS helps users organize information
and find alternatives for setting objectives, determining actions, and
reviewing options and evaluations. The role of
biosolids in sustainable agriculture, Lynne Moss, Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc. For many years,
sludges from wastewater treatment plants were landfilled or discharged into
the ocean. Today, the majority of these materials are treated to remove
pathogens and applied to agricultural fields. The land application of treated
sludges (biosolids) solves the issue of how to manage solids generated at
wastewater treatment plants but, more importantly, research and experience
now demonstrate how recycling the nutrients and organics in these materials
can play a critical role in sustainable agriculture. Specifically, biosolids
have been shown to: improve soil structure; reduce erosion potential; reduce
soil bulk density; increase water retention; and increase cation exchange
capacity of soils. Through these improvements and the addition of primary,
secondary and micronutients, biosolids can improve both soil properties and,
ultimately, its productivity. Additionally,
both voluntary programs, such as the National Biosolids Partnership’s
Environmental Management System (EMS), and regulatory requirements ensure
that the environmental benefits of biosolids are optimized while minimizing
environmental risk. All biosolids are required to meet standards that protect
both public health and the environment, and many biosolids programs must meet
specified land management practices intended to meet those same goals. For
example, some states require farm conservation plans for areas receiving
biosolids. And adherence to conservation principles is a key component of the
EMS program currently being rolled out across the nation. This presentation
highlights research on biosolids as an agricultural amendment, and discusses
the multiple mechanisms in place – and available to conservation planners –
to ensure that the full benefit of these products can be realized. Topic: Assessing the Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental
Programs, State II, Scales of Effective Measurement This concurrent
session will focus on three case studies of stream hydrology and
geomorphologic change as related to conservation policy. Sediment transport plays a large part of landscape
change and the effects of conservation and human activity are the theme of
this session. Is there a stopping
point in the continuum of changing landscape?, Moderator: Jerry
Bernard, USDA-NRCS 10:30 – 10:50 a.m. Predicting
bedload and suspended sediment export in low-order Lake Superior watersheds
- Debra Taylor, Colleen Elonen, Terri Jicha, and Leroy Anderson, U.S. EPA 10:50 – 11:10 a.m. Sediment
budget for the Whitewater River Watershed, southeastern Minnesota - Bill
Thompson, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; Bill Lorenzen, Bob Bird, and
Vic Ruhland, USDA-NRCS 11:10 – 11:30 a.m. Documenting
hydrologic changes in Seven Mile Creek Watershed using historic air photos
and GIS - Kevin Kuehner, Brown Nicollet Cottonwood Water Quality Board Predicting
bedload and suspended sediment export in low-order Lake Superior watersheds Bedload samples
were collected from 48 second and third order Lake Superior tributaries
during snowmelt in 1998 and 1999. Suspended sediment samples were collected
over a three-year period during baseflow, rain events, and snowmelt. This
work was part of a comparative watershed study evaluating the effects of
hydrogeomorphic region, and instream, riparian, and watershed features on
stream water quality, habitat, and biota. To explain differences in sediment
export Rosgen's hierarchical stream type classification system was introduced
as an integrator of stream geomorphological characteristics such as bedrock
geology, width to depth ratio, entrenchment, and channel slope. Rosgen stream
types and stream power accounted for 71 per cent of the variation in bedload
mass exported. Bedload increased with decreasing forest canopy over the
stream and with decreased in-stream woody debris. Bedload also increased with
increasing watershed area and increasing stream bank erosion. Suspended
sediment results suggest that suspended sediment export increased with
greater proportions of fine sediments in the streambeds, and with increased
discharge, bank erosion, and watershed land uses such as agriculture, recent
logging, and road/stream intersection density. Rosgen stream types proved
useful for partitioning natural and human-caused sources of sediment export.
Overall, bedload appears to be power-limited, while suspended sediment is
more supply-limited. Abstract does not necessarily reflect EPA policy. Sediment
budget for the Whitewater River Watershed, southeastern Minnesota A general
sediment budget was developed for the 205,000-acre Whitewater River
Watershed, located in Southeastern Minnesota. Erosion estimates were
developed for sheet and rill erosion using the AgNPS methodology. Streambank
erosion estimates were developed from field surveys and stream channel
considerations. Gully erosion estimates were compiled from field staff
reports. Historical cross-sections of the river valleys, initially conducted
by Stafford Happ of the ARS in the 1930s and then again in the 1960s, were
resurveyed by NRCS staff in 1993. These sedimentation ranges provide a
context for flood plain deposition and channel changes over a period of 60
years. Results of the sediment budgeting process show that overall soil
erosion amounts to about 666,000 tons annually. In relative order of
contribution are: sheet and rill erosion (68%), streambank erosion (21%),
classic gully erosion (8%), and ephemeral gully erosion (3%), About 11% of
the total gross erosion is yielded at the watershed outlet at Weaver Bottoms
on the Mississippi River. The importance of
understanding stream geomorphology and sediment transport issues will be
discussed, in reference to current efforts to improve land and water resources
in the Whitewater River drainage. The use of physical stream survey data and
river valley cross sections will be presented as important measurements to
use in the assessment of stream quality and watershed health. Future
potential applications of the sediment budget method used in this watershed
will be considered. Documenting
hydrologic changes in Seven Mile Creek Watershed using historic air photos
and GIS,
Kevin Kuehner, Brown Nicollet Cottonwood Water Quality Board The study’s
objective was to document hydrologic changes in a small South-Central
Minnesota watershed and how those changes relate to conservation policy and
water quality. Over 130 historic aerial photographs from seven different
periods dating back to 1938 were rectified for use in a Geographic
Information System. Results from the study indicate significant hydrologic
changes have occurred in the watershed within the past 50 years. Major
changes include cropping system shifts, stream channelization, construction
of agricultural drainage systems, and a 35% reduction in wetlands. Normalized
for time period, the largest change occurred from 1955-1961. During this
period 2,053 acres of wetlands were converted to cropland within the
watershed. The third period with the most significant amount of change
occurred between 2002 and 2003. In one year, 130 acres of cropland were
converted back to wetland and native grasses. Federal conservation programs
combined with private grants and efforts by a Clean Water Partnership to help
restore wetlands for water quality are primary contributors for this
increase. Documenting hydrologic changes can serve as a valuable tool to help
watershed managers communicate wetland values to local policy makers and
watershed residents, justify restoration efforts to address water quality and
habitat degradation issues, and to help target and maximize future
restoration efforts. Topic: Geo-spatial Technology for Conservation – Soil, Water, and Land,
State III, New tools for the practicing conservationist Papers in this
session will present innovative geo-spatial ideas and tools being currently
used and evaluated by practitioners in different parts of the country. Moderator:
Mark Tomer, USDA-ARS 10:30 – 10:50 a.m. The
Finger Lakes Decision Support System Project: Analytical tools for
stakeholders - David Carr, Cayuga Community College 10:50 – 11:10 a.m. Getting
conservation on the land using GIS - Leon Wendte and Sharyl Walker,
USDA-NRCS 11:10 – 11:30 a.m. Landscape
assessments: Addressing objectives across boundaries - Gary Bentrup, Todd
Kellerman, Mike Dosskey, and Michele Schoeneberger, U.S. Forest Service; Gary
Wells, USDA-NRCS The Finger
Lakes Decision Support System Project: Analytical tools for stakeholders, David Carr, Cayuga Community
College Successfully conveying information to a diverse constituency is the
foundation for making effective and well informed decisions. However, there are commonly many
stakeholders for a given area, such as a watershed, making effective
decision-making a complex task. The need for common, multi-jurisdictional
tools to help mitigate this situation is clear. Under a NASA funded initiative, the IAGT is engaged in an
effort to develop a Web-based system that integrates 2D and 3D interactive
geospatial visualization and analysis technology to enhance information
sharing and decision support for watershed management and beyond. The prototype study area for the project focuses on the Owasco Lake
Watershed in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. The area is rich in agricultural and
environmental resources and enjoys a strong tourism industry. Forming a
framework for the project are these focus areas: surface/groundwater
interaction; viewshed analysis and open space conservation; agricultural conservation.
Utilizing the technology to compare and contrast these characteristics
through a taxonomic ranking is a primary goal of the project. The proof of
concept will be to use the resulting localized environmentally sensitive
areas in conjunction with probability of growth models to reveal those areas
that should be conserved or carefully managed for future wise growth. Additionally, tools for better
understanding regulatory issues, clear visualizations of the geo-spatial data
and other parameters are planned for development in the system. The resulting prototype decision support
system is envisioned to be a common resource where stakeholders with diverse
backgrounds can review a wide variety of regional and local characteristics,
and perform mapping and analysis tasks that will aid in wise decision making. Getting
conservation on the land using GIS, Leon Wendte and Sharyl Walker, USDA-NRCS New programs, new
practices, new rules, more customers, fewer practicing conservationists—doing
more with less while maintaining high quality. What’s a practicing
conservationist to do? This presentation describes practical examples of
using geo-spatial technology at a field office level to increase quality and
quantity of conservation practices applied on the land. It summarizes the
success of one conservation team’s effort to integrate GIS into day to day
operations. It describes one sequence of GIS layer development that could be
adopted for almost any county or watershed area working on a shoestring
budget. Examples are given to show how each new data layer developed
incrementally increases efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness of
getting conservation practices on the land. The process is a four to five
year investment, but keeping the vision of the ultimate integration of GIS
into daily operations of the modern field office will pay big dividends for
the practicing conservationist. Landscape
assessments: Addressing objectives across boundaries, Gary Bentrup, Todd
Kellerman, Mike Dosskey, and Michele Schoeneberger, U.S. Forest Service; Gary
Wells, USDA-NRCS Natural resource
professionals have the challenge of planning and implementing conservation
practices to address diverse landowner and community objectives (e.g.,
wildlife habitat, water quality, aesthetics, and income diversification).
Many of these issues disregard property boundaries and cannot be adequately
solved by conservation practices that do not take into account the larger
landscape setting. To effectively plan and manage for these objectives requires
a holistic landscape-scale strategy. Landscape assessments developed using
GIS provide the necessary framework to efficiently guide comprehensive
planning efforts. As part of a Comprehensive Conservation Planning Project
being developed by the USDA National Agroforestry Center, three GIS-guided
landscape assessments addressing water quality, wildlife habitat, and income
diversification objectives will be presented. These examples will demonstrate
the value of landscape assessments in locating conservation practices to
treat agricultural runoff, improve riparian connectivity for wildlife, and
provide agroforestry specialty products. Guidelines for generating these
simple but effective assessment tools using available data will be discussed.
By combining these and other landscape assessments, sites can be identified
where environmental protection and agricultural production goals can be
simultaneously attained across boundaries, enhancing the acceptance and
long-term adoption of conservation practices. Topic: Agricultural Management and Environmental Quality, Governors
I, Scoring systems for conservation programs This session will
feature approaches to funding allocations and ranking processes in
conservation programs on working lands. Moderator: Mark Liebig,
USDA-ARS 10:30 – 10:50 a.m. A
case study of EQIP Scoring Systems in three southeastern states. Can we see the desired effect? – Wes
Standish and Robin Kloot, University of South Carolina; Curt Hobbs, Anthony
Burns, and Bill Hughes, USDA-NRCS 10:50 – 11:10
a.m. Designing and scoring
working land programs - Robert Johansson, USDA-ERS 11:10 – 11:30 a.m. Improving
NRCS EQIP allocation and ranking: More bang for the buck - Ralph
Heimlich, Agricultural Conservation Economics; Suzy Friedman and Tim Searchinger,
Environmental Defense 11:30 – 11:50 a.m. An
analysis of farm-level factors influencing conservation practice adoption and
conservation program participation in the United States - Carmen
Sandretto and Ashok Mishra, USDA-ERS A case study
of EQIP Scoring Systems in three southeastern states. Can we see the desired effect?, Wes Standish and Robin
Kloot, University of South Carolina; Curt Hobbs, Anthony Burns, and Georgia
Hughes, USDA-NRCS In fiscal year
(FY) 2003, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in South
Carolina collaborated with the Earth Sciences and Resources Institute at the
University of South Carolina (ESRI-USC) to develop a web-based application
called the EQIP-for the WebTM to manage ranking and funding for
the USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). In FY 2004, the NRCS in the states of
Alabama and Georgia participated in further development of this
application. Two issues prompted a
significant redesign of EQIP-for-the-WebTM, they were: (1)
comments and recommendations by Environmental Defense on the increased
efficacy of the EQIP program on a National level and (2) the advent of
ProTracts, a National system designed to assist the NRCS in contract and fund
management. As a result,
EQIP-for-the-WebTM moved from a practice-driven to a resource
concern-driven scoring system, and the funding management was dropped from
the system's functions in deference to the ProTracts system. This paper focuses on the application and
funding data gathered in the two years of the EQIP-for-the-WebTM
operation, and whether the change from a practice-driven to a resource
concern-driven scoring system changed the funding applications and funding
distributions. In addition, funding
applications and distributions, based on different scoring systems in
Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are compared. Finally, the paper discusses the benefits and drawbacks of
web-based technology and how the drawbacks may be addressed in future years. Designing and
scoring working land programs The Farm Security
and Rural Investment Act of 2002 brings a sweeping change in the focus of
agri-environmental policy: funding for conservation has been augmented by 80
percent and a majority of this increase is directed towards conservation
efforts on working lands. The
environmental benefits that will be provided by working land programs (WLPs)
are likely to come at a lower cost than those derived from land retirement
since land will remain in production.
The order of magnitude of these benefits is still unknown, but if one
considers the broad base represented by all agricultural operations (both
crop and livestock producers), the impact could be considerable. While the potential benefits of WLPs may
be large, realizing these benefits poses considerable challenges. Compared to land retirement programs, WLPs
will fund a broad range of practices, complicating their incentive designs
and evaluation of their environmental impacts across different producer types
and regions. We simulate several
types of WLPs (practice-based and performance-based programs) to encourage
U.S. crop producers to improve their environmental performance. In order to compare these programs in
terms of cost-effectiveness, we use historical data from the Conservation
Reserve Program and from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to
provide a means to aggregate environmental benefits across diverse
environmental attributes. Results
indicate the performance-based programs may improve enviornmental performance
of active cropland by a significantly greater degree than practice-based
programs. However, performance-based
programs may also result in higher food prices and lower consumer welfare
(excepting environmental benefits) than might practice-based programs. Improving NRCS
EQIP allocation and ranking: More bang for the buck The EQIP rule
specifies five factors states should consider to successfully allocate their
program funds and rank applications. State NRCS offices need to improve how
final rule requirements are incorporated into their EQIP funding allocations
and ranking processes. Even using a liberal interpretation of the five
criteria, few states seem to be incorporating these factors. Most state
ranking systems don’t incorporate factors to optimize the environmental
benefits of the program required in the final rule. Resource concerns are
considered most by the states, but only one state is considering all five
criteria. Of the 14 states that substitute statewide ranking for allocation,
half consider only national priorities and difficulty in meeting
environmental laws in their ranking schemes. The cost-effectiveness of the
proposed conservation practices is only considered explicitly in 15 states,
but only one state considers the ratio of environmental benefits evaluated to
costs. Only six states award points for longer-lived practices, another
approach to getting more cost-effective practices. States have only made
progress in two of the nine areas for improvement identified in a previous
analysis conducted by Environmental Defense. While some states have made
great strides in making their allocation and ranking systems meet the rule
requirements, many others need to make improvements before the next round of
funding in 2004. The paper concludes with a list of “BMPs” recommended for
EQIP allocation and ranking. An analysis of
farm-level factors influencing conservation practice adoption and
conservation program participation in the United States Recent Farm Bill
provisions have placed greater emphasis on a variety of conservation programs
to help establish sustainable production systems and reduce the environmental
impacts associated with farming activities.
It is widely recognized that these agricultural conservation programs
will help to protect millions of acres from soil erosion, enhance water and
air quality, and promote wetland and wildlife habitat protection and
restoration. The 2002 Farm Bill
substantially increased funding levels for these conservation programs. However, their environmental benefits
cannot be realized unless appropriate conservation measures are implemented
effectively at the farm-level. An
improved understanding of the interrelationships between economic factors and
farm operator/household characteristics that are associated with selected
conservation practice adoption (land management practices covered under EQIP,
etc.) and specific conservation program (CRP, CREP, WRP, GRP, etc.)
participation will be required. This
information will be useful in informing policy makers, extension workers, and
others working with farmers in efforts to develop incentives to encourage voluntary
adoption of recommended conservation measures to mitigate the potential
damage from agricultural production activities on the environment. Monday, July
26, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Symposia
Sessions Topic: Assessing the
Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental Programs, Kellogg I, Assessment
of the effectiveness of conservation practices, including agency perspectives
and watershed case studies Overview of
ARS involvement in CEAP - Mark Weltz, USDA-ARS, The Canadian perspective of conservation
effectiveness - Brook Harker, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Competitive
funding support for CEAP - Iris Goodman, U.S. EPA, ARS watershed
assessment studies: An introduction and overview - Michael Burkhart,
USDA-ARS Description - This will be the fifth
joint symposium for SWCS and the Soil Science Society of America. The Conservation Effects Assessment
Project (CEAP) is a U.S. national assessment of environmental benefits of
conservation programs to support policy decision and program
implementation. The symposium focuses
the goals and status of CEAP and its sources of funding. Some researchers will present their
results on posters as part of a facilitated discussion. Affiliated
Posters – --Potential CEAP
activities on the Upper Leon River Watershed, Ken Potter, USDA-ARS --An approach for
assessing the impact of conservation management practices on source water
quality in Upper Big Walnut Creek Watershed, K.W. King and N.R. Fausey,
USAD-ARS --Optimizing
selection and placement of BMPs: The Town Brook Watershed contribution to
CEAP-WAS, M.W. Gitau, W.J. Gburek, and T.L. Veith, USDA-ARS --The Iowa
River's South Fork watershed: Terrain, land use, and water quality, M.D.
Tomer, M.R. Burkart, D.E. James, K.J. Cole, C.M. Greenan, and C.H. Green,
USDA-ARS --Quantifying
conservation effects in Upper Washita River (OK) sub-watersheds, J.L.
Steiner, M Van Liew, P Starks, J. Daniel, M. Ramming, and S. Phillips,
USDA-ARS; K. Matlock, R. Freeland, and J. Adams, USDA-NRCS --Assessing the
effects of fertilizer management practices on water quality in Walnut Creek,
Iowa, Dan Jaynes, USDA-ARS --Cooperative
approach for improving surface water quality at the St. Joseph River
Watershed, Chi-Hua Huang, USDA-ARS --The Mark
Twain/Salt River Conservation Effects Assessment Project: Multi-scale wate
quality assessment in a surface runoff dominated basin, R.N. Lerch, E.J.
Sadler, and E.E. Alberts, USDA-ARS --Conservation
management assessments in the Mississippi Delta: Beasley Lake and related
research, Martin Locke, USDA-ARS --Goodwin Creek
Experimental Watershed, assessment of conservation and environmental effect,
R.A. Kuhnle, C.V. Alonso, R.L. Bingner, A. Simon, and F.D. Shields, USDA-ARS Technical
Service Provider Implementation - Part II Limited
liability corporation lessons learned from first year operational experience - Earl Dodson,
Environmental Management Solutions, LLC, Individual TSP lessons learned
from first year operational experience - Glen Borgerding, Ag Resource
Consulting, Inc. Description - The sessions will cover
current issues and perspectives of implementing the Technical Service Provider
provision of the 2002 Farm Bill.
These perspectives will be presented from three vantage points: 1) the
agency, 2) mid- to large-size TSP firms, and 3) individual TSP. Topics will include certification,
training, acquisition of technical services, delivery of technical services,
payment rates, e-government, technical references, liability, progress
reporting, quality assurance, funding and other related issues. Topic Assessing the
Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental Programs, Kellogg II, Is NRCS
EQIPped to get the most from EQIP? Analysis of state allocation and ranking
procedures Environmental
Defense's interaction with the EQIP rule and its implementation - Suzy Friedman, Center
for Conservation Incentives at Environmental Defense, BMPs and model
templates for EQIP ranking - Ralph Heimlich, Agricultural Conservation
Economics Moderated
discussion with presenters and audience: State templates versus local "tweaking" How to incorporate quantitative assessments in ranking Estimating improvements for ranking Using performance matrices for ranking Description - This symposium presents
Environmental Defense's analyses of USDA's implementation of the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) rule requirements for
allocating funds to resource concerns or areas and ranking applications for
funding. While some states have made
great strides, few states are incorporating all factors. Principles or "BMPs" for ranking
that incorporate all requirements of the rule and fairly rank the range of
applications from small and large producers are presented as well as tensions
between uniform approaches and local tailoring, and between comprehensive
assessment and ease of administration. Topic: Soil and Environmental
Quality, Wabasha II & III, Finding common ground on soil quality -
balancing benefits with pitfalls Pros and cons
as seen by a soil quality proponent - Doug Karlen, USDA-ARS, Pros and cons as seen
by a soil quality skeptic - Robert Sojka, USDA-ARS, Pros and cons
evaluated from a long term case study - Michael Singer, University of
California-Davis Description - The soil quality concept
resonates with farmers and action agencies but is controversial among soil
scientists. Spokespersons for the
spectrum of viewpoints are gathered to acknowledge both the benefits and
pitfalls of the concept. Both are
needed to serve the common goals of sound science, protecting the soil resource
and the environment, and emphasizing excellent soil management. Concurrent
Sessions Topic: Assessing the Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental
Programs, Governors II, Adoption and Integration of Conservation with the
Environment Conservation,
preservation and the urbanization of our nations farming resources is the
theme of these four presentations.
Federal and state policies have benefical and adverse impacts on our
nation's farming industry and the behavior of the community. What is the best policy for a rural
community?, Moderator: Anthony Kramer, USDA-NRCS 1:30 – 1:50 p.m. Development
of the Dakota County Farmland and Natural Area Program - Al Singer and
Kurt Chatfield, Dakota County; Rick Hansen, Minnesota Department of
Agriculture 1:50 – 2:10 p.m. Archaeological
sites, soils, and landforms: Friends or foes? - Patrick McLoughlin,
USDA-NRCS 2:10 – 2:30 p.m. Farmland
preservation: Innovative approaches in Ontario - Wayne Caldwell and
Stewart Hilts, University of Guelph Development of
the Dakota County Farmland and Natural Area Program, Al Singer and Kurt
Chatfield, Dakota County; Rick Hansen, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Dakota County,
located at the confluence of three of the state's four main rivers, is one of
the seven counties comprising the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Region.
Although most of the 374,000 residents reside in the northern suburbs, it is
still mostly rural. However, the county has seen a 29% population increase in
the last decade and the growth is expected to continue. In 1999 the county
embarked upon a comprehensive effort to protect high quality farmland and
natural areas. Using a new land cover classification system and existing GIS
data, a detailed inventory of the county's natural resources was compiled. An
extensive citizen awareness and advisory process helped develop priority
areas. A grass roots citizen effort then led to the successful passage of a
$20 million bond referendum in November 2002 to protect the highest quality
areas still remaining. Program criteria and guidelines were adopted by the
County Board of Commissioners in June, 2003 and land protection projects are
now underway. This presentation
will provide insights into the key elements of developing and implementing a
land protection program that involves a range of rural and rapidly urbanizing
landscapes. Assessing the
effects of farmer cohort groups on the adoption and management of
conservation,
Paul Ray, USDA-NRCS Federal efforts
to control diffuse sources of pollution from agricultural operations have
historically involved a voluntary, cost-share driven policy approach. Despite
70 years of conservation efforts and billions of dollars in expenditure,
agricultural nonpoint source pollution remains the prime source of water
quality impairment in many watersheds in the United States. This paper will
discuss an effort to assess the impact of close knit farmer cohort groups
(farmer-to-farmer) in enhancing the decsion making process towards adoption
of conservation and the eventual intensity of management of the conservation
systems. Archaeological
sites, soils, and landforms: Friends or foes?, Patrick McLoughlin,
USDA-NRCS The presentation
will look at the relationship between archaeological site location, soil
type, and landforms across the different eco-regions of the state. This
information will then be analyzed within the context of NRCS practice
installation. In essence, by examining the types of practices being installed
and looking at where they are being installed on the landscape, can we
predict the probability of encountering archaeological sites. Farmland
preservation: Innovative approaches in Ontario, Wayne Caldwell and
Stewart Hilts, University of Guelph The growth of
Canadian cities has often been at the expense of the country's best
farmland. While planning has
attempted to guide development, some would argue, it has failed to adequately
protect the agricultural land base.
The Canadian experience in this context is mixed. While approaches in Quebec and British
Columbia are often cited for their aggressive approach to farmland
preservation, the consumption of farmland countinues here and elsewhere. This presentation
will provide an overview of patterns of farmland loss from across Canada but
will focus on two initiatives in Ontario.
The authors will present 2 actions that flow directly out of their
research. They will review their
experience establishing a farmland trust in Ontario sharing lessons that may
be applicable elsewhere in the country.
They will also present additional options for farmland preservation,
drawing upon comparative analysis of approaches used in the United States and
Canada. This presentation
will be of interest to participants who have an interest in the preservation
of farmland in either Canada or the United States. Topic: Soil and Environmental Quality, State II, Tillage and Soil
Organic Matter Management for Sustaining Land Resources Tillage
intensity, crop rotation, and utilization of compost are important soil
management practices that influence the long-term sustainability of our
world's soil, water, air, and human resources. This session will examine how tillage-induced erosion affected
soil resources in Canada, how tillage and crop rotation affected aggregate
stability and related soil quality indicators in the U.S. Northern Great
Plains, and how compost affect nutrient cycling and other soil quality
indicators in Guam, Moderator: Joni Franklin, USDA-NRCS 1:30 – 1:50 p.m. Measurement
of tillage translocation and modeling tillage erosion in southwest Manitoba,
Canada - Sheng Li and David Lobb, University of Manitoba; Michael
Lindstrom, USDA-ARS 1:50 – 2:10 p.m. Aggregate
stability and associated properties of soil under "new management"
in eastern South Dakota - Joseph Pikul, Jr., Jane Johnson, Michael
Ellsbury, Sara Wright, and TheCan Caesar, USDA-ARS 2:10 – 2:30 p.m. Use
of compost as alternative to synthetic fertilizers for ag
productivity/sustainability on Guam - Margaret Denney, M.H. Golabi, and
C. Iyekar, University of Guam Measurement of
tillage translocation and modeling tillage erosion in southwest Manitoba,
Canada Tillage erosion
is the redistribution of soil within a landscape caused directly by tillage.
There is a growing recognition that tillage erosion is a major contributor to
the total soil erosion that occurs on cultivated land and, therefore, can
affect a variety of biophysical processes within landscapes, such as
pesticide fate and greenhouse gas emissions. To measure the soil movement by
tillage, dyed stone chips were placed into the soil in plots. The
distribution of these plot-tracers after tillage was used to calculate
tillage translocation. In 2003, a total of 70 plots were established at a field
site located near Deerwood, southwest of Winnipeg, to examine tillage
translocation caused by 3 different tillage implements, air drill seeder,
spring-tooth harrow and deep tiller. Plots were located over a range of
topographic conditions and using a range of tillage directions to calibrate a
model of tillage erosion. This model
was used to predict tillage erosion for the whole field. Aggregate
stability and associated properties of soil under “new management” in eastern
South Dakota,
Joseph Pikul, Jr., Jane Johnson, Michael Ellsbury, Sara Wright, and TheCan
Caesar, USDA-ARS Soil organic
matter (SOM) is an important soil quality attribute. Objectives were to
determine effect of management on components of SOM and stability of soil
aggregates. Associated soil properties include glomalin, humic acid, carbon
(C), and particulate soil organic matter (POM). Measurements were made on
soil from four sites, each representing a recent change in management. At
Site One, we compared soil properties in a corn-soybean rotation under no
tillage (NT) and chisel plow tillage. Measurements at Site Two compare the
effect of three levels of corn stover removal on soil properties under NT. At
Site Three, we compared soil properties of five crop rotations under NT.
Measurements at Site Four compare soil properties in native pasture to that
under corn soybean. About 10 kg of soil from the top 5 cm was collected from
three to four locations (randomized plots or pseudo-plots within farm fields)
at each site. A rotary sieve was used to separate soil into aggregate groups.
Group one was soil <0.4 mm, group two was 0.4-0.8 mm, group three was
0.8-2.0 mm, group four was 2.0-6.0 mm, group five was 6.0-19.0 mm, and group
six was >19.0 mm. Water stability of aggregates was used to identify
effect of management on soil slaking. We found: 1) SOM was not uniformly
distributed among aggregate groups; 2) improved soil aggregation under no
tillage; 3) greater soil C under NT compared with tillage; and 4) POM to be a
sensitive indicator of stable aggregation. Use of compost
as alternative to synthetic fertilizers for ag productivity/sustainability on
Guam,
Margaret Denney, M.H. Golabi, and C. Iyekar, University of Guam Soil organic
matter (SOM) is probably the most important indicator of soil quality. It is
both a source and a sink of plant nutrients, promotes the formation of soil
aggregates, thereby influencing soil physical properties and soil moisture,
and is an energy source for soil microbes and macrofauna. The negative
environmental impacts of the use of synthetic fertilizers dictate a need for
improved management of SOM for a sustainable land use system on Guam. In this
study, composted organic material was applied on agricultural fields as an
alternative to commercial fertilizers to provide nutrients, to enhance the
organic matter content, and improve the physical and chemical properties of
the cultivated soils. The composted organic matter (COM), consisting of hog,
chicken and horse manure, fish feed, shredded paper, and wood chips from
typhoon debris, is applied at rates of 0, 30, 60 and 120 tons per acre. Such
application of COM as a fertilizer source not only provides essential
nutrients to plants, but improves soil quality as well, while effectively
disposing of wastes. The goal of this specific research project is to improve
soil fertility by applying composted organic wastes and assessing the
long-term effects of nitrogen and other essential nutrients on soil fertility
and crop productivity without the addition of synthetic fertilizers. Corn is
planted and monitored for growth performance and yield. In this presentation,
the methodology, as well as up-to-date data will be presented to illustrate
the effect of land application of composted organic wastes on organic matter
content and other soil quality indices. Topic: Agricultural Management and Environmental Quality, State III, Watershed
scale projects for water quality protection The session
features watershed scale programs to reduce nutrient and pathogen movement to
surface and ground water. These
investigations took place in Florida, Minnesota and West Virginia, Moderator:
Dale Bucks, USDA-ARS 1:30 – 1:50 p.m. Voluntary
and regulatory approaches to reducing phosphorus discharges to Lake
Okeechobee - Gary Ritter, South Florida Water Management District; John
Folks, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 1:50 – 2:10 p.m. The
North Fork, "A model watershed project" - Thomas Basden and
Matt Monroe, West Virginia University; Ken Haid, USDA-NRCS; Gretchen Creman,
West Virginia Conservation Agency 2:10 – 2:30 p.m. Lessons
from 29 years of the Rosemount Sewage Sludge Project - Thomas Halbach,
University of Minnesota Voluntary and
regulatory approaches to reducing phosphorus discharges to Lake Okeechobee, Gary Ritter, South
Florida Water Management District; John Folks, Florida Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services Many voluntary
and regulatory phosphorus abatement programs have been implemented independently
in the Lake Okeechobee watershed during the past 20 years with varying
degrees of success in reducing phosphorus loads to the Lake. Lake Okeechobee is the central component
of the Kissimmee River, Lake Okeechobee, and Everglades ecosystem located in south
central Florida. The lake has been
the subject of much study due in part to anthropogenic inputs of phosphorus
from agricultural and urban growth around the Lake and throughout the lower
east coast of Florida. Increases in
phosphorus loads have resulted in the acceleration in the eutrophication of
Lake Okeechobee. The inability to
meet phosphorus loading targets to the Lake can be attributed to a need for
more incentive based financial and technical assistance necessary to
encourage public participation. Voluntary
programs alone were minimally successful in reducing phosphorus loads to Lake
Okeechobee and abandoned during the 1990's for a stricter regulatory approach
requiring landowners to obtain concentration discharge permits and implement
additional best management practices ( BMPs). This regulatory approach resulted in minor phosphorus
reductions and created anxiousness on the part of the permitted public to
meet mandated discharge standards.
After a decade of regulations, phosphorus loads had reached a high of
600 metric tons a year resulting in steady increases in the lake phosphorus
concentrations. As a consequence the
2000 Lake Okeechobee legislation mandated a combination of incentive based
voluntary programs and a refinement in existing regulatory programs coupled
with regional treatment alternatives to reduce phosphorus loads to Lake
Okeechobee to the state Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) limit of 140 metric
tons. The North
Fork, "A model watershed project", Thomas Basden and Matt Monroe, West
Virginia University; Ken Haid, USDA-NRCS; Gretchen Creman, West Virginia
Conservation Agency Situation: A USGS
reconnaissance -level water quality study was conducted during 1994-1995 in
the Headwaters of the South Branch Potomac River Basin, West Virginia. Water
samples showed fecal coliform as a problem within the North Fork of the South
Branch of the Potomac. A TMDL was developed which called for a 35% reduction
in Fecal Coliform from agricultural sources. Objectives: The objectives of
this project were to reduce agricultural water quality impacts to the North
fork Watershed using a non regulatory approach. Methods: To insure the
success of this watershed project a combination of educational events,
demonstrations research projects, nutrient management planning, litter and
manure storage structures, livestock feeding area relocation, installation of
streamside buffers, and the distribution and marketing of litter occurred. A
cost share program and an innovative low interest loan program for landowners
insured the quick adoption of these BMPs. Research integration of research,
education and outreach was essential to convince farmers to adopt practices
that would improve water quality in this watershed. The water quality
monitoring research showed a clear impact from agricultural sources.
Continued surface stream monitoring has now started to show improvements in
water quality. This research showing impacts to water quality was used to
convince farmers to change their farming practices. Other research showed a
novel way of managing water soluble phosphorus. To implement the nutrient
management planning a one on one educational process occurred between
certified nutrient management planners and landowners. Other outreach
activities included farmer field days and BMP demonstrations. Lessons from
29 years of the Rosemount Sewage Sludge Project, Thomas Halbach,
University of Minnesota The long duration
of the Rosemount Watershed study represents a unique data set. Initiated in
1973, the project was run by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service from 1974
to 1985. It was then run by the University of Minnesota Department of Soil,
Water and Climate (formerly the Soil Science Department) from 1986 to 2002.
The primary goal of the study was to increase knowledge of the effects of
liquid sewage sludge on surface and ground water quality, crop yield and
quality, and soils over a period of 29 years. The research has
shown there are many benefits in using sludge as a plant nutrient source. The
sludge-applied lands have yielded slightly better than the fertilized control
areas. Reed canary grass yields averaged nearly 11 Mg ha-1 (4.9 T A-1) and
corn grain 8.6 Mg ha-1 (151 bu A-1). Information was also gathered on the
amount of nutrients removed by the crops. Trace metal levels found in corn
tissues grown in sludge areas were not significantly different from the low
levels found in corn plants grown with commercial fertilizers, except for
zinc (Zn), which was found in slightly elevated concentrations in the corn
stover. From a water
quality viewpoint, the Rosemount Watershed study showed that sludges can be
applied in an environmentally safe manner. Extensive soil, plant, and water
sampling and analyses at this site have provided results to show that
long-term sludge utilization on agricultural land can be accomplished in an
environmentally safe and effective manner. Topic: Assessing the Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental
Programs, Governors I, Monitoring Vs. Modeling This concurrent
session focuses on the differences and benefits derived from monitoring and
modeling efforts of conservation practices at the small watershed level and
aggregated watershed levels. When can
we say agriculture has done its part in meeting water quality standards?, Moderator:
William Hunt, USDA-NRCS 1:30 – 1:50 p.m. A
conceptual watershed model for understanding impaired waters – Tim Larson
and Joe Magner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 1:50 – 2:10 p.m. Getting
a handle on water quality: Alternatives for limited-resource watershed
managers – Bobby Radakovich, Robin Kloot, and Marjorie Aelion, University
of South Carolina; Craig O'Dell, USDA-NRCS 2:10 – 2:30 p.m. Potential
accuracy of water quality estimates based on non-calibrated SWAT simulations
- Claire Baffaut, Todd Farrand, and Verel Benson, University of Missouri A conceptual
watershed model for understanding impaired waters Section 303(d) of
the Clean Water Act requires States to list waters not meeting water quality
standards. A TMDL must be prepared
for waters defined as assessment units identified as impaired with respect to
water quality standards.
Historically, pollution control has been focused on point-source
regulation. Regulatory effort has
improved water quality over the last three decades. Today, non-point source pollution is the largest driver of
conventional 303(d) listings.
Conventional pollutants, i.e., organic, sediment and nutrient
imbalances, can be identified with poor management practices. However, depending on scale, the
cause-n-effect relationship can be elusive.
Elucidation is complex because water quality standards typically do
not account for natural variability and the ability of nature systems to
buffer anthropogenic activities. The conceptual
watershed model can be written as ?Eb/?t = (?Am / ?cn)Ts, where: ?Eb/?t is
the change in ecological balance of the watershed system over time, ?Am is
the change in anthropogenic actions or land-use management decisions, ?cn is
the summation of the baseline natural phenomena (geology, terrain, climate …)
defined as a constant because they are unmanageable and variable for a given
watershed. Threshold sensitivity Ts
is defined as a boundary between impairment and a stable Eb, and sensitivity
is the responsiveness to a stressor(s). The model is
applied to several Minnesota case examples to illustrate the likelihood of
TMDL implementation success. Some
Minnesota 303(d) listings are driven more by ?cn than ?Am and implementation
of best management practices will not change Eb. Some water quality standards need to change to reflect the
fundamental influences of Σcn. Getting a
handle on water quality: Alternatives for limited-resource watershed managers, Bobby Radakovich, Robin
Kloot, and Marjorie Aelion, University of South Carolina; Craig O'Dell,
USDA-NRCS The National
Research Council's monograph addressing the scientific basis of the Total
Maximum Daily Load requirements in section 303(d) of the 1972 Clean Water Act
suggests adaptive implementation as an alternative, or a supplement to
watershed modeling. Adaptive
implementation, based on the scientific method, relies on intensive water
quality monitoring and experimentation in the field as a way to reduce
uncertainty over space and time.
However, to many limited-resource watershed managers, intensive
monitoring followed by conventional laboratory analysis is out of reach
because of the costs associated with the analyses. The Bush River, a 303(d) listed water body in rural South
Carolina, was monitored intensively over a year using both conventional
laboratory and kit analyses to test water quality for bacteria and
nutrients. Laboratory fecal coliform
results were compared to results form the IDEXX ColilertR defined substrate method
test kit, while laboratory analyses of total N and P, nitrates and
phosphates, were compared to nitrate and phophate analyses from a Hach 890
pocket colorimeter. In the light of
these comparisons, this paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of
kits over conventional laboratory services for watershed management (as
opposed to regulatory reporting) purposes.
The discussion includes considerations of quick deployment and
feedback, cost-effectiveness, accuracy and reliability of results, and credibility
with stakeholders. Potential
accuracy of water quality estimates based on non-calibrated SWAT simulations, Claire Baffaut, Todd
Farrand, and Verel Benson, University of Missouri The SWAT model
can be used to analyze the impact of alternative management practices on
stream flow and water quality indicators; it has been shown to be a good
predictor of these indicators when it is calibrated with local flow and water
quality data. One draw-back is the need for data that is often not available.
The intent of this study is to investigate the possibility of using SWAT for
assessing the effectiveness of the environmental and conservation programs
when no calibration data is available. The Miami Creek and the Long Branch
watersheds in west and north Missouri, respectively, were previously modeled
with SWAT when no flow data was available. The models were developed in close
cooperation with local stakeholders, and validated using regional flow data,
correlations based on drainage areas, county crop yields, and the results of
pesticide analyses in nearby watersheds. Since then flow data was collected
in both watersheds and the models were calibrated using this data. The
analysis compares the goodness of fit of the model results with the measured
flow and the corresponding sediment, nutrient, and chemical loadings when the
models are calibrated and when they are not. It also examines whether the
calibration of the models leads to different answers in terms of the
effectiveness of alternative management practices. Preliminary results
indicate that average annual flow values predicted by the non-calibrated Long
Branch model were within 15% of the values predicted by the calibrated model. Monday, Symposia
Abstracts Topic: Assessing the
Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental Programs, Kellogg I, Process-based
watershed research to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation programs in
the mid-south, Organizer - Andrew Simon, USDA-ARS, Moderators – Carlos
Alonso and Andrew Simon, USDA-ARS Evaulation of
the effectiveness of conservation programs in addressing water quality using
USDA watershed models - Ron Binger and Seth Dabney, USDA-ARS; Yongping Yuan, University of
Mississippi; Fred Theurer, USDA-NRCS, Contributions and control of
sediment from edge of field gullies - Seth Dabney, Doug Shields, David
DiCarlo, Glenn Wilson, and Eddy Langendoen, USDA-ARS, The significance of
channel contributions in controlling suspended sediment loads: James Creek,
Mississippi - Eddy Langendoen, Andrew Simon, Ron Binger, and Carlos
Alonso, USDA-ARS; Robert Wells, University of Mississippi Description - Evaluation of the
effectiveness of conservation programs at the watershed scale must include
research into those processes that result in impairment of land and water
resources. These processes operate
over a range of spatial and temporal scales and to link those processes and
impacts from uplands and fields to the edge of fields, into riparian zone,
and ultimately through channels. This
will include studies of gully erosion and mitigation applicable to uplands,
fields and the riparian zone; the role of riparian buffers in filtering sediment
and nutrients, also applicable to uplands, fields and the riparian zone;
streambank erosion and mitigation with riparian vegetation and submersible
pumps applicable to edge of fields and channels; process-based numerical
simulations of flow and sediment transport linking uplands, fields and
channels; and determining sediment sources in watersheds using radioisotopes. Topic: Geo-spatial Technology
for Conservation – Soil, Water, and Land, Wabasha I & IV, New tools
for measuring environmental outcomes Presenters: Dana York, USDA-NRCS, Marc Safley, USDA-NRCS,
James (Chip) Ramsey, USDA-NRCS, Daryl Lund, USDA-NRCS Description - How do you measure the
environmental benefits of conservation programs? NRCS has developed a new set of tools that estimate the
environmental impacts of conservation practices applied on the land. The data is geospatial, can be linked to
program costs and effects, and can be collected while doing normal work
processes. Emphasis is on doing the
work, not just reporting the work. Wabasha II &
III, Exceptional leadership for conservation and communities: The power of
negotiation, Organizer and Moderator - Kathie Starkweather, USDA-NRCS Description - Negotiation is a very
powerful leadership tool and an essential skill for conservation leaders and
developing leaders to master. It is
often time misunderstood and underestimated.
This session will look at why women have not traditionally used the
skill, the power behind negotiation, and give attendees an opportunity to learn
and practice negotiation skills. Concurrent
Sessions Topic: Soil and Environmental Quality, Kellogg II, Soil, Water, and
Air Quality Assessment and Policy Implications To develop
appropriate and effecitve land use policies, soil, water, and air quality as
well as community development indicators need to be identified, evaluated,
and interpreted using solid scientific principles. This session will examine factors affecting manure management
on the urban fringe, water quality, and soil quality - including the
development and potential use of a framework that can help interpret and
combine diverse pieces of soil management information., Moderator:
Kristin Smith, USDA-NRCS 3:30 – 3:50 p.m. Manure
management on the urban fringe - Pete Nowak, Perry Cabot, and Sarah
Bowen, University of Wisconsin-Madison 3:50 – 4:10 p.m. Turbidity
impairment, TMDL's, and soil loss in southeastern Minnesota - Lee William
Ganske, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; Rob Burdis and Jim Fischer, USGS 4:10 – 4:30 p.m. Implementing
the SAMF for Environmental Quality Policy: Water quality implications in Iowa
- Jerry Hatfield and Doug Karlen, USDA-ARS 4:30 – 4:50 p.m. Indicator
development for soil quality assessment - Brian Wienhold, Susan Andrews
and John Doran, USDA-ARS Manure management
on the urban fringe, Pete Nowak, Perry Cabot, and Sarah Bowen, University of
Wisconsin-Madison This paper will
present the findings from a two-year study that has examined how urban
expansion influences the capability of neighboring animal operations to
manage manure in an economically and environmentally sound fashion. Policy
and planning tools implicitly assume animal operations operate within the
rural hinterland. We found that farms on the edge of urbanizing areas face
additional constraints to manure management. These constraints are measured,
and the policy implications of these finding are discussed. Turbidity
impairment, TMDL’s, and soil loss in southeastern Minnesota, Lee William
Ganske, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; Rob Burdis, Minnesota DNR/USGS
Mississippi River Long Term Resource Monitoring Program; Jim Fischer,
Wisconsin DNR/USGS Mississippi River Long Term Resource Monitorinig Program A significant number of
streams and rivers in Minnesota have been designated as "impaired"
under the Federal Clean Water Act due to frequent exceedances of water
quality standards for turbidity. In most cases, this excessive turbidity is
thought to be largely the direct or indirect result of soil loss. With the
acceleration of Total Maximum Daily Load work at both the federal and state
level, increased attention will again be brought to the age-old problem of
soil loss. While sufficient data
often exists to conduct simple water quality standard assessments of streams
and rivers, the more robust data sets necessary to understand the nature and
severity of water quality impairments are limited. One exception is the United States Geological Survey Long Term
Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP), which has sampled water quality on six
tributaries to the Lower Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota for over
a decade. This sampling has included approximately 20 observations per year
on each tributary over a range of seasonal and flow conditions. Tested water
quality parameters related to soil loss impacts include turbidity, total
suspended solids, total suspended volatile solids, and nutrients. The analysis the LTRMP tributary data described in this presentation
helps provide an understanding of the magnitude, as well the as temporal and
geographic variability, of turbidity impairments. This and other information,
in turn, helps to better define the sources of turbidity in southeastern
Minnesota streams and rivers. Implementing
the SAMF for Environmental Quality Policy: Water quality implications in Iowa, Jerry Hatfield and Doug
Karlen, USDA-ARS Environmental
quality concerns resulting from nitrate leaching or phosphorus runoff have
prompted a series of discussions throughout Iowa and the Midwest. Reduction of NO3- and P levels in water
surrounded by farm land has increased interest in soil management
practices. Increasing the quality of
the soil as a mechanism for water management has the potential to improve
water quality while increasing the production efficiency for producers. Increasing the adoption of conservation
tillage to increase the soil organic matter content and decrease surface
runoff would have a positive impact on both N and P retention on the
field. The soil management assessment
framework (SMAF) is a tool that may help producers assess their fields and
management practices to determine the potential for improving their
soils. Combining the SMAF with a
nitrate leaching and phosphorus runoff indices will help producers understand
the linkage between soil management and environmental quality and help them
evaluate potential effects associated with alternative management
practices. Implementation of this
enhanced soil management assessment framework will require a widespread
effort across Iowa but is anticipated to have a positive impact on both water
and soil quality. Indicator
development for soil quality assessment, Brian Wienhold, Susan Andrews and John
Doran, USDA-ARS The Soil
Management Assessment Framework is a tool for assessing soil functions
critical to meeting the management goals of agronomic production,
environmental quality, and waste management. The current version of the
framework is an Excel spreadsheet comprised of scoring curves for eleven soil
indicators. Approximately 60 additional indicators have been identified as
having potential for inclusion in the framework. Continued development of the
framework requires scoring curves for these additional indicators. The
purpose of this talk will be to describe the scientific basis behind the
mathematical curve used to calculate an index value from a measured soil
indicator. Water-filled pore space will be used as an example. A number of
soil processes are affected by water-filled pore space. The effect of
water-filled pore space on the individual soil processes differs across the
range of water-filled pore space. The talk will also demonstrate how
interpretation of these complex interactions can be facilitated through use
of an index. Topic: Agricultural Management and Environmental Quality, Governors II, Public-private
partnerships to address environmental concerns This section
deals with examples of interaction between the public and private sector to
address environmental concerns of common interest. Topics covered in this session include protecting public water
supplies, forestland erosion control, environmental stewardship, and
protecting a marine sanctuary., Moderator: Lynn Betts, USDA-NRCS 3:30 – 3:50 p.m. Integrated
solutions for protecting public water supplies in agricultural communities
- Bruce Montgomery and Brian Williams, Minnesota Department of Agriculture;
Bruce Olsen, Minnesota Department of Health; Michael Russelle, USDA-ARS 3:50 – 4:10 p.m. Tribal
government leadership in implementing forestland erosion control systems in
western New York - Richard Edlund, USDA-NRCS 4:10 – 4:30 p.m. Development
of agricultural environmental stewardship education programs - Larry
Oldham and T.S. Holder, Mississippi State University 4:30 – 4:50 p.m. Cultivating
for clean water: A public-private partnership to protect the Monterey Bay
National Marine Sanctuary - Daniel Mountjoy, USDA-NRCS Integrated
solutions for protecting public water supplies in agricultural communities, Bruce Montgomery and
Brian Williams, Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Bruce Olsen, Minnesota
Department of Health; Michael Russelle, USDA-ARS Many rural
communities are facing the challenge of elevated nitrate concentrations in
their public water supplies. In Minnesota, there are 10 to 15 communities
that have significant nitrate problems and as a response strategy, suppliers
will frequently install deeper wells, drill additional wells for blending
purposes, install nitrate removal systems, or take other actions to avoid
exceeding the 10 mg/L NO3-N Health Standard. While local communities are
effective at developing short-term solutions, considerable planning,
implementation, and science-based decisions need to be conducted to insure
high quality water for future generations. The MN Department
of Agriculture, with support from many different cooperators, has actively
assisted a number of agricultural communities by working with area farmers
and agribusinesses. This presentation will feature the alliances and examples
of “win-win” solutions developed with three different suppliers (communities
of Perham and St. Peter, and the Lincoln-Pipestone Rural Water System in
southwest Minnesota) found in very different agroecoregions. Solutions are
unique to each location but commonly include a blend of the following
strategies: federal cost sharing on nutrient management planning and set
aside acres through CRP; introducing modified cropping rotations in
vulnerable locations; promotion of BMPs and university fertilizer
recommendations; innovative nutrient insurance policies; and alternative land
use decisions. Tribal
government leadership in implementing forestland erosion control systems in
western New York, Richard Edlund, USDA-NRCS The Seneca Nation
of Indians (SNI) applied to the USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives
Program in 1998 to assist in rehabilitating forest roads, "skid"
trails, and log landings on the Allegany Reservation in Cattaraugus County,
NY. Unrestricted travel by
recreational and forest industrial vehicles in narrow drainages and across
severe slopes led to concentrated-flow zones and gullies. Overland flow patterns were altered,
collecting runoff in depressional "mudholes" which deepened and
overflowed after freeze-thaw cycles and vehicular travel. Altered water regimes combined with
overland flow erosion were acting to reduce forest productivity potential and
tree health. Sediment was deposited
on U.S. Interstate 86, in the Allegany (Kinzua) Reservoir, and in Allegany
State Park. Runoff and poor aesthetic
conditions were impacting visitor access and enjoyment of Allegany State
Park, and Allegheny National Forest (Pennsylvania). SNI Environmental Protection Department staff with private
forest consultants conducted forest inventories and mapping of degraded
sites. Archeological investigations
were directed by the SNI Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. The SNI engaged USDI- USFWS assistance in
timing rehabilitation efforts around American Bald Eagle nesting area(s). Repair work proceeded under supervision of
SNI staff, with evaluations by THPO and Natural Resources Conservation
Service staff. Miles of roads,
landings and drainages were repaired on five project areas. In a government-to-government arrangement
similar to the Technical Service Provider process deployed by NRCS in 2003,
the SNI EPD and Contracts Office oversaw work completion and invoicing
including "in-kind" service apportionment and contractor
reimbursement, providing documentation for cost-share reimbursement, approved
by the SNI President. Development of
agricultural environmental stewardship education programs, Larry Oldham and T.S.
Holder, Mississippi State University Several
stakeholders in agriculture/environmental interactions are developing and
implementing an environmental stewardship program to preserve and protect the
Mississippi natural resource base. The program is based on the Louisiana
Master Farmer model. Several factors challenge programs targeted to the
nonpoint source pollution community: 1) agricultural stakeholders
acknowledging their potential contribution to water quality problems, 2)
showing business value for investing time and effort for participation, and
3) confusion among producers from lack of coordination among educational,
technical, and financial assistance agencies. Programs must be locally
oriented due to differing soils, geology, landscapes, and other watershed
characteristics, as well as predominant commodity and production
infrastructure within the watershed or region. Developing the sponsorship
coalition of governmental entities and non-governmental organizations, and
maintaining full communication among members is crucial to the effort’s
success. Implementation of the Mississippi program will inform and educate
land managers about agricultural environmental issues using classroom
instruction, continuing education on Best Management Practices using model
and virtual farms, and implementation of Conservation Plans at the Resource
Management System level. Information will be presented on program process in
Mississippi and other southern states. Cultivating
for clean water: A public-private partnership to protect the Monterey Bay
National Marine Sanctuary, Daniel Mountjoy, USDA-NRCS In 1998, in an
effort to head off increased water quality regulation, the agricultural
industry in Central California stepped forward to participate in the
development of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary's Agricultural and
Rural Lands Plan to protect water quality.
The plan provides detailed strategies to protect and enhance water
quality in the watersheds that flow into the 5000 square mile sanctuary from
six coastal counties. In the past
four years an innovative public-private partnership has emerged to support
farmers and ranchers to achieve the goals of the plan. The Agricultural
Water Quality Alliance (AWQA) is a partnership of the agricultural industry,
technical agency partners, and the Marine Sanctuary. The Coalition of Central Coast County Farm
Bureaus has taken the lead in organizing hundreds of farmers and ranchers
into watershed working groups to assess their potential contribution to water
quality problems and develop water quality management plans for their lands. The University of
California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), in partnership with the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have developed a Farm Water Quality
Planning Short Course that is offered to watershed working groups. During the Short Course, irrigated
agriculture producers received information on water quality regulations and
techniques for self-assessment of nonpoint pollution problems, methods for
recognizing practices that are already in place that protect water quality,
management practices that address local conditions, and practice evaluation
methods. Follow up technical
assistance is provided by a team of NRCS and Conservation District employees
to help farmers achieve self-determined compliance with water quality
protection standards. Topic: Geo-spatial Technology for Conservation – Soil, Water, and Land,
State II, Geo-spatial technology for the monitoring and evaluation of
conservation programs Papers presented
in this session will showcase the changes brought by geo-spatial technology
to conservation programs., Moderator: Jerry Griswold, USDA-NRCS 3:30 – 3:50 p.m. Use
of an USDA-NRCS soil conditioning index to characterize carbon sequestration
potential - Don Adelman, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources; T.J.
Arkebauer, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 3:50 – 4:10 p.m. Geospatial
modernization within USDA conservation programs - Chad Volkman and Travis
Rome, USDA-NRCS 4:10 – 4:30 p.m. Estimating
mitigating effects of CRP-type grass buffer strips on regional sediment
loading - Chandan Das, W.J. Capehart, H.V. Mott, P.R. Zimmerman, and T.E.
Schumacher, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Use of an
USDA-NRCS soil conditioning index to characterize carbon sequestration
potential,
Don Adelman, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources; T.J. Arkebauer,
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Problems due to
global warming, nonpoint source pollution and reduced agricultural
productivity due to loss of soil carbon all may be lessened by soil carbon
sequestration. The objectives of this research were to utilize a mathematical
indexing technique based on a GIS ordinal combination method to characterize
the impact of tillage, climate and soil erosion on soil carbon levels and to
compare Soil Conditioning Index (SCI) results to data collected in the field.
SCI was based on research from 1948-59 at an experiment station near Renner,
Texas, where enough crop residue was returned to the soil to maintain the
soil carbon at the same level over the twelve-year period. Data has been
collected since 1969 at the High Plains Agricultural Lab near Sidney,
Nebraska, to determine the impact of different tillage operations on the soil
carbon levels of wheat fallow rotations. SCI values were calculated for the
various tillage operations in these rotations. Most of the computed SCI
values were negative. The soil carbon levels at the experimental plots were
decreasing particularly for moldboard plow and sub-till tillage systems. As
more soil carbon was lost due to erosion, the index became more negative.
Increasing the number of tillage operations and the amount of soil
disturbance for a given operation also caused the SCI to decrease. The most
aggressive tillage system (moldboard plow) had the most negative SCI values.
Results from this analysis will be aggregated into GIS coverages of Nebraska
giving a statewide perspective on carbon sequestration potential. Geospatial
modernization within USDA conservation programs, Chad Volkman and
Travis Rome, USDA-NRCS The USDA-Natural
Resources Conservation Service received a sharp increase in funding for the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) due to the passage of the
2002 Farm Bill. Kansas NRCS was compelled to migrate from hardcopy to digital
data capture, analysis, and reporting through a Geographic Information System
(GIS). This presentation will examine the transition to and automation of the
ranking process for Kansas EQIP applications. Natural resource geospatial
data was processed and distributed to 104 county field offices. Each
application was evaluated using application evaluation criteria set forth in
program policy. Following evaluation of all applications, data was
transferred to a centralized location and merged into a statewide dataset to
further manage and analyze EQIP. The transition to a digital automated
process of evaluating EQIP applications saved over 11,000 hours and increased
county and statewide consistency. Estimating
mitigating effects of CRP-type grass buffer strips on regional sediment
loading,
Chandan Das, W.J. Capehart, H.V. Mott, P.R. Zimmerman, and T.E. Schumacher,
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology A combination of factor-based empirical erosion model within a GIS environment and a process based field scale model is used to estimate mitigating effects of CRP practices on reduction of regional sediment loading. Using South Dakota as a test domain, a collection of regional-scale databases was used to compile a statewide erosion vulnerability map based on Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) factors. This was then arranged into climate, erosion risk, soil and topographic zones. Statistical procedures were then employed to extract predominant input values required for the USDA Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model applicable to each of these zones. WEPP simulations using these inputs provi |
