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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 provided estimates of grass buffer strip areas required to
achieve targeted percentage reductions of sediment yield in each of these
zones. The response of each of these zones towards employment of grass buffer
strips was found to vary considerably. Errors introduced from applying such a
methodology on a regional scale by using coarse resolution Digital Elevation
Models and generalization of slope profiles is discussed. Comparison with
small scale field-scale studies showed that this methodology could be used to
provide estimates of the area of CRP-type grass buffer strips required to
achieve targeted percentage reduction in sediment yield from cultivated lands
on a regional scale. Topic: Assessing the Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental
Programs, State III, Measuring Success and Benefits of Conservation This concurrent
session will center on measuring the benefits and cost of the Conservation
Reserve and Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Programs (CRP and CREP).
Economic, social, and environmental benefits will be described as
compared to the costs of the programs.
Do the benefits from CRP and CREP exceed the costs?, Moderator:
Susan Ploetz, USDA-NRCS 3:30 – 3:50 p.m. Environmental
benefits of continuing the CRP - LeRoy Hansen, USDA-ERS; Alexander
Barbarika, USDA Farm Services Agency 3:50 – 4:10 p.m. Using
the National Resources Inventory and Breeding Bird Survey for large-scale
evaluation of the Conservation Reserve Program and bird diversity -
Joseph Veech, Colorado State University; Stephen Brady, USDA-NRCS 4:10 – 4:30 p.m. Soil
quality and nutrient loading impacts of the Conservation Reserve Program
– Jay Atwood, USDA-NRCS; Joaquin Sanabria and Steven Potter, Texas A&M
University 4:30 – 4:50 p.m. The
Conservation Research Enhancement Program: Is it cost effective? -
Richard Farnsworth, Purdue University; Wanhong Yang, University of Guelph;
Madhu Khanna and Hayri Onal, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Environmental
benefits of continuing the CRP, LeRoy Hansen, USDA-ERS; Alexander Barbarika,
USDA Farm Services Agency The objective of
this research is to value the environmental benefits of the Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP) in light of the increased use of conservation
practices. To do so, we first estimate how land-use and erosion would differ
if there was no CRP. Second, using available measures of per-unit damages of
soil erosion, we estimate water quality, air quality, and soil productivity
benefits. Finally, using wildlife-related recreation benefit models, we
estimate the value of the habitat provided by the CRP. We estimate that
the CRP reduces soil erosion by 224 million tons per year, which is
significantly lower than earlier estimates. We estimate that the soil erosion
benefits are at least $540 million per year. Wildlife habitat provided by
CRP, and the subsequent impacts on wildlife populations, is estimated to
provide $737 million in annual benefits. However, this estimate accounts for
only two types of wildlife-related benefits––pheasant hunting and wildlife
viewing––thus may understate total wildlife benefits. Using the
National Resources Inventory and Breeding Bird Survey for large-scale
evaluation of the Conservation Reserve Program and bird diversity, Joseph Veech, Colorado
State University; Stephen Brady, USDA-NRCS We used land cover data from the National Resources Inventory (NRI)
and bird population data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS)
to evaluate the effect of the Conservation Reserve Program on the population
dynamics of select bird species during the past 20 years. The NRI is a nation-wide inventory of soil,
water, land cover/use, and related natural resources on nonfederal land
within the United States. The BBS is
a nation-wide program designed to monitor changes in bird diversity and
abundance. BBS data are collected
annually along more than 3000 39.4-km routes scattered throughout the United
States. Data from the NRI can be used
to derive relative estimates of the percent cover of different land-use
practices within defined landscapes surrounding each BBS route. In addition to cropland, rangeland, forest,
and urban land, the relative amount of land enrolled in the Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP) can be estimated.
Thus, data from the NRI and BBS can be used simultaneously to evaluate
the effectiveness of the CRP in providing habitat beneficial to the overall
abundance and diversity of birds. We
examined the effect of CRP land, cropland, rangeland, forest land, and urban
land on increasing and declining populations of 36 species of grassland/scrub
birds found within 17 states of the Great Plains and Midwest. Most species had more decreasing than
increasing populations. The effect of
each land cover type was generally as predicted. The landscapes occupied by increasing populations of each
species tended to have more CRP land and rangeland and less urban and forest
land than the landscapes occupied by decreasing populations. These results suggest that land enrolled
in the CRP has been beneficial to many grassland/scrub bird species
throughout the Great Plains and Midwest. Soil quality
and nutrient loading impacts of the Conservation Reserve Program, Jay Atwood, USDA-NRCS;
Joaquin Sanabria and Steven Potter, Texas A&M University The Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP) has been a major component of farm policy since 1985,
with an approximate $1.5 billion annual cost. The purposes of the CRP are to
reduce excess agricultural commodity production, protect fragile land by
removing it from crop and forage production, increase wildlife habitat and
reduce offsite environmental damages due to runoff and soil erosion.
Landowners compete for limited enrollment funds, based on an environmental
benefits score and acceptable rental payment. Four national level studies
done between 1989 and 1999 have sought to partially quantify the benefits of
the CRP. For those studies, most benefit estimates started with an erosion
reduction estimate. A 2001 study provides estimates of the soil quality
impact of carbon soil carbon accumulation due to the CRP. Our study using the
EPIC model estimates a more comprehensive set of per-acre environmental
benefits across the U.S. for the 33 million acres enrolled in the CRP. The
benefits estimated are reduction in sheet and rill and wind erosion,
reduction in losses of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients, and change in soil
organic carbon. This study provides more precise estimates of the erosion
reductions as well as estimate changes in nutrient losses and soil carbon
through a more detailed simulation analysis. The
Conservation Research Enhancement Program: Is it cost effective?, Richard Farnsworth,
Purdue University; Wanhong Yang, University of Guelph; Madhu Khanna and Hayri
Onal, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Nationwide, the
annual rental payment for land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve
Enhancement program (CREP) is $125 per acre, almost three times the rental
rate for land enrolled under general CRP. Do the benefits justify the
tripling of costs? For our analysis, we selected the state of Illinois’ CREP
and selected the Lower Sangamon watershed, a 129,768 acre agricultural
watershed located in the state’s CREP area. We identified and entered CREP
parcel data into a GIS-based microeconomic-hydrologic model to estimate
program costs and reductions in sediment. For the 3,608 CREP acres, we
estimated a 12% reduction in sediment at an average annual cost of $126 per
ton of sediment. We then set a 12% sediment goal and ran the
microeconomic-hydrologic model again to obtain a least cost solution. The
results suggested that the same level of abatement could be achieved by
enrolling only 1,058 acres at an annual cost of $31 per ton of sediment
reduced. A second simulation run with the sediment goal set to program’s goal
of 20% resulted in the retirement of 2,532 acres at a cost of $47 per ton of
sediment reduced. We determined that the program’s targeting of floodplain
lands and acceptance of cropland for enrollment in order of submission
contributed to the large estimated program outlays and lower-than-expected
sediment reductions. Reactions by
others to these results focus on the omission of wildlife and aquatic
benefits. The lack of suitable indices prevented an assessment of these
benefits. Topic: Agricultural Management and Environmental Quality, Governors I, Management
of manure nutrients for crop production and water quality protection Presentations in
this session address several aspects of manure nutrient management including
field practices and feedlot runoff control systems., Moderator: Norman
Widman, USDA-NRCS 3:30 – 3:50 p.m. Manure
application methods and timing for optimum nutrient utilization in no-till
corn - Ernest Oelker and Gary Graham, Ohio State University 3:50 – 4:10 p.m. Effects
of digested dairy manure on soil nitrogen and corn yield - Katherine
Clayton, D.L. Allan, and M. Schmitt, University of Minnesota 4:10 – 4:30 p.m. Nutrient
movement: Does it occur in sandy soil with drain tiles and conservation
tillage? - Gary Hawkins, University of Georgia; Delila Sierra, EARTH
University, Costa Rica; Robert Hubbard, USDA-ARS 4:30 – 4:50 p.m. A
simplified procedure for design of runoff control features for agricultural
wastes created on small unpaved winter feedlots in Montana - Geoffrey
Cerrelli, USDA-NRCS Manure
application methods and timing for optimum nutrient utilization in no-till
corn On-farm research
was conducted in cooperation with two farm operations in Columbiana County,
Ohio to measure the effects of four application methods and two application
timings on liquid dairy manure nutrient utilization in a no-till corn
production system. Two different implements were used to apply manure in the
fall of 2002 and the spring of 2003, through incorporation and surface
applications. The replicated, randomized plots compared these application
methods and timings to the host farm’s liquid nitrogen program applied at
planting. To evaluate the effects of these treatments, pre and post soil
samples, pre-side-dress nitrate N and ammonia N soil samples, plant tissue
composition, plant population, and yield data were collected. To evaluate the
effects on the no-till system, soil compaction and crop residue data were
also collected. No significant difference was found between fall and spring
incorporated methods (169.9 vs. 170.3 bu/acre, respectively). However
incorporated manure plots yielded significantly better than surface-applied
(170.1 vs 149.2 bu/acre, respectively), while the cooperator’s normal
nitrogen program yielded 166.6 bu/acre. Manure applications maintained
residue cover above the minimum 33% required for conservation program
compliance (lowest value was 49.1% for one spring incorporated method). No
significant effect on soil compaction was observed. Corn yield was correlated
with plant tissue percent N, pre-side-dress soil ammonia and pre-side-dress
total inorganic soil N. 2003 was the second year of a multi-year study.
Results of this research are important to dairy producers and no-till grain
producers, especially where farms and non-farm neighbors interact. Effects of
digested dairy manure on soil nitrogen and corn yield, Katherine Clayton, D.L.
Allan, and M. Schmitt, University of Minnesota Anaerobic
digesters have been a part of manure management systems since the 1970’s. In
the past five years the number of anaerobic digester systems on U.S. farms
has doubled. This study, funded by the NRCS EQIP program and managed by The
Minnesota Project, addresses effects on crop yield and soil properties when
land applied manure is digested. Field trials took place on the Haubenschild
Farms, an 800-cow dairy farm in Princeton, MN. In 1999, a heated plug flow
digester was installed with a 130-kilowatt engine/generator to utilize
biogas. In 2001, experiments on three separate fields were initiated to
compare the effect of digested manure, raw manure, and inorganic fertilizer
on: corn yield; available, mineralizable and total soil nitrogen; microbial
biomass and labile carbon. One field site had been in CRP for the previous
two years, with no history of manure application. Another had been in alfalfa
and a third in corn for two years each, both with a history of manure
application. Field plots were fertilized at similar rates with the three
nutrient sources and planted with silage corn. Results for three years show
that the use of digested manure can produce yields equivalent to undigested
manure or fertilizer, while simultaneously allowing the capture of
bio-energy. None of the soil factors tested differed for the three
amendments. However, preliminary data from laboratory incubations show
differences in N released when application rates are high, with less N
available from raw compared to digested or lagoon-stored manure during an
eight week incubation. Nutrient
movement: Does it occur in sandy soil with drain tiles and conservation
tillage?,
Gary Hawkins, University of Georgia; Delila Sierra, EARTH University, Costa
Rica; Robert Hubbard, USDA-ARS Agricultural producers interested in conserving natural resources
while building a ‘living’ soil have reestablished the practice of
conservation tillage. Assistance in
reestablishing a ‘living’ soil can be as close as the chicken houses on site
or in close proximity to the farm.
The litter produced on these farms provides nutrients for plant growth
as well as organic matter for producing a diverse and active soil
ecology. When agricultural fields are
located in low lying areas or in areas that have perched water tables, the
installation of drain tiles has aided the farmer in removing the excess water
and making the farmland available for planting. Conservation tillage systems do not incorporate the litter into
the soil as it is with conventional tillage systems so it remains on the
surface. The combination of litter,
soil type and drain tiles can lead to potential leaching of nutrients away
from the agricultural field and into local water bodies. General thoughts are that phosphorus does
not leach downward through the soil column since it adsorbs to the soil
particles. However, with the
nutrients being looked at as a major source of non-point pollution, do these
absorption sites become saturated and therefore allow leaching in the sandy
type soils found in South Georgia?
The objective of this project was to look at drain tile water and
water samples collected from lysismters to determine if phosphorus is
leaching and entering our water bodies. A simplified
procedure for design of runoff control features for agricultural wastes
created on small unpaved winter feedlots in Montana, Geoffrey Cerrelli,
USDA-NRCS A procedure has
been developed that greatly simplifies the design process for agricultural
waste control features put into small, unpaved winter feedlots in
Montana. This procedure, where
applicable, results in a properly sized collection basin below the feedlot
that gravity flows to a design vegetated filter strip. The main objective is to design a
collection basin that controls flow, from precipitation/runoff producing
events up to the 25-year, 24-hour storm, delivered to the filter strip. This flow advancement is designed to not
exceed the length of the filter strip nor shall its maximum infiltration
exceed the filter strip rooting depth. This procedure is
in the form of an Excel spreadsheet.
Basic input such as feedlot area (maximum 3 acres), November through
May precipitation and evaporation amounts, the 25-year, 24-hour precipitation
amount, vegetated filter strip slope and soil intake family, and some other
minor data is required. The spreadsheet
results give the design length, width, and depth of the collection basin and
length of a fixed 50-foot wide vegetated filter strip. It establishes a maximum operating stage
of wastewater in the basin before evacuation should be done. It also offers 10 different flow
strategies and resultant filter strip requirements for emptying the collection
basin as it fills from significant storm events. Auxiliary storage requirements at the bottom end of the filter
strip are identified as needed. The
potential is there for this method to be expanded to other Northern Plains
states, as they share Montana’s semi-arid climate. Tuesday, July
27, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Symposia
Abstra Topic: Soil and Environmental
Quality, Kellogg I, Assessment tools for quantifying soil and
environmental quality - Plot and field-scale tools - Part I RUSLE2 – Dave Lightle and Glenn
Weesies, USDA-NRCS, The Soil Conditioning Index - Lee Norfleet,
USDA-NRCS, Using field-level tools to assess N and P transport - Jerry
Lemunyon, USDA-NRCS Description - Conserving the soil
resource and protecting environmental quality are basic prerequisites of
agricultural sustainability. In this
regard, science-based assessment tools are needed to quantify management
effects on soil and environmental quality.
These tools, while useful for monitoring, can also be used 1) to
increase awareness among land managers about management practice effects; and
2) to help justify expenditures on natural resource conservation for public
sector decision-makers. This
symposium will explore a range of assessment tools, in various stages of
development, that can be used to evaluate management effects on soil and
environmental quality. Each presenter
will review a different assessment tool and discuss how that tool quantifies
conservation effects on natural resource sustainability. Presenters in this particular session will
review tools used at the plot and field-scale including RUSLE2, The Soil
Conditioning Index, Nitrage Leaching Economic Analysis Package (NLEAP), and
the Phosphorus Index. Topic: Agricultural Management
and Environmental Quality, Wabasha II & III, The Conservation Security
Program: The dawn of a new era in conservation policy Integrating
conservation practices into a changing landscape in the Upper Midwest River
Basin -
Gyles Randall, University of Minnesota, A new agriculture policy for the
United States - Loni Kemp, The Minnesota Project, Rewarding the best
and motivating the rest - Carole Jett, USDA-NRCS Description - This symposium will
present a panel of experts who will examine the new Conservation Security
Program from three perspectives: the urgent need for conservation practices
to sustain working lands; the new agricultural policy paradigm presented
through the authorization of a national stewardship incentives program; and
the challenges that face the federal agency charged with setting the
standards and implementing the program. Concurrent
Sessions Topic: Soil and Environmental Quality, Wabasha I & IV, Biomass and
Forestry Management for Enhanced Soil and Environmental Quality Quantifying the
long-term effects of biomass production and harvest with regard to energy,
carbon sequestration, erosion control, and other conservation benefits is an
important soil and environmental quality issue. This session will examine how switchgrass production, removal
of corn stover, and selection of appropriate trees and shrubs could affect
soil, water, and air resources., Moderator: Demetrio Zourarakis,
Kentucky Division of Conservation 10:30 – 10:50 a.m. Switchgrass
management for biomass production, carbon sequestration, and soil
conservation - DoKyoung Lee, James J. Doolittle, Vance N. Owens, Arvid
Boe, Thomas E. Schumacher, and Douglas D. Malo, South Dakota State University 10:50 – 11:10 a.m. T-values,
corn stover removal and sustained productivity - Jane M.F. Johnson, W.W.
Wilhelm, J.L. Hatfield, and W.V. Voorhees, USDA-ARS 11:10 – 11:30 a.m. Developing
conservation tree and shrub suitability groups - Ginger Kopp and Kim
Steffen, USDA-NRCS Switchgrass
management for biomass production, carbon sequestration, and soil
conservation,
DoKyoung Lee, James J. Doolittle, Vance N. Owens, Arvid Boe, Thomas E.
Schumacher, and Douglas D. Malo, South Dakota State University Biomass
production using switchgrass on marginal lands as an alternative to commonly
used row and cereal crops could improve soil and water conservation in the
Northern Great Plains. The growing of a perennial grass adopted to the region
results in permanent ground cover, increased input of carbon into the soil,
reduced soil erosion, and improved soil and water quality. Switchgrass has
been selected for a model bioenergy crop by the U.S.-DOE. The objective of
this study was to optimize management practices for converting Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP) land growing switchgrass to biomass production land
while maintaining and enhancing soil quality and maximizing C sequestration.
Switchgrass increased soil C sequestration and improved soil physical
properties in CRP land when compared to agricultural crop production land.
Harvest date had little influence on persistence and biomass production and
early August harvest maximized biomass production. Switchgrass responded
favorably to N applied at rates up to 112 kg ha-1. Rates above this level do
not appear to result in sufficient yield increases to warrant application.
Annual biomass removal, particularly at anthesis, resulted in switchgrass
stand decline. N and P application did not have a significant impact on the
seasonal changes in soil CO2 flux. Switchgrass production may be
an economically and environmentally feasible alternative to traditional
cropping systems. T-values, corn
stover removal and sustained productivity, Jane M.F. Johnson, W.W. Wilhelm, J.L.
Hatfield, and W.V. Voorhees, USDA-ARS The U.S.
Department of Energy and private enterprise are developing technology
necessary to use high cellulose feedstock, such as crop residues, for ethanol
production. Based on current production levels, corn (Zea mays L.) stover has
potential as a biofuel feedstock. Crop residual biomass (stover or straw) is
a renewable and domestic fuel source, which can reduce the rate of fossil
fuel use (both imported and domestic) and provide an additional farm
commodity. Crop biomass protects the soil from wind and water erosion,
provides inputs to form soil organic matter (a critical component enhancing
soil quality), and plays a role in nutrient cycling. Crop residual biomass
impacts radiation balance and energy fluxes, and reduces evaporation.
Therefore, the benefits of using crop biomass as fuel, which removes biomass
from the field, must be balanced against negative environmental impacts (e.g.
soil erosion), maintaining soil organic matter levels, and preserving or
enhancing productivity. Our objective is to summarize published works for the
impacts of wide-scale, corn stover collection on sustained production
capacity and related soil processes in the Corn Belt soils. Most estimates
for predicting the availability of crop biomass are based on T-values. Soil
and crop responses to biomass removal ranged from negative to negligible. The
range of crop and soil responses to crop biomass removal was attributed to
interactions with climate, management and soil type. Harvest rates must vary
based on regional yield, climatic conditions, and cultural practices. The
challenge is to define harvest rates that ensure sustained productivity. Developing
conservation tree and shrub suitability groups in the Midwest, Ginger Kopp and Kim
Steffen, USDA-NRCS Conservation Tree/Shrub Suitability Groups (CTSGs) are guides for
selecting trees and/or shrubs for specific soil conditions, used for
estimating the height of selected trees or shrubs at year 20 and for judging
effectiveness of the tree planting practice.
For over 30 years the 10 Windbreak Suitability Groups (WSG) were used
to guide tree and shrub planting for forestry practices. However, they have not been updated to
include current soil data information, are limited in scope (windbreaks only)
and do not contain updated lists of trees and shrubs. There is a great need to update the soils
data and tree species list and to broaden the scope of the interpretations to
reflect the increased number of forestry practices. Natural Resources Conservation Service staff foresters and soil
scientists from the Midwest states of Illinois Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin collaborated to develop a CTSG guide that would
work across state boundaries. Such a
guide would be useful since soils, climate, physiography and tree and shrub
species are common throughout these states. The interpretations generator in the National Soil Information System
(NASIS) was used to update the 10 CTSGs.
Concurrently, a list of recommended tree and shrub species is being
developed for each CTSG. During the
conservation planning step, tree planting recommendations will be based on
the soil map units on the site. The
success of tree planting practices is strongly associated with soil
characteristics. The revised CTSG
guide will improve the efficiency of conservation planning at the field
office level. Topic: Geo-spatial Technology for Conservation – Soil, Water, and Land,
Kellogg II, Geo-spatial technology for priority setting and fund
allocation in conservation programs. Papers presented
in this session will highlight applications of geo-spatial technology in
hydrologic modeling and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).,
Moderator: Ralph Heimlich, ACE 10:30 – 10:50 a.m. Applying
geo-spatial data in Kansas NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP) decisions - Gaye Benfer and Steven Parkin, USDA-NRCS, 10:50 – 11:10 a.m. EQIP
application ranking using web-based GIS - Susan McLoud, USDA-NRCS;
Bernard Engel, Larry Theller, Jin-yong Choi, and Kyoung Jae Lim, Purdue
University 11:10 – 11:30
a.m. ArcView GIS Hydrologic
Model Interface - William Merkel and Su Liu, USDA-NRCS 11:30 – 11:50 a.m. Minnesota’s
NRCS geo-spatial data analysis during the PL-566 application process –
Brett Coleman, USDA-NRCS Applying
geo-spatial data in Kansas NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP) decisions, Gaye Benfer and Steven Parkin, USDA-NRCS The use of
geo-spatial data and tools enabled the Kansas Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) to implement streamlined processes that ensured the
optimization of environmental benefits in the Fiscal Year 2003 Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Geo-spatial data was compiled for the allocation
and application processes of the EQIP. For the
allocation process, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and highly erodible soils
information was gathered from the geo-spatial data to determine the
distribution of financial assistance to Kansas’ five administrative areas for
water quality and soil erosion natural resource concerns. For the
application process, a tool (AV-EQIP) was constructed to gather information
used to determine the amount of environmental benefit gained from each
application and track location of applications. Applications were evaluated
by determining if they reached threshold priority levels. The information
gathered was transferred to a database which then ranked all the
applications, in their appropriate resource concerns, determining the order
of optimization of environmental benefits. These tools were
used extensively after funding decisions were made to evaluate program
delivery and assess program effectiveness. EQIP
application ranking using web-based GIS, Susan McLoud, USDA-NRCS; Bernard Engel,
Larry Theller, Jin-yong Choi, and Kyong Jae Lim, Purdue University For fiscal year
(FY) 2004, Indiana NRCS and Purdue University developed a Web-GIS application
to rank EQIP applications. “E-Score” links a Java mapping device with an
Oracle 9 database. To accurately
represent state and national resource concerns for Indiana, many data layers
need to be evaluated for each EQIP application, including six surface water
quality criteria, two groundwater, three soil quality, seven critical species
habitat, and air quality. Manual map-by-map evaluation, even using Arcview,
is time consuming and subject to user error. E-Score accurately evaluates 19
data layers in about 30 seconds. Users access an
Internet site, zoom to their county, choose an aerial photo or topographic
map base, then select or digitize the tracts offered for an EQIP
contract. E-Score quickly identifies
which data layers coincide with the tracts. A matrix shows the map “hits.” Client
and conservationist then develop a plan together. Applications are awarded points based on the number of concerns
that coincide with the offered tracts, and which concerns the client agrees
to address to Quality Criteria. Applications are
ranked using both local and state criteria. Local criteria are scored on
Excel spreadsheets and the local score is entered into E-Score, which
generates the total score (local and state scores added together) which
identifies contracts for funding. E-Score’s
database archives all applicant data, scoring information, and tract
shape-files. State office program
staff monitors scores as applications are ranked. E-Score works as a companion program with ProTracts. Using
estimated contract costs, staff alerts the field to the score range most
likely to be funded, prioritizing the plans to be completed in Toolkit and
entered into ProTracts. E-Score increases accuracy, reduces staff workload,
allows the field to better manage planning activities, and provides a
transparent record of the EQIP ranking process. ArcView GIS
Hydrologic Model Interface, William Merkel and Su Liu, USDA-NRCS The NRCS Hydro
system will develop input for the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) WinTR-20 hydrologic model from GIS data. Required GIS layers which need to be developed by the user for
import to the interface include Digital Elevation Model (DEM), soil data
(general or detailed), and land use.
The user may also import any other layers which would be useful in
identifying locations, roads, streams, etc.
Some of these optional layers include Digital Ortho Quads (DOQ),
Digital Raster Graphs (DRG), Digital Line Graphs (DLG), TIGER data,
Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) maps, National Hydrographic Dataset (NHD),
etc. These data are available for
much of the United States through the NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway. The WinTR-20
computer program is used in NRCS to estimate peak discharge and runoff volume
from watersheds for use in designing water control structures and in
determining impacts of changing land use on the hydrologic system. Further refining or use of advanced
WinTR-20 options may then be accomplished through the use of the WinTR-20
Controller/Editor. NRCS Hydro and
WinTR-20 systems have comprehensive user guides, training material, example
data, and other technical documentation. NRCS Hydro is
based upon the ArcView GIS program from ESRI (Environmental Systems Research
Institute). The following software
requirements are necessary to operate NRCS Hydro: ArcView GIS Version 3.2 or 3.3, ArcView Spatial Analyst Extension
version 1.1 or greater, NRCS Hydro ArcView project and databases. Even though the system is point-and-click,
basic familiarity with GIS operations and hydrologic analysis are
recommended. NRCS Hydro is
organized to automate the process used in a typical watershed hydrologic
analysis. Its functionality is
grouped into a series of menus, buttons, and tools which are designed to be
used in a sequential manner. In
conducting a watershed hydrologic analysis, the following simple procedure is
generally followed. A. Locate the design point based on stream/road crossing. B. Determine the extent of the watershed draining to the
outlet point. Delineate the
watershed boundary. Determine
rainfall frequency data for the watershed location. C. Subdivide the watershed into sub-areas based on watershed
heterogeneity and locations where peak discharges and/or hydrographs are
desired within the watershed. D. Select method for calculating the Time of Concentration
(NRCS Lag Equation or Velocity Method). E. Enter hydraulic geometry channel depth and width
coefficients (or use default values). F. Estimate hydrologic parameters such as area, runoff curve
number, and time of concentration for each sub-area. Estimate length and cross section rating
tables for channel routing reaches. G. Assemble model input and develop WinTR-20 model schematic. H. Format model input for WinTR-20, execute the model, and
view results. This simplified
procedure was used as the basis for creating NRCS Hydro functionality. Steps in this procedure have been
automated to take advantage of geographic and hydrologic data and efficient
GIS processing capabilities. Minnesota’s
NRCS geo-spatial data analysis during the PL-566 application process, Brett Coleman, USDA-NRCS The Watershed
Protection and Flood Prevention Act (Public Law 83-566) authorized the
Secretary of Agriculture to provide technical and financial assistance to
local organizations for planning and implementing watershed projects. The PL - 566
program offers a unique and flexible approach to area-wide water resources
planning and management that distinguishes it from other federal
programs. Application of conservation
land treatment measures to upstream watersheds is the main feature that
separates this program from the others.
The program emphasizes interdisciplinary planning inputs from project
sponsors, government agencies, and environmental groups in all stages of
project development. The MN NRCS -
Water Resources Staff (WRS) uses ArcView to spatially reference data to help
answer questions during the PL - 566 application process. Geo-spatial examples from past and current
projects will demonstrate: how information gathered from the field is able to
be geo-spatially displayed; how results from a HEC-RAS computer model are
viewed within ArcView using HEC-GeoRas; how geo-spatial information can be
used to determine landuse and soil type within a watershed. Topic: Assessing the Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental
Programs, State II, Scales of Effective Measurement This concurrent
session compares four differing studies of non-point source pollution
abatement and the expected outcomes.
Differing degrees and perspectives of conservation inputs and
environmental, economic and social outcomes will be discussed and
described. What input variable
provides the right outcome measures?, Moderator: Thomas Sommer,
USDA-NRCS 10:30 – 10:50 a.m. Evaluating
the results of watershed planning - the Missouri Watershed Initiative -
Robert Broz and William Kurtz, University of Missouri 10:50 – 11:10 a.m. Monitoring
nutrient and pesticide losses at field and watershed scales - William
VanRyswyk, Paul Wotzka, Bruce Montgomery, and Brian Williams, Minnesota
Department of Agriculture; Kevin Kuehner, Seven Mile Creek Assessment Project 11:10 – 11:30 a.m. Evaluating
water quality changes from BMPs: The National Nonpoint Source Monitoring
Program - Greg Johnson, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; Jean Spooner,
North Carolina State University 11:30 – 11:50 a.m. A
methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of non-point source pollution
abatement programs - Richard Shamblen, Malcolm Pirnie, Inc.; Jill Neal
and James Goodrich, U.S. EPA; Eben Hobbs and Alan Vicory, Ohio Valley Water
Sanitation Commission; John Warner, Eric Hesketh, and Joe Bagdon, USDA-NRCS Evaluating the
results of watershed planning – the Missouri Watershed Initiative, Robert Broz and William
Kurtz, University of Missouri The Missouri
Watershed Initiative has been designed to help local communities develop
answers to their local water quality problems through watershed planning. It
is a comprehensive process for formally integrating issue-directed
interdisciplinary assessment, research and extension/outreach into
local-level decision making regarding watershed land use and management. Key
to this effort has been incorporation of economic and environmental
evaluations to assess possible results and impacts of decisions. The 70,000-acre
Long Branch Watershed, in north central Missouri, was selected as a pilot
project area in 1998 to test the process for community involvement in
watershed management and restoration. A local steering committee comprised of
representatives of different stakeholder groups was formed to identify water
quality issues within the watershed boundaries and develop the strategy and
action plan consistent with community and stakeholder expectations. A series
of assessment projects were instituted to describe the biological, economic,
environmental, physical, and social characteristics of the Long Branch Lake
and Watershed. Using the Long
Branch Watershed Management Plan as a guide, a Source Water Protection Plan
(SWPP) was approved by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for the
Long Branch Watershed. This SWPP served as the impetus for the watershed to
be enrolled in the Missouri Enhanced Conservation Reserve Program (MoCREP).
Local agricultural producers enrolled some 3,500 acres of cropland. Both an
environmental analysis and an economic analysis were conducted to determine
the impact of this acreage enrollment providing additional information to the
local steering committee for community decision making. Applying the Soil and
Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), before and after MoCREP enrollment, we found
that the reduction in sediment yield from sub-watersheds ranged from 10 –
27%; atrazine loss reduction ranged from 10 – 37%; phosphorous loss reduction
ranged from 10 – 33%; and nitrogen loss reduction ranged from 10 – 33%. From
an economic standpoint, participating farmer producers will receive $3.4
million in land deferral and incentive payments over the 15-year enrollment
period; the payments will generate 3 jobs and $50,000 in total personal
income; the reduction in agricultural production will result in a loss of 26
jobs and reduced personal income of $248,000; and overall, the net impact
will be a net loss of 23 jobs and reduced personal income of $198,000. Monitoring
nutrient and pesticide losses at field and watershed scales, William VanRyswyk, Paul
Wotzka, Bruce Montgomery, and Brian Williams, Minnesota Department of
Agriculture; Kevin Kuehner, Seven Mile Creek Assessment Project Water resource
staff continuously seek innovative and meaningful ways to demonstrate
environmental benefits of implementing agricultural best management
practices. In the mid-1990’s, the
Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) modified several existing
subsurface drainage systems in south-central Minnesota creating the “Red Top
Farm” Demonstration. Drainage from
seventy-five acres under a corn/soybean rotation has been continuously
monitored for nutrients and pesticides since 1998. Implementing
University of Minnesota (UM) BMPs and fertilizer recommendations reduced NO3-N
concentrations by 30-40%. Field-scale
monitoring results have generally verified plot-scale water quality work
conducted by the UM-Southern Research and Outreach Center. Storm monitoring results indicated a very
rapid response to major rainfall events.
However, nitrate concentrations remained nearly constant over storm
hydrographs despite significant flow increases. Total phosphorus concentrations often exceed 0.10 mg/L despite
the lack of surface intakes and advanced phosphorus management (variable rate
applications and soil testing).
Movement of corn-soybean herbicides (metolachlor, acetochlor,
atrazine, treflan and glyphosate) via the tile systems varied dramatically
between compounds. In 2000,
monitoring began at the watershed scale as part of the Seven Mile Creek
Watershed Assessment Project. This
allows the direct comparison of water quality and quantity results from
field-scale (Red Top) to Seven Mile Creek which covers 23,551 acres. The ability to monitor the two different
scales will provide unique opportunities to quantify and better understand
watershed scale changes as implementation steps are initiated. Authors will discuss the results and
implications from this multi-scale monitoring approach. Evaluating
water quality changes from BMPs: The National Nonpoint Source Monitoring
Program,
Greg Johnson, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; Jean Spooner, North
Carolina State University The National
Nonpoint Source Monitoring Program (NMP) was established by the U.S. EPA to
scientifically evaluate the effectiveness of watershed technologies designed
to control nonpoint source pollution. The program was developed to encourage
the development of long-term monitoring projects utilizing
statistically-based monitoring designs to document changes in water quality
following the implementation of best management practices (BMPs). The NMP
currently includes 24 projects – most are located in agricultural watersheds;
however, there are two urban projects. NMP projects should be funded for six
to ten years. Typically, baseline condition or pre-BMP monitoring is conducted
for at least two years followed by BMP implementation. Post-BMP monitoring
should occur for an additional three to six years. Monitoring approaches used
in the projects include paired-watershed and above and below treatment
designs. Data from the pre- and post- BMP periods are then statistically
analyzed to evaluate water quality changes attributable to BMP
implementation. Several projects have been or are near completion, while
others are just getting underway. A summary of the
successes and lessons learned from the NMP projects will be presented.
Lessons learned include the importance of multi-year funding; interagency
cooperation; adequate characterization of the watershed, including
delineation of “critical areas” for pollutant(s) and summary of land uses; a
land treatment implementation plan (including BMP location and timing of
implementation); a water quality monitoring design; and an evaluation and
reporting plan. The NMP has
documented water quality improvements resulting from the implementation of
best management practices. A methodology
for evaluating the effectiveness of non-point source pollution abatement
programs,
Richard Shamblen, Malcolm Pirnie, Inc.; Jill Neal and James Goodrich, U.S.
EPA; Eben Hobbs and Alan Vicory, Ohio Valley Water Sanitation Commission;
John Warner, Eric Hesketh, and Joe Bagdon, USDA-NRCS The Upper Big
Walnut Creek watershed encompasses 190 square miles of predominantly
agricultural cropland (65%) in Central Ohio (USA) where agronomic fertilizers
and herbicides are used in row crop production. Runoff from the watershed
drain to Hoover Reservoir which is Central Ohio’s largest source of drinking
water, provides water to more than 750,000 people. The City of Columbus’
long-term water quality monitoring program of the reservoir (1981 to present)
has detected occurrences of elevated levels of the agricultural herbicide
atrazine above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water. In
response, Columbus developed a multi-barrier approach to attain compliance
with the atrazine MCL. Columbus installed a $4.5 million powdered activated
carbon (PAC) feed facility to chemically remove atrazine. However, PAC
treatment costs can exceed $1.5 million annually. To complement this treatment
technology, Columbus initiated a partnership with the agricultural community
to identify and implement best management practices (BMPs) that reduce
atrazine and other non-point source pollutant runoff. Since in 1999,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP), through the local conservation offices, has provided funding for
field management BMPs on more than 23,000 cropland acres at a cost of more
than $1 million. Moreover, in 2001, the watershed signed a Conservation
Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) agreement with USDA valued at $13.2
million for riparian buffer strips. Critical questions remain however, and
include: What are the potential
aquatic habitat and human health benefits from these BMPs and can they be
quantified? Which critical factors
(landscape, climatic, agronomic) control the timing and magnitude of
non-point source pollutant runoff in the watershed? Which of these factors
can be influenced from BMPs? Can the aquatic and human health benefits from
the BMPs be quantified, and if so, how much and what types of information are
necessary to measure the benefits?
How can this methodology and processes be applied to other watersheds? U.S. EPA Office
of Research and Development, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ohio
River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) and Malcolm Pirnie formed
a collaborative team among fifteen agencies to answer these questions and develop
a methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of watershed-scale non-point
source pollution abatement systems. The project is
using USDA’s National Agricultural Pesticide Risk Analysis (NAPRA) tool, to
model each of the watershed’s 3096 crop fields. NAPRA estimates field-scale
annualized mass (load) pollutant runoff and comparative risk analysis among
multiple BMP scenarios. NAPRA is being used to identity and characterize
high-risk atrazine runoff areas in the watershed and evaluate whether the
individual field-scale BMPs are significantly reducing atrazine runoff.
Moreover, the NAPRA model is being linked in a GIS to compile a nested
field-scale atrazine mass (load) runoff analysis among all 3,096-crop fields
and will be correlated with the annualized mass of atrazine in Hoover
Reservoir. The reservoir’s atrazine mass load is calculated from weekly
atrazine concentration data, average weekly reservoir volume, and average
weekly flow through volumes. These annualized data will be used to
characterize the occurrence of atrazine runoff prior to watershed wide BMP
implementation, 1987 through 1998, and during BMP activation, 1999 through
2003. When compiled, these analyses will provide a quantifiable assessment of
cause/effect relationships of the watershed-scale implementation of
field-scale BMPs. Results of this
project will provide a national methodology demonstrating how watershed
organizations can identify water quality concerns, identify appropriate BMPs
and evaluate the effectiveness of restoration efforts at the field and
watershed scales. Project findings and results will be written and presented.
Topic: Assessing the Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental
Programs, State III, Measuring Success and Benefits of Conservation This concurrent
session will concentrate on farm policy and programs. The decisions producers make based on farm
policy and the strengths and weaknesses of voluntary vs. regulatory
approaches. What is the right recipe
for conservation policy?, Moderator: Patricia Leavenworth, USDA-NRCS 10:30 – 10:50 a.m. Economic
and fisheries effects of select conservation programs of the 2002 Farm Act
- John Westra, Louisiana State University; Bruce Vondracek and Julie
Zimmerman, University of Minnesota 10:50 – 11:10 a.m. A
tale of two farms - how policy can change the landscape - Mark Schultz,
Land Stewardship Project; Dave Serfling, Diversified livestock and crop
farmer 11:10 – 11:30 a.m. An
economic model to match stewardship payments with what conservation really
costs - Patrick Welle, Bemidji State University 11:30 – 11:50 a.m. Strength
and weaknesses of voluntary and regulatory program - Lessons learned and
experiences of the Maryland nutrient managment program - Fred Samadani,
Maryland Department of Agriculture Economic and
fisheries effects of select conservation programs of the 2002 Farm Act, John Westra, Louisiana
State University; Bruce Vondracek and Julie Zimmerman, University of Minnesota Many conservation
programs under the 2002 Farm Act are designed to address resource concerns
like water quality and aquatic communities in streams. If fully implemented,
provisions of one, the Conservation Security Program (CSP), may allow
producers to receive compensation (“green payments”) for conservation
practices that provide some positive environmental externalities to a
watershed. This research used a computer simulation model to examine the
relationship between conservation programs like CSP and the Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP), agricultural practices, water quality (nutrient and
sediment loss), fish communities and net farm income within two small
watersheds -- a coolwater stream and a warmwater stream. We used the
Agricultural Drainage and Pesticide Transport (ADAPT) model to relate land
use to calculated in-stream suspended sediment concentrations using estimates
of sediment delivery, runoff, baseflow and stream bank erosion, and
quantified the effects of suspended sediment exposure on fish communities. If
potential CSP payments were included, producer net farm income remained relatively
unchanged, relative to current conditions. Simulated field-edge sediment
losses decreased by 25-31% in the two geophysically distinct watersheds.
However, while in-stream sediment concentrations and lethal fisheries events
decreased significantly in the coolwater stream, there was no discernable
improvement for the fisheries in the warmwater stream, despite potentially
spending over $100,000 annually in conservation measures to address the
problem. These results highlight the importance of identifying the genuine
resource concerns and targeting conservation payments to address them. A tale of two
farms - how policy can change the landscape, Mark Schultz, Land Stewardship Project;
Dave Serfling, Farmer “It was the best
of times and the worst of times” for neighboring farmers, where current farm
policy can spell out a $138,000 difference between a five-year rotation and a
corn-soybean system. And what is the value of erosion control on a
forage-based rotation versus row crops? Of reduced sedimentation in streams
and upland bird habitat? And how do we change the landscape to reflect the
growing public demand for these non-market goods from working farmland – with
performance-based policy such as the Conservation Security Program (CSP).
Just as farmers recognize the historically negative relationship between
policy and the environment, good farm policy should pave the way to farming
with several bottom lines. Mark Schultz, policy director for the Land
Stewardship Project, will join farmer Dave Serfling to illustrate “A Tale of
Two Farms” and help SWCS members chart how best to use the CSP to rigorously
promote outstanding environmental performance by American farmers. An economic
model to match stewardship payments with what conservation really costs, Patrick Welle, Bemidji
State University Even with the
historic stewardship payments of the Conservation Security Program, we don’t
actually know if farmers can or will choose to afford to make the changes the
public says it will finance. How does public will measure up against proposed
federal stewardship dollars? Do these federal and state payments actually
compensate for potential and realized lost income, transition costs, and
increased risk? Pat Welle of Bemidji State University will present his work to
date on an economic model that might tell us about these and other
relationships behind a successful farm policy. The work is part of the
Multiple Benefits of Agriculture Project led by the Land Stewardship Project
in an effort to quantify and promote the benefits of diversifying the
agricultural landscape in watershed settings. Transition costs, resulting
changes in commodity program payments, stewardship payments, and the cost of
risk are factored in to this discussion of the real price of agriculture and
its shift to greater diversity. Strength and
weaknesses of voluntary and regulatory program - Lessons learned and
experiences of the Maryland nutrient management program, Fred Samadani, Maryland
Department of Agriculture Many agricultural nonpoint source pollution control programs are
developed by government agencies resulting in laws, regulations, and policies
at national and state levels.
Maryland Nutrient Management is one of the nonpoint source pollution
control programs initiated in 1989 and promoted at the farm level through the
Maryland Cooperative Extension. In
1993, writing of nutrient management plans was extended to private sector
consultants and fertilizer industry technicians through a voluntary training
and certification program. Concurrently
and in subsequent years, environmental groups and some legislators viewed
restrictive mandatory regulations as a quick solution to meet our nutrient
management goals. As a result of the
1997 Pfisteria outbreaks and resulting political pressure, the Water Quality
Improvement Act was introduced and passed during the 1998 legislative
sessions of the MD General Assembly. With the development of new regulations,
virtually all agricultural operations were required to develop and implement
nutrient management plans as part of their routine agricultural operations. An important issue confronting the program was either to
embark on voluntary or mandatory approach and their effectiveness towards
implementing the program.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss challenges that the program
experienced since its inception in 1989.
It will also share information and experience of the voluntary
program, its mandatory implementation phase, and the new consensus building
process to make the program work. The successful implementation of any
agricultural development program, however, depends on endorsements of the
program by the agricultural community and their effective involvement and
participation. The program went through four years of challenging debates between the
agricultural community, environmental groups and legislators, and a new
political environment. In August
2003, the administration invited interested stakeholders to participate in a
special summit to address the concerns and issues relating to nutrient
management and generate recommendations to craft changes that would improve
the program’s implementation. Based
on the Summit’s recommendations, a revised nutrient management bill endorsed
by all parties was submitted and passed at the state’s legislative session in
April 2004. One of the lessons learned relate to the principal elements and
actions required to build an efficient and sustainable partnership, these
include: development of a workable policy; involvement of representatives and
stakeholders from the early stages of program development; and building
consensus among diverse interests to satisfy multiple objectives, maintaining
the interest level and participation of all associated parties, and meeting
the program’s objectives and goals. Topic: Agricultural Management and Environmental Quality, Governors
I, Pesticide management for water and air quality protection Presentations in
this session describe pesticide use and management practices to reduce
movement of pesticides to water and air., Moderator: Martin Locke,
USDA-ARS 10:30 – 10:50 a.m. Land
use differences affecting water quality - Jerry Spetzman, Minnesota
Department of Agriculture 10:50 – 11:10 a.m. Management
practices to reduce atmospheric emissions of soil fumigants - Sharon
Papiernik, Scott Yates, and Robert Dungan, USDA-ARS; Scott Lesch, Wei Zheng,
and Mingxin Guo, University of California-Riverside 11:10 – 11:30 a.m. Agricultural
pesticide BMPs for water quality protection in Minnesota - Joseph
Zachmann and Gregg Regimball, Minnesota Department of Agriculture 11:30 – 11:50 a.m. Pesticide
use surveys to enhance water quality protection programs: Design elements and
constraints - Denton Bruening and Joseph Zachmann, Minnesota Department
of Agriculture Land use
differences affecting water quality, Jerry Spetzman, Minnesota Department of
Agriculture How will rapid
urbanization affect the water quality of the Lower Saint Croix River? What are our perceptions of the effects of
land use on water quality and how do our perceptions compare to what we are
finding? In a recent radio broadcast,
Paul Harvey said “Recent reports show that homeowners in cities apply 10
times as much chemicals to their lawns as do farmers”. Is this true? What do we know? The Minnesota
Department of Agriculture (MDA) has regulatory authority over agricultural
fertilizers and pesticides. This
includes fertilizers and pesticides used on urban lawns and landscapes. As a result, the MDA has done a
significant amount of work studying the amounts of fertilizers and pesticides
being applied and monitoring the levels being found in ground and surface
waters. This presentation
will provide an overview of topics such as:
How do the levels of fertilizers being applied to farmland compare to
the levels beings applied to lawns?
Are the pesticides which are applied to farmland the same or different
from those applied to lawns? As a
result, what are we finding in ground and surface water in agricultural and
urban areas? Most of the
information in this presentation was compiled from reports found at the MDA
web site – www.mda.state.mn.us.
Please refer to the web site for more complete information. Management
practices to reduce atmospheric emissions of soil fumigants, Sharon Papiernik, Scott
Yates, and Robert Dungan, USDA-ARS; Scott Lesch, Wei Zheng, and Mingxin Guo,
University of California-Riverside Soil fumigants
are used to control a wide variety of pests in high-cash-value crops. Their
high volatility requires that management practices increase containment to
reduce atmospheric emissions, increase efficacy, and prevent off-site
transport. Application of soil fumigants through drip irrigation systems is
being investigated as a method to improve the uniformity of fumigant
application. These experiments were conducted to assess the emissions and
soil distribution of fumigants following subsurface drip application. The
fumigant compounds 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), Vapam (a methyl
isothiocyanate (MITC) precursor), and propargyl bromide (PrBr) were drip-applied
to soil beds at 15 cm depth. Beds were tarped with either standard 1-mil HDPE
or a virtually impermeable film (VIF), leaving the furrows bare. Cumulative
fumigant emissions in these tarped bedded systems was low, amounting to
<10% of the applied mass. The average air temperature during these
experiments was 12 to15°C. Cumulative emissions of MITC and 1,3-D from a
sandy loam field soil were decreased by at least 80% by tarping the bed with
VIF rather than HDPE. A large fraction of the 1,3-D and PrBr flux was from
the untarped furrows in VIF-tarped plots, indicating that inhibiting
volatilization from the furrow will be important in further reducing
emissions in these systems. Monitoring the fumigant distribution in soil
indicated that tarping the bed with VIF resulted in a more effective
containment of fumigant vapors compared to use of a HDPE tarp. Other factors
investigated, including increasing the depth of application to 30 cm, had a
relatively small effect on fumigant emissions and distribution. Agricultural
pesticide BMPs for water quality protection in Minnesota, Joseph Zachmann and
Gregg Regimball, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Detections of
herbicides in Minnesota’s water resources have led the Minnesota Department
of Agriculture (MDA) and its cooperators to develop voluntary Best Management
Practices (BMPs) for pesticide use in agricultural settings. BMP development was authorized by state
water and pesticide laws. A core set
of BMPs applies to all agricultural herbicides, and additional pesticide-specific
BMPs are designed to address concerns for acetochlor, alachlor, atrazine,
metolachlor and metribuzin in groundwater, surface water, or both. From a practical standpoint, the BMPs are
intended to reduce the loss of herbicides to the environment and to encourage
the efficient use of herbicides, chemistry-rotation, and non-chemical
approaches to weed control as part of an Integrated Weed Management program
to save costs, reduce development of weed resistance and increase
profitability. If the voluntary BMPs
are proven ineffective, future mandatory use restrictions are possible. Publication of the BMPs served as the
foundation for building a promotional and educational campaign. The BMP development process and related
challenges, along with the evolving promotional plan, will be reviewed. Pesticide use
surveys to enhance water quality protection programs: Design elements and
constraints,
Denton Bruening and Joseph Zachmann, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Pesticide use
information can be used to evaluate pesticide use patterns, responses to pest
outbreaks, crop production input evaluation, and management practice
decisions as they relate to water quality protection efforts. Public sector pesticide use survey design
is subject to a number of constraints, including limited resources,
confidentiality issues, and representative sampling concerns. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture
(MDA) has experimented with a variety of survey mechanisms, including
resource-intensive (person-to-person) field audits in locally targeted areas,
and broader statewide cooperative efforts with the Minnesota Agricultural
Statistics Service (MASS). In 2003, a
pilot project with MASS evaluated a phone-based survey to capture basic
pesticide use and rate information on individual farms. The successful pilot was used to build a
much larger, statistical survey across a majority of Minnesota’s agricultural
counties. Survey results, advantages/disadvantages
of this type of data collection, and how MDA plans to use the results to
guide its water quality monitoring will be discussed. Topic: Agricultural Management and Environmental Quality, Governors
II, Environmental benefits of management practices This session
addresses environmental benefits that result from the use of appropriate
management practices. Topics
discussed in this session include carbon sequestration, reduced runoff, and
improved wildlife habitat., Moderator: Brian Wienhold, USDA-ARS 10:30 – 10:50 a.m. Global
climate changes and the effect of converting cool season pastures into warm
season grazing systems on carbon pools - William Skaradek and Curtis
Dell, USDA-ARS 10:50 – 11:10 a.m. Improving
soil, air and water quality with continuous no-till - Dan Towery,
USDA-NRCS-CTIC 11:10 – 11:30 a.m. Climate,
fertility, soil, and tillage effects on U.S. cropland soil carbon
sequestration potential - Jay Atwood, USDA-NRCS; Jimmy Williams and
Steven Potter, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station; R. Cesar Izaurralde,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 11:30 – 11:50 a.m. Markets
in environmental services from agricultural lands: Satisfying the necessary
preconditions - Andrew Manale, University of North Dakota; Charles Rice,
Kansas State University; Paul Dyke, Texas A&M University Global climate
changes and the effect of converting cool season pastures into warm season
grazing systems on carbon pools, William Skaradek and Curtis Dell, USDA-ARS As average
weather patterns have been shifting and temperatures rising, changes in
plants communities are natural. Gradual
temperature changes when exacerbated by drought conditions, seriously affects
forage yields on cool season (C-3) grass systems. As a result, farmers, ranchers, and grazing land management
specialists have considered conversion to warm season (C-4) grass systems. Some skeptics
have espoused that soils in long-term cool season grass stands containing
fescue could have accumulated roots exudes that could preclude the rapid
establishment of warm season grasses.
Additionally, there existed no reliable scientific data that explains
what will happen to the carbon pool when shifting from a shallow rooted cool
season to a deeper rooted warm season plant community. In this
presentation you will be exposed to the success techniques employed by the
USDA NRCS Cape May Plant Materials Center in converting such a stand. Discussions will also touch upon the
current preliminary data on carbon pools. Improving
soil, air and water quality with continuous no-till, Dan Towery,
USDA-NRCS-CTIC No-till crop
production has steadily increased in the U.S. and is currently used on 20
percent of the cropland. Reducing soil erosion and saving time, fuel and
equipment have been major reasons for increased adoption. However, many
producers and professional planners are content to plan and apply no-till as
a yearly practice used in conjunction with rotational tillage. No-till used
as part of a rotational tillage system provides the greatest possible residue
protection in the years no-till is practiced, but does not reap the long-term
benefits of continuous no-till. Once tillage is
stopped it may take five or more years for macropores to develop, organic
matter in the soil’s surface to increase, and soil biology populations adapt
to not being tilled. This results in increased aggregate stability, better
water infiltration and soil more resilient to the erosion process. It also
provides improved moisture availability for the growing crop and increased
nutrient availability that may result in increased yields. Carbon
sequestration is maximized and carbon dioxide release minimized when tillage
is eliminated resulting in air quality improvement. In addition, as soil
quality improves then less erosion and runoff results in improved water
quality. However, just one year of tillage takes back many of the soil
improvements. No-till needs to
be marketed, researched, and applied as a continuous system with as
diversified a crop rotation as possible including cover crops where
practical. Unless continuous no-till is utilized, then many of the potential
air and water quality improvements will not be realized. Climate,
fertility, soil, and tillage effects on U.S. cropland soil carbon
sequestration potential, Jay Atwood, USDA-NRCS; Jimmy Williams and Steven Potter, Texas
Agricultural Experiment Station; R. Cesar Izaurralde, Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory The potential for
U.S. cropland to sequester carbon is an important research and policy
question. Many field trial experiments have examined the factors influencing
soil carbon levels under a variety of conditions. However, those studies
represent only a small sample of the mixes of climate, fertility management,
soil, and tillage factors occurring across the U.S. and also, generally, have
not been of sufficiently long duration to fully illustrate how soil carbon
level changes with management change. Consequently the EPIC simulation
modeling system was augmented with Century model type soil carbon equations,
validated against selected field studies and applied for 18 management
treatments on a diverse set of representative farm fields. The treatments
were combinations of 3 tillage systems by six nitrogen fertilizer levels. The
33,068 representative farm fields were developed based on National Resource
Inventory and farm management survey data. For 70 soil groups in Iowa with
corn production, the average change in soil carbon over a 40 year period from
switching to no-till across the soil clusters was 35.2 g/m2/year (median of
37.6 and mode of 40.0), with a standard deviation of 27.1 g/m2/year, and
minimum and maximums of -155.0 and 70.6 g/m2/year. At the aggregate national
level, the average duration of a soil carbon benefit from switching to
no-till (the time until the difference in soil carbon level between tillage
treatments stabilized), was estimated to be 46 years for corn, 40 years for
soybeans, and 49 years for winter wheat. These results compare well with
published field studies. Markets in
environmental services from agricultural lands: Satisfying the necessary
preconditions, Andrew Manale, University of North Dakota; Charles Rice, Kansas
State University; Paul Dyke, Texas A&M University Agricultural
lands can provide, along with agricultural goods, economically important
environmental services. Examples of such services include provision of
wildlife habitat, sequestration of carbon in soils to offset greenhouse gas
emission and hence to mitigate climate change, and diminution or temporary
storage of rainwater runoff to reduce the risk of downstream flooding. In
years past, the public has expected government to provide the impetus for
farmers and landowners to generate these services-either through regulation
or through direct purchase, such as a green payment program. Declining public
sector budgets, however, is causing a shift in focus to private sector
contributions and greater reliance upon markets. Private markets require,
however, well-defined goods and services and effective monitoring and
enforcement mechanisms to ensure fulfillment of contractual agreements. The
public benefits from these markets when the good or service that is traded
has been scientifically demonstrated to lead to measurable environmental
benefits. The presentation discusses the necessary preconditions,
particularly research and policy actions to define the environmental goods
and services and methods for measuring and quantifying the benefit, and other
efforts to satisfy these market preconditions. Examples of environmental
services that are discussed include temporary water storage for flood
mitigation, carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change, and water
quality protection. Tuesday, July
27, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Symposia
Sessions Topic: Agricultural Management
and Environmental Quality, Wabasha I & IV, Improving water quality
through agricultural drainage managment systems - Part I Opening
Comments
– Lawrence Clark, USDA-NRCS, Drainage management-(An emerging agricultura
best management practice): Impact on hydrology and water quality in a cool,
humid region – N. Fausey, USDA-ARS, Effects of drainage system design
and management on nitrogen losses from drained lands - R.W. Skaggs, North
Carolina State University, Past and present agricultural drainage
management research in Iowa - M. Helmers, R. Kanwar, and S. Melvin, Iowa
State University; D. Jaynes, USDA-ARS, Farm group and industry deployment
of practice and technology – C. Schafer and A. Keys, Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition Description - In the past, surface and
subsurface drains were used to remove excess water from the soil on
agricultural lands to provide conditions that are more favorable for crop
production. In recent years, science
has shown that improved drainage water management is the key to reducing
nutrient and pesticide losses to surface and ground waters. The Agricultural Drainage Management
Systems Task Force (ADMSTF) was formed to address the issue of using drainage
water management to improve water quality.
Scientists participating in the ADMSTF will present information
supporting this effort. Topic: Agricultural Management
and Environmental Quality, Wabasha II & III, Fugitive dust emissions:
State of the art research for improving air quality, Organizer and Moderator
- Brenton Sharratt, USDA-ARS Linkage
between saltation and suspended dust caused by high wind events - Ted Zobeck and R. Scott
Van Pelt, USDA-ARS, Chemical composition of fugitive dust - R. Scott
Van Pelt and Ted Zobeck, USDA-ARS; Rich Arimoto, CEMRC, Enzyme activity
and fatty acids of dust as biological fingerprints of the soil source -
Veronica Acosta-Martinez, Ann Kennedy, and Ted Zobeck, USDA-ARS, Instrument
limitations in sizing airborne particulate matter - Michael Buser and
Greg Holt, USDA-ARS, Emission and transport of PM10 from agricultural
fields - Brenton Sharratt, USDA-ARS; Guanglong Feng, Washington State
University, Future perspectives for modeling wind erosion and fugitive
dust emissions - Larry Wagner, USDA-ARS Description - Agriculture contributes to
poor air quality across the U.S. as a result of wind erosion, on-farm and
industry operations, and field and crop residue burning. The USDA Agricultural Research Service
strives to mitigate the impact of agriculture on fugitive dust emissions by
understanding the processes involved in particulate emissions from
agriculture enterprises, developing control measures for reducing emissions,
and by developing decision aids that will be useful in predicting the impact
of agricultural operations on air quality.
The purpose of this symposium is to present the state of the art
research being conducted by the USDA Agricultural Research Service in
understanding and controlling fugitive dust emissions from agricultural soils
for improving air quality. Linkage
between saltation and suspended dust caused by high wind events - Ted M. Zobeck,
USDA-ARS, Lubbock, Texas and R. Scott Van Pelt, USDA-ARS, Big Spring, Texas Knowledge
of suspended dust emission and flux is needed to develop and validate
estimates predicted in wind erosion and aerosol dispersion models. Vertical
dust flux is often estimated using a gradient method and flux equation. In
addition, wind tunnel and field studies and theoretical considerations show
that dust (<20µm) emission rate is proportional to the horizontal
saltation flux, and hence proportional to the cube of the friction velocity.
These results were based on time-integrated measurements of dust flux (for
example, per-storm basis). Recent advances in sensor technology have allowed
for the measurement of wind velocity measurements and saltation and dust
fluxes at high frequency, enabling more detailed analyses of the linkage of
wind, saltation, and suspended dust. This presentation will report the
results from a field dust project conducted on a fine sandy loam in the
Southern High Plains of west Texas, a region of significant wind erosion. The
study employed fast-response wind, saltation, and dust sensors including BSNE
saltation samplers, SENSIT saltation monitors, Dustrak aerosol monitors,
sonic anemometers at two heights, and standard meteorological equipment.
Temporal resolution of saltation and dust sampling equipment varied with the
type of sampler. Horizontal saltation flux measured with BSNE
(time-integrated) showed good correlation with PM10 measured over the same
time period. Dust concentration varied with height, sampling location and
storm intensity, and was highly correlated with saltation. Estimates of dust
flux were dependent on sampler location and proximity to dust source. Clear
linkages of saltation and dust emission will be presented.
Chemical
Composition of Fugitive Dust - R. Scott Van Pelt, USDA-ARS, Big Spring, Texas and
Ted M. Zobeck, USDA-ARS, Lubbock, Texas and Rich Arimoto, CEMRC, Carlsbad,
New Mexico Wind erosion is a common process in semi-arid
regions that degrades soil and results in fugitive dust emissions that
obscure visibility, damage crops and machinery, and are hazardous to human
and environmental health. We sampled surface soils with known erosion and
deposition histories, aeolian materials collected within 1 m of an eroding
surface, mechanically entrained dust, mechanically sieved dust and surface
soil, and dust from 2 attics. The samples were analyzed for particle size
distribution, percent organic carbon, water soluble anions, plant nutrients,
and trace elements. In general, when compared to a non-eroded native range
site, eroded and in-field deposition surface soils had lower concentrations
of organic carbon, plant nutrients and trace elements. Sieved surface soil
samples showed that concentrations of organic carbon, plant nutrients, and
trace elements all increased as particle size decreased. Calcium was notably
more enriched than average levels in aeolian samples collected over an
eroding field. Dust collected from a tractor air cleaner was more highly
enriched in Cadmium, Tin, Lead, and Strontium than the average for other
elements analyzed, indicating a contribution from the combustion products of
diesel fuel. The attic dust samples also had higher enrichments of these
elements but also contained one order of magnitude higher enrichments for
Nitrate, Sulfate, Mercury, and Zinc. The results of this study indicate that
anthropogenic aerosols are more important contributors of plant nutrients and
toxic trace elements to downwind ecosystems than are fugitive dusts from wind
eroded soils.
Enzyme
activity and fatty acids of dust as biological fingerprints of the soil
source - Veronica
Acosta-Martinez, USDA-ARS, Lubbock, Texas, Ann C. Kennedy, USDA-ARS, Pullman,
Washington and Ted M. Zobeck, USDA-ARS, Lubbock, Texas Particles
with <10µm aerodynamic diameter (PM10) have been classified as a primary
air pollutant by the United States Government. This PM10 can include soil
organic fractions and impacts the quality of the soil upon loss due to wind
erosion. Little, however, is known about the biochemical and biological
characteristics of PM10 derived from soil and their potential to represent
unique dust characteristics (tracers) to identify the source material. The
measurement of enzyme activities and fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) profiles
of soil are simple procedures and reflect the management history and location
of soils. Dust from receptor filters located at two sites in Washington state
and collected on a low-wind day had fingerprints closely related to soils
from those two locations and were dissimilar from other WA soils. Dust
generated from the Lubbock Dust Generation, Analyses and Sampling System has
shown distinct enzyme activities according to the soil source and management
history. Enzymes involved in cellulose degradation and phosphorus and sulfur
transformations were detected in the PM10 generated from the soils. Soils
with similar organic C and clay contents may have similar enzyme activities
and thus, additional characteristics are needed to those studied here to
obtain unique profiles. The addition of FAME profiles and enzyme activities
to the battery of tests performed on wind-blown material will provide better
characterization of dust properties, and will expand our understanding of
soil and air quality impacts related to wind erosion. Emission
and transport of PM10 from agricultural fields - Brenton S. Sharratt,
USDA-ARS, Pullman, Washington and Guanglong Feng, Washington State
University, Pullman, Washington The
amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990 required the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate the National Ambient Air Quality
Standards. Several locations in eastern Washington failed to meet the PM10
standard due to elevated dust emissions from agricultural fields during high
wind events. Therefore, research was initiated by the USDA Agricultural
Research Service and Washington State University to quantify and simulate the
emission of PM10 and develop strategies for reducing the emission of PM10
from agricultural soils. Instrumentation was installed in the autumn of 2003
to measure the loss of soil (using BSNE airborne sediment samplers) and PM10
(using high volume air samplers) from a 9-ha field site. The site was in
fallow in 2003. In addition, a weather station was also installed at the
site. Soil characteristics such as bulk density, near surface water content,
surface roughness, residue cover, and surface strength were assessed
periodically during the autumn. Measurements of airborne sediment were used
to quantify the loss of soil and PM10 that resulted from a high wind event
(dust storm) on October 28, 2003. This singular event resulted in a loss of
topsoil greater than 1200 kg ha-1 (0.6 ton ac-1) and a
loss of PM10 of 220 kg ha-1 (0.1 ton ac-1) from the
field site.
Instrument
limitations in sizing airborne particulate matter - Michael D. Buser,
USDA-ARS, Lubbock, Texas and Greg A. Holt, USDA-ARS, Lubbock, Texas The
distribution of particle mass with respect to particle size is perhaps the
most important physical parameter governing particle behavior. Various
methods and/or techniques are currently used to determine particle size
distribution characteristics of particulate matter, including: aerodynamic
separation (i.e., impactors and cyclones) microscopy, laser diffraction, time
of flight, electrical sensing zone, etc. Aerodynamic separation methods are
generally less expensive and simpler to use than the other methods. Light
microscopy has been used for determining particle size information regarding
morphology of microscopic features. Recent advancements in computer
technology and pattern recognition algorithms have enhanced the capabilities
of scanning microscopy. Laser diffraction techniques pass a jet of aerosol
through an optical system where light is scattered from individual particles
and detected by a photo-detector array. Discrete signals are counted and
sorted by intensity, based on a refractive index. Time of flight methods
determine particle velocity by accelerating an aerosol through a nozzle and
past two laser beams. Particle velocity is related to particle density and
drag force which are used to determine the aerodynamic equivalent particle
size. Electrical sensing zone methods pull aerosol samples, dispersed in
electrolyte, through an aperture tube and past electrodes, measuring
impedance increases as particles pass through the system. These increases are
proportional to the volume of electrolyte displaced by the particle.
Advantages and disadvantages exist for each of these methods. Unfortunately,
there is no single agreed upon method of determining the particle size
distribution characteristics of particulate matter.
Future
perspectives for modeling wind erosion and fugitive dust emissions - Larry Wagner, USDA-ARS,
Manhattan, Kansas Wind erosion is a serious problem in many
parts of the world. Historically, emphasis has focused on agricultural land,
not because agricultural land is a significant source of soil loss by wind,
but because wind erosion physically removes the most fertile portion of the
soil. Since cultural practices impact the susceptibility of agricultural land
to erosion, it has also been the principal target addressed by wind erosion
models. The wind erosion equation (WEQ) and the Wind Erosion Prediction
System (WEPS) have attempted to answer questions such as: a) what surface,
soil, and wind conditions are initiating soil loss from the field; b) how
much soil is being lost from a field; c) what size of soil particles
(saltation, suspension, PM10, etc.) are leaving the field; and d) what
direction did the material leave the field. Public health and safety concerns
as well as environmental regulations will affect the direction of wind
erosion modeling in the future. More emphasis will be placed on the offsite
impacts rather than the onsite effects of wind erosion. Improvements in simulation and estimates
of soil loss from agricultural fields will continue, but more emphasis will
be placed on non-agricultural sources such as construction sites, mine
tailings, etc. and emissions caused by vehicle traffic, tillage and
harvesting operations, etc. All of
these will be included in future source models which will be more closely
integrated with dispersion models to better estimate the offsite consequences
downwind. Topic: Geo-spatial Technology for Conservation – Soil,
Water, and Land, Governors II, Remote sensing applications for
conservation, Organizer and Moderator - Nathan Watermeier, Ohio State
University Remote sensing prespectives for natural resource
management
- Nathan Watermeier, Ohio State University, Spatially and temporally
dynamic decision support for natural resource monitoring - Barron Orr,
University of Arizona, Native prairie management and restoration
strategies for Native American reservations - Karisa Vlasek, University
of Nebraska at Omaha Description - Geospatial technologies are playing an
ever-increasing role in conservation and natural resources management. Advances in the science and technology
behind remote sensing are making it more practical to conduct large-scale
inventories and provide monitoring and evaluation of natural resources. Coupled with recent advances in GIS and
spatial decision support systems, geospatial tehcnology is taking resource
conservation planning and management to a new level. Topic: Soil and Environmental Quality, Kellogg I, Assessment
tools for quantifying soil and environmental quality - Field, farm, and
watershed-scale tools - Part II, Organizer – Mark Liebig, USDA-ARS; Susan
Andrews, USDA-NRCS, Moderator - Susan Andrews, USDA-NRCS Is 'soil quality' a dirty word?: Applications of
the Soil Management Assessment Framework - Susan Andrews, USDA-NRCS, I-FARM: A
web-based whole farm planning and assessment tool - Ed van Ouwerkerk,
Iowa State University, Application of the SWAT model for enviromental
impact assessment at the watershed and eiver basin scale - Jeff Arnold,
USDA-ARS Description - Conserving the soil resource and protecting
environmental quality are basic prerequisites of agricultural
sustainability. In this regard,
science-based assessment tools are needed to quantify management effects on
soil and environmental quality. These
tools, while useful for monitoring, can also be used 1) to increase awareness
among land managers about management practice effects; and 2) to help justify
expenditures on natural resource conservation for public sector
decision-makers. This symposium will
explore a range of assessment tools, in various stages of development, that
can be used to evaluate management effects on soil and environmental quality. Each presenter will review a different
assessment tool and discuss how that tool quantifies conservation effects on
natural resource sustainability.
Presenters in this particular session will review tools used at the
field, farm, and watershed-scale including the Soil Management Assessment
Framework (SMAF), a web-based tool for integration of crops and livestock
(I-FARM), and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Concurrent Sessions Topic: Agricultural
Management and Environmental Quality, State II, Predicting environmental
benefits of management scenarios The session will feature modeling efforts to
predict the environmental benefits of management approaches and land use
changes. These presentations will
focus on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the Southeastern U.S., and Minnesota.,
Moderator: Michael Dosskey, USDA-FS 1:30 – 1:50 p.m. Estimating
the effects of BMPs on water quality - Russell Mader, Jr., USDA-NRCS-CBPO 1:50 – 2:10 p.m. Changing
Land Use and the Environment (CLUE) - John Hayes, S.J. Klaine, J. Smink,
R. English, S. Templeton, C. Post, and J. Morse, Clemson University 2:10 – 2:30 p.m. The
power of predictive modeling for farmland diversification – George Boody,
Land Stewardship Project; Prasanna Gowda, University of Minnesota Estimating the effects of BMPs on water quality, Russell Mader, Jr.,
USDA-NRCS-CBPO The Chesapeake Bay Watershed comprises 41 million
acres, over 17 million people and many competing uses that continually impact
the health of this estuarine system. The Chesapeake Bay Program has reduced
delivered nutrient loads to the Chesapeake Bay by 53 million pounds of
nitrogen and 8 million pounds of phosphorus between 1985 and 2000. These
values do not include offsetting the significant growth in N/P load
associated with an 18% increase in population over that same fifteen-year
period. In order to evaluate the water quality benefits
from various management scenarios, the Chesapeake Bay Program developed a
watershed model to estimate reductions in nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment
through the implementation of BMPs. Before estimates could be made, defining
BMPs, tracking implementation levels, and determining reduction “credits”
were fundamental issues to resolve. This presentation will briefly explain the process
used to identify BMPs, assign reduction efficiencies, tracking mechanisms and
how this information was used to assess progress toward assigned nutrient and
sediment caps. Changing Land Use and the Environment (CLUE), John Hayes, S.J. Klaine,
J. Smink, R. English, S. Templeton, C. Post, and J. Morse, Clemson University Changing land use is essential for development to
satisfy the needs of a growing population. South Carolina and the
southeastern U.S. are projected to have substantial population growth rates
during the next thirty years. In order to facilitate this development, it is
critical to understand both on-site consequences and off-site impacts of
land-use change. The Changing Land Use and Environment (CLUE)
program seeks to characterize on-site consequences of land use change,
estimate the off-site impacts of land use change, and develop strategies to
facilitate land use change while preserving critical natural resources. To
achieve the goals of this comprehensive program, interdisciplinary teams of
experts are focusing research to produce a science-based process by which the
impacts of land use change can be evaluated and minimized. Comprehensive water quality sampling was
established in two sub-basins (one developed and another undergoing
development) to characterize changes in storm water and receiving water
quality and quantity as a function of land use. Information from such
sub-basins enables efficacy of installed BMPs to be compared with reported
values and model predictions. Further development of model relationships for
other BMPs will also be presented. Another aspect of the current effort has
been to identify installation and maintenance issues that impact BMP
effectiveness. In many cases, these issues play a dominant role in whether
the practice actually works. Results of this research help to quantitatively
answer questions posed by stakeholders, policy and decision-makers,
developers and planners concerning land use alternatives. The power of predictive modeling for farmland
diversification, George Boody, Land Stewardship Project; Prasanna Gowda, University
of Minnesota Predictive modeling is of great value as a tool
for public design of and investment in positive environmental consequences.
Because it is based on citizen (farmers in our case) input, we are able to
combine the science of data analysis with requisite public engagement in both
the questions and desired outcomes. We seek tools that quantify and predict
water quality benefits, wildlife habitat, economic viability, and the effects
of agricultural land use changes that could result in multiple environmental
benefits from working farmland. It is our intention to nudge farmers and
other professionals toward a different view of our collective responsibility
for clean water and habitat as well as very accessible practices by way of
response. We will present new results from our current efforts to model land
use in a sub-watershed in southeastern Minnesota. With the help of a series
of “what-if” scenarios, the audience will see the environmental impacts of
shifting farmed land away from and toward environmental and production
stability through changes in perennial cover, tillage timing, manure
applications, and other variables. The Logan Creek research is part of the
Multiple Benefits of Agriculture Project, an effort by the Land Stewardship
Project to quantify the non-market public goods of agriculture. Topic: Assessing
the Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental Programs, State III, Adoption
and Integration of Conservation with the Environment This concurrent session provides an overview of
four very different case studies of measuring performance. Traditional and non-traditional
conservation and flood mitigation efforts are discussed and solutions are described
to each unique situation. What are
the take-away lessons from these studies?, Moderator: Andy Manale,
University of North Dakota 1:30 – 1:50 p.m. The
Missouri experience: State conservation programs 1984 to 2004 - Sarah
Fast, Missouri Department of Natural Resources 1:50 – 2:10 p.m. Landowner
opinion in the Wild Rice River Watershed of Minnesota on flood management
practices - Sheila Hanson and Bethany Bolles, University of North Dakota 2:10 – 2:30 p.m. West
Buttrick Creek Watershed Demonstration Project: Innovative measures of
performance - Todd Sutphin, Roger Wolf and Heath Ellison, Iowa Soybean
Association 2:30 – 2:50 p.m. Measuring
success: The initiative for accelerating cooperative riparian restoration and
management - Laura Van Riper, Bureau of Land Management The Missouri experience: State conservation
programs 1984 – 2004, Sarah Fast, Missouri Department of Natural Resources Due to funding from the state's parks and soils
sales tax, Missouri has provided several multi-million dollar conservation
programs for almost 20 years. The
objective will be to offer a results-based analysis of success and failure
with this experience. Missouri's parks and soils sales tax was initially
approved in 1984. Since then, the
voters of the state approved the tax two more times and the state has offered
a variety of conservation and environmental programs. Current programs include a cost-share
program ($20 million/year), a loan interest-share program ($400
thousand/year), an agricultural wate quality watershed program offering best
management practices ($6.9 million/year), and multiple grants to soil and
water conservation districts ($7.6 million/year). State sales tax funded programs have been used in conjunction
with various federal programs offered by both USDA and EPA. Landowners utilized successful new practices
developed in these state programs, including a planned grazing incentive
practice. This practice is unique in
that it requires the landowner/operator to attend a grazing school taught by
local soil and water district personnel, Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) and Extension staff.
Other new practices developed include incentives for nutrient and
pesticide management and an incentive practice to transfer manure outside
watershed boundaries for land application. Landowner opinion in the Wild Rice River Watershed
of Minnesota on flood management practices, Sheila Hanson and Bethany Bolles,
University of North Dakota Landowner opinion is vital to understanding the
potential economic and societal benefits as well as the potential success of
flood management programs. As part of a large, multiyear flood mitigation
study currently under way at the University of North Dakota, landowner
opinion in the Wild Rice River Watershed was surveyed with regard to flooding
and flood mitigation options. The Wild Rice River Watershed comprises 1670
square miles in western Minnesota, and is one of 28 watersheds within the Red
River Basin of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Manitoba, Canada.
The Wild Rice River Watershed has experienced severe flooding over the past
few years and, thus, presents a good model to investigate landowner opinion
regarding flooding and options for flood mitigation. Several measures of
landowner opinion were assessed in a mail survey of over 7000 landowners in
the Wild Rice River Watershed. For example, landowner opinion toward all
known current structural and nonstructural flood mitigation measures was
addressed. Landowners were also asked about their own agricultural and flood
management practices. In addition, because of the history of flooding in the
region, their level of perceived risk was assessed. The results of this
research and assessment will be presented. West Buttrick Creek Watershed Demonstration
Project: Innovative measures of performance, Todd Sutphin, Roger Wolf and Heath
Ellison, Iowa Soybean Association A unique watershed project is working to achieve
goals mutually beneficial to farmers and the environment in Greene County,
Iowa. The West Buttrick Creek Watershed Demonstration Project partners local,
state and national organizations under the umbrella of a federal
appropriation. This cooperative agreement joins the USDA-Natural Resources
Conservation Service and the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental
Research, with watershed project coordination provided by the Iowa Soybean
Association (ISA) and National Pork Producers Council. Using a locally led
area-wide planning approach, the intent of the project is to demonstrate the
performance of agriculture in achieving state and federal water quality
objectives in an Iowa sub-watershed through voluntary use of technical and
financial assistance. ISA’s interest in representing and adding value for
farmers is key to project success. The established relationships with farmers
and partners create a foundation for initiating environmental and management
system assessment and evaluation. The West Buttrick Creek Watershed Project
sets itself apart from other watershed projects because it involves the
collection and processing of data, GIS modeling, water monitoring, and
research providing feedback to farmers. The feedback helps farmers evaluate
the effectiveness of management practices from financial and environmental
perspectives. Doing this as part of an organized watershed effort enables the
outcomes of land management to be linked with the impacts in the water and
watershed. To measure continual improvement and success a “scorecard” has
been developed to evaluate what has been accomplished economically,
environmentally, and agronomically. The scorecard will become a tool for
evaluating the project’s performance. Measuring success: The initiative for accelerating
cooperative riparian restoration and management, Laura Van Riper, Bureau
of Land Management Although riparian-wetland areas comprise a
relatively small percentage of the total land base, they provide communities
with a variety of ecological, economic and social benefits. Today, it is well
known that the successful management of these areas is dependent upon
bringing diverse groups of people together and building the capacity needed
to confront and manage complex and contentious issues. The interagency
strategy for 'Accelerating Cooperative Riparian Restoration and Management'
is a federal level initiative that was created in 1996 to achieve this goal.
The initiative’s mission is ‘Healthy Streams Through Bringing People
Together,’ and it is designed to integrate the bio-physical and social
dimensions of riparian-wetland management in order to achieve results that
benefit both creeks and the communities that depend upon them. This strategy
works to build ownership and commitment in those individuals who must accept
management decisions and often voluntarily implement conservation on the
ground. In an effort to examine whether program objectives
were being met and how program effectiveness could be improved, a program
evaluation was initiated in 2000. The goal of this presentation is to
describe and discuss these evaluation efforts. The first objective is to
describe the interagency strategy and the tools and approaches used to foster
cooperative riparian-wetland management. The second is to describe the
methods and measures used to evaluate the success of this strategy. The final
objective is to present the evaluation findings, discuss the individual and
institutional factors that facilitate and constrain success, and outline the
manner in which our strategy has been revised to address evaluation findings. Topic: Agricultural
Management and Environmental Quality, Governors I, Nutrient losses
from animal feeding operations This session will feature conceptual, data
analysis, and modeling approaches to estimate and control nutrient losses
from animal feeding operations to water., Moderator: Chris Gross,
USDA-NRCS 1:30 – 1:50 p.m. Land
application considerations in managing swine manure - David White and Gay
Miller, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1:50 – 2:10 p.m. An
analysis of farm-level factors influencing the shift to concentrated
livestock operations and their effect on excess nutrient loadings: U.S. and
regional trends - Richard Nehring, Carmen Sandretto, Lee Christensen, and
Erik O'Donoghue, USDA-ERS 2:10 – 2:30 p.m. Statistical
analysis of nutrient and soil losses from U.S. farms: CNMP effects by region
and crop – Jay Atwood, USDA-NRCS; Joaquin Sanabria and Steven Potter,
Texas A&M University Land application considerations in managing swine
manure,
David White and Gay Miller, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Geographic concentration of production in the
swine industry seems increasingly at odds with the fundamental expectation
that swine manure will be recycled through land application according to
sound agronomic principles. This tension is evident in a growing regulatory
oversight concerned that both the difficulty of land application of manure
and the risks associated with failure increase as the size of operation
increases. Since land applying animal manure is required, a given swine
production facility implies a predictable landscape footprint – i.e., the
minimum amount of land required to safely absorb and recycle the nutrients in
the operation’s waste stream. The objective of this paper is to further
develop the landscape footprint concept and use it as a framework to discuss
aspects of swine manure management, including: regulatory guidelines,
agronomic recommendations for crop nutrients, economic considerations,
geographic concentration of feeder operations, and policy concerns. Results
of a manure management planning exercise suggest that the value of fully
using the nutrients in swine manure can significantly exceed the cost of
application, and that full use of the nutrients requires a much larger
footprint than a cost-minimizing disposal strategy typical of many current
operations. Important implications of these results are the need for greater
dispersal of production facilities and the need to re-integrate swine
production with crop production. An analysis of farm-level factors influencing the
shift to concentrated livestock operations and their effect on excess
nutrient loadings: U.S. and regional trends, Richard Nehring, Carmen Sandretto, Lee
Christensen, and Erik O'Donoghue, USDA-ERS Recent trends in the concentration of livestock
production within selected regions suggest an increasing risk of water
pollution from manure applications on available cropland. USDA farm-level data (from the
Agricultural Resource Management and Farm Costs and Returns Surveys, etc.)
will be used to estimate excess nutrients from manure and chemical
fertilizers originating on farms, and to rank farms relative to their levels
of excess nitrogen (phosphorous) produced. This effort will assess the extent
of manure management problems by geographic area (region, state, or Agricultural
Statistics District). A merged farm-level data set for 1991 through 2002
(ARMS and FCRS), that includes a comprehensive range of information on the
entire farm operation and representing approximately 50,000 observations,
will be used to classify farms based on their technical efficiency scores.
The stochastic production frontier (SPF) measurement technique will be used
to estimate econometrically an input distance function to develop this
measure of technical efficiency.
Factors that appear to influence (or are associated with) strong and
weak performance will be identified. More precisely, this effort will involve analyzing
the relationship between technical efficiency, livestock concentration,
intensive use of chemical fertilizers in crop production, other structural
factors, and the generation of excess nutrients. The results will present
technical efficiency rankings by level of livestock concentration (CAFO’s,
etc.), major species, and level of excess nutrients. Finally, this study will
also infer the relative risk of water pollution based on these findings,
recognizing that pollution risk may vary by climate and soil type. Improved
understanding of the interrelationships between these factors will be useful
in informing policy makers in efforts to develop effective measures to
mitigate the potential damage from the release of excess nutrients into the
environment. Statistical analysis of nutrient and soil losses
from U.S. farms: CNMP effects by region and crop, Jay Atwood, USDA-NRCS;
Joaquin Sanabria and Steven Potter, Texas A&M University EPA has found that for water bodies that are still
polluted beyond the designated quality criteria, animal feeding operations
are a primary source. The livestock industry has benefited consumers through
lower food prices but also is contributing to water quality problems. U.S.
policy makers have established the objective that all animal feeding
operations implement Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs). According to the USDA, a CNMP is a group of
conservation practices and management activities that will help to ensure
that both production and natural resource protection goals are achieved. It
incorporates practices to utilize animal wastes as a beneficial resource and
addresses concerns dealing with soil erosion, animal wastes, and their
potential impacts on water quality. A simulation modeling approach using EPIC to
estimate CNMP environmental benefits across the U.S. has four main advantages
over direct measurement or monitoring approach: 1) cost of the evaluation is
lower; 2) individual and combined effects of environmental, soil, and
management factors influencing the level of environmental benefits resulting
from farm management changes can be determined; 3) variability of weather and
resulting impact on the estimates can be simulated; 4) tradeoffs for
alternative policy prescriptions can be explored prior to their
implementation. Statistical procedures were applied to the set of
simulation results to determine the influence of various factors such as
runoff, percolation, soil texture, irrigation, tillage type, manure category
and others on the nutrient and soil losses. This factor analysis also enables
clear conclusions to be drawn from simulation model results. Tuesday, July 27, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Symposia Sessions Topic: Agricultural Management and Environmental
Quality, Wabasha I & IV, Improving water quality through agricultural
drainage management systems - Part II Opening Comments – Mark Dittrich, Minnesota
Department of Agriculture, Illinois drainage water management
demonstration project - D.J. Pitts, USDA-NRCS, Drainage water
management in eastern Canada - C. Madramootoo, P. Enright, E. Abdirashid,
N. Stampfli, and G. Simard, McGill University, Growing season and winter
month operations for controlled drainage systems in the Midwest - N.
Fouss, USDA-ARS, Drainage design and management research in Minnesota –
G.R. Sands, L.M. Busman, W. Rugger, and B. Hansen, University of Minnesota Description - In the past, surface and subsurface drains
were used to remove excess water from the soil on agricultural lands to
provide conditions that are more favorable for crop production. In recent years, science has shown that
improved drainage water management is the key to reducing nutrient and
pesticide losses to surface and ground waters. The Agricultural Drainage Management Systems Task Force
(ADMSTF) was formed to address the issue of using drainage water management
to improve water quality. Scientists
participating in the ADMSTF will present information supporting this effort. Topic: Agricultural Management and Environmental
Quality, Kellogg I, Air quality in the United States Overview of the air quality problem - Jerry Hatfield,
USDA-ARS, Particulate loadings and deposition around beef feedlots -
Richard Todd, USDA-ARS, Particulate and ammonia emissions from swine production
facilities in central Iowa - Richard Pfeiffer, USDA-ARS, Soil
management practices to reduce particulate emissions - Brenton Sharratt,
USDA-ARS Description - Air quality impacts that originate from
agricultural sources are considered as one of the emerging problems in the
United States. Concerns over
particulate and ammonia emissions from livestock, cropping systems, and
processing facilities are related to human health, and ecological and
environmental impacts. However, there
is little quantitative information on the emissions from different components
of agricultural enterprises and being able to understand the sources and
their variation over time and space will be critical to be able to develop or
evaluate control measures that improve air quality. This session will focus on the variation in emissions of
ammonia and particulates from air operations and potential control measures. Soil management practices
to reduce particulate emissions Wind erosion affects air
quality in the Columbia Plateau of eastern Washington, north central Oregon,
and western Idaho. Indeed, several locations in eastern Washington have
failed to meet the PM10 air quality standard due to elevated dust emissions
from agricultural fields during high wind events. Soil management practices
are therefore sought that will reduce dust emissions and improve air quality
in the region. Research conducted in eastern Washington has demonstrated that
PM10 emissions can be reduced by increasing roughness and crop residue cover
on the soil surface. In addition, conservation tillage can reduce soil loss
by 75 % as compared with conventional tillage practices. The Pacific
Northwest PM10 regional transport model, developed in collaboration with
Washington State University, provides greater capability for assessing the
impact of soil management on air quality across the Columbia Plateau. These
simulations suggest that maintaining 25% residue cover on agricultural fields
would reduce dust emissions and thereby PM10 concentrations below the current
air quality standard across the Plateau. However, few management options are
yet available to producers that are as economically viable as the
conventional winter wheat – fallow system. Concurrent Sessions Topic: Agricultural
Management and Environmental Quality, State II, Education programs for
producers and the public This session focuses on programs to educate
producers and the public about conservation and environmental programs. Topics covered include conflict
resolution, mediation of disputes, watershed planning committees, and
promoting BMPs., Moderator: Mary Cressel, USDA-NRCS 3:30 – 3:50 p.m. Managing
agriculture and the environment: Community-based approaches to conflict
resolution - Jennifer Ball and Wayne Caldwell, University of Guelph 3:50 – 4:10 p.m. Interstate
highways in Illinois are being used to drive the adoption of BMPs - Alan
Gulso, Illinois Department of Agriculture 4:10 – 4:30 p.m. Mediation,
a process for resolving environmental policy conflicts: Lessons from the
Agricultural Mediation Program of Illinois - 1997-2003 - Steven Kraft,
Alicia Ruiz, and Jayna Klauser, Southern Illinois University 4:30 – 4:50 p.m. Watershed
planning: Acceptability to residents of alternative structures of planning
committees - Steven Kraft, Chris Lant, Leslie Duram, and Jane Adams,
Southern Illinois University; Timothy Loftus, Heidelberg College Managing agriculture and the environment:
Community-based approaches to conflict resolution, Jennifer Ball and Wayne
Caldwell, University of Guelph Conflict associated with livestock production has
become increasingly frequent and acrimonious. The conflict often escalates as
neighbours watch and monitor manure management looking for the slightest
derivation from best management practices. In some instances these disputes
have found their way into the courts or tribunals and in other instances they
remain unresolved and have soured neighbourly relations. Bill 81 – Ontario’s Nutrient Management Act has established
the framework for a novel approach to rural local conflict resolution. It
proposes the establishment of Local Advisory Committees to mediate conflict,
assist with training, education and awareness building. This presentation will present the results of
research outlining the types of training and the organizational structure
that would be best suited to the success of these committees. This
presentation is drawn from a larger research project that is looking at
various strategies related to conflict resolution and the intensification of
agriculture. The presentation will draw upon the author’s experience looking
at this issue in Ontario, Manitoba, Michigan, and New York. Interstate highways in Illinois are being used to
drive the adoption of BMPs, Alan Gulso, Illinois Department of Agriculture In today's world, marketing is often the key to
getting the public to purchase a product or change their perception on just
about anything. This premise is also true when it comes to working on
increasing the adoption of Best Management Practices (BMPs). In 1999, with
pressure from issues like TMDLs and Gulf Hypoxia that focused on sediment and
nutrients in surface waters, the Illinois Department of Agriculture was
challenged to develop a program that would promote the adoption of BMPs for
corn production dealing with high residue tillage systems and nitrogen
management. Since data shows on-farm demonstration plots are
one of the most successful tools for educating producers, the department
partnered with producers and other agencies to setup a network of 30
different on-farm test plots throughout the state. Although data from the
plots would serve as an excellent source of information for educating
producers on the economic advantage of adopting BMPs, it was also the desire
of the department to reach the general public with the message of
agriculture’s commitment to addressing water quality concerns. To do this, the program specifically targeted
fields for test plots that were located next to interstate highways for the
purpose of erecting 12 by 8 foot billboard signs next to the highway
right-of-way. Today, over 50 billboard signs along Illinois highways mark the
sites of test plots that focus on tillage system and nitrogen research in
corn production. However, due to the location of the signs along interstates,
they are helping to educate the non-farming public as to agriculture’s
pro-active approach to dealing with water quality issues and being good
stewards of our land and water resources. Mediation, a process for resolving environmental
policy conflicts: Lessons from the Agricultural Mediation Program of Illinois
- 1997-2003,
Steven Kraft, Alicia Ruiz, and Jayna Klauser, Southern Illinois University In the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987, Congress
provided for mediation to settle disputes involving credit issues between
farmers and the USDA. In the USDA Reorganization Act of 1994, mediation as a
means to settle disputes between farmers and the USDA was extended to wetland
determinations, conservation compliance, rural water loans, grazing on
National Forest lands, and pesticides.
As a consequence, the USDA certified state mediation programs. In 1998, President Clinton, through an
Executive Order, greatly expanded the use of mediation in all federal agencies
as an alternative to formal appeal processes. In conservation policy disputes, mediation avoids
the time and expense of a formal appeal to the National Appeals Divisions
while permitting the dispute to be solved locally. In the last seven years, mediation has been used to deal with
conservation-related disputes involving wetlands, CRP, and conservation
compliance. Through the process, the
mediator meets with the farmer involved as well as agency personnel from FSA,
NRCS, and often the Army Corps of Engineers. Through the paper, we introduce mediation, discuss
our experiences as mediators dealing with conservation issues in Illinois,
and indicate how individuals can use the principles of mediation to deal with
potential problems when they first develop.
Seven years of data assessing the mediation process by farmers and
agency personnel are presented. For
mediation to be effective, neither group should have the impression that the
mediator favored one side over the other.
Statistical analysis indicates the success of mediation as an unbiased
process for dealing with conservation/environmental issues. Watershed planning: Acceptability to residents of
alternative structures of planning committees, Steven Kraft, Chris
Lant, Leslie Duram, and Jane Adams, Southern Illinois University; Timothy
Loftus, Heidelberg College Voluntary watershed planning has become the
primary basis for the development of watershed plans designed to deal with
the problems of agriculturally-based nonpoint source pollution. While NRCS has developed a process for
the development of watershed plans, and EPA and CTIC have extensive
information on their web sites about the process of watershed planning, there
has been very limited work on the views of watershed planning from the perspective
of watershed residents. If the
planning processes put forth by NRCS, EPA, CTIC, and others are perceived as
not acceptable by watershed residents, the resulting plans might well lack
legitimacy and fail to have much of an impact on reducing nonpoint source
pollution. The paper reports on the
acceptability to watershed residents of five alternative structures for
planning committees: a committee representing diverse parts, committee of
landowners selected through soil and water conservation, committee elected by
voters, committee of any citizen who wants to participate, and committee of
technical experts from local and state agencies. Using data from a statistically designed survey of residents in
the Cache River Watershed of southern Illinois, results were obtained that
raise questions about the legitimacy of watershed planning processes. For example, no committee structure was
selected by more than a third of the residents in the survey. Results for regression analysis suggest
that landowner-based planning processes, while acceptable to farmers, are not
acceptable to a large minority of farmers and a majority of non-farmer
residents. These findings and others
are explored within the context of the legitimacy of the watershed planning
process. Topic: Geo-spatial
Technology for Conservation – Soil, Water, and Land, State III, Geo-spatial
technology for watershed management and conservation Papers presented in this session will showcase an
integrated approach to reducing the problems associated with watershed issues
and site-specific management., Moderator: Gary Hawkins, University of
Georgia 3:30 – 3:50 p.m. An
integrated approach to quantifying and mitigating pollution problems at the
watershed level - Barry Evans, Penn State University 3:50 – 4:10 p.m. Geospatial
spring identification in southeast Minnesota - Mary Williams and Bruce
Vondracek, University of Minnesota 4:10 – 4:30 p.m. Environmental,
regulatory and nutrient management issues related to site-specific management
- J.H. Grove and E.M. Pena-Yewtukhiw, University of Kentucky-Lexington An integrated approach to quantifying and
mitigating pollution problems at the watershed level Within the United States, many state environmental
agencies have adopted the use of GIS-based methods for evaluating water
quality problems at the watershed level.
In Pennsylvania, researchers at Pennsylvania State University have
been assisting the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Projection
(PaDEP) in the development and implementation of various GIS-based watershed
assessment tools that allows the state to address water quality problems in
an integrated manner. One tool
(AVGWLF) provides a means for estimating sediment and nutrient loads within a
watershed with a relatively high degree of accuracy. Output from AVGWLF can subsequently be
used as input in another tool called PRedICT (Pollution Reduction Impact
Comparison Tool). PRedICT provides
users the ability to create various "scenarios" in which current
landscape conditions and pollutant loads (both point and non-point) can be
compared against "future" conditions that reflect the use of
different pollution reduction strategies (best management practices) such as
agricultural and urban BMPs, the conversion of septic systems to centralized
wastewater treament, and upgrading of treatment plants from primary to
secondary to tertiary. This tool
includes pollutant reduction coefficients for nitrogen, phosphorus and
sediment, and also has built-in cost information for an assortment of
pollution mitigation techniques. An
important requirement for using PRedICT is the accurate depiction of existing
BMPs and pollution mitigation strategies being used in the watershed under
evaluation. To assist in documenting
such information, another GIS-based tool (AVNPSTool) is used to record the
locations and types of various pollution control activities, structures, and
projects throughout the state. Geospatial spring identification in southeast
Minnesota,
Mary Williams and Bruce Vondracek, University of Minnesota Karst aquifers are an important ground-water
resource, but are vulnerable to contamination due to relatively fast
transport and limited attenuation processes. Karst ground water can travel
between watersheds and aquifers, distributing surface water inputs and
outputs throughout the region. Springs are direct links to these regional
karst aquifers and exist as important components in land management plans.
They are also critical to the viability of cold-water fish communities.
Therefore, identification and conservation of watershed springs is important
for proper watershed and landuse management plans. Geographic information
systems (GIS) offer high potential for the detection of pattern and process of
surface features like springs. For example, in southeast Minnesota, 1,987
springs have been located over seven counties and geospatially entered into a
GIS database. This database continues to grow along with the recognition that
many springs still need to be geospatially identified. To examine spatial
patterns of known spring locations, we used a redundancy analysis to
correlate 300 spring locations for Winona County, Minnesota with GIS layers
containing specific aquifer and aquitard information, bedrock geology, soil
type, topography, and several other physical metrices. Preliminary data
suggest that springs in this region are not randomly dispersed on the
landscape, but cannot be predicted based on currently developed spatial
layers. Springs appear to be related to clusters of variables indicative of
particular physical landscape or landuse characteristics. Much variation
remains unexplained and warrants more investigation into current spatial data
accuracy as well as spring identification methodology. Environmental, regulatory and nutrient management
issues related to site-specific management, J.H. Grove and E.M. Pena-Yewtukhiw,
University of Kentucky-Lexington Site specific management philosophy is a result or
consequence of geo-spatial technologies. Site-specific technology can be
used, at many levels, for analysis of environmental, regulatory and nutrient
management issues. This work includes four examples applying site-specific
technologies. Geo-spatial technology includes both GIS and spatial prediction.
The objective of the first example was to establish the soil-sampling scales
for successful application of WEPP in prediction of erosion and runoff for an
area. Soil loss and runoff in the 14000 ha Tucutunemo River (Venezuela)
watershed was predicted using GIS and in-field soil sampling of selected
areas. Results indicated that soil silt concentration did not require
detailed soil sampling but soil organic matter did. In the second and third
examples, the objective was to delineate watershed “critical source areas”
for phosphorus and nitrate. Yield monitoring was combined with predicted soil
nitrate maps to delineate areas for nitrate phytoremediation via cover
cropping. A site-specific approach to improved regulatory outcomes for
nutrient management, using maps of bioavailable soil P, a DEM, application of
the Kentucky Phosphorus Index, and the RUSLE, were used to delineate areas
according to soil P loss prediction. In one grower field the approach
increased the crop producing area and identified more sensitive areas for
protection. The last example illustrated how geo-spatial technologies were
used to define the area contributing nitrate to a contaminated well. Using
indicator kriging, soil and elevation maps, the area of high soil nitrate
concentration was detected within the farmstead and targeted for remediation. Topic: Agricultural
Management and Environmental Quality, Governors I, Management practices
for water quality protection This session focuses on water and land management
practices and processes that influence movement of nutrients and sediment to
surface water. Topics covered in this
session include vegetative filter areas, tile drains, and lateral subsurface
erosion., Moderator: Jean Steiner, USDA-ARS 3:30 – 3:50 p.m. The
environmental impact of vegetative filter areas treating silage leachate from
bunk silos - Peter Wright, Larry Geohring, and Scott Inglis, Cornell
University 3:50 – 4:10 p.m. Impact
of nitrogen BMPs on nitrate losses to subsurface, tile drainage - Gyles
Randall and Jeffrey Vetsch, University of Minnesota 4:10 – 4:30 p.m. Importance
of lateral, subsurface erosion on total sediment load to streams in northern
Mississippi - Garey Fox and Raja Periketi, University of Mississippi;
Glenn Wilson, USDA-ARS 4:30 – 4:50 p.m. The
effects of the closure of surface, agricultural drains on water quality and
fish habitat - Mari Veliz, Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority The environmental impact of vegetative filter
areas treating silage leachate from bunk silos Silage leachate is an environmental problem on
many farms. The leachate can have a
pH of 4, a five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of 12,000 to 90,000 mg/l,
and an ammonia level of 700 mg/l. It
can have high nutrient values of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The high concentrations of BOD, acid, and
ammonia in the juice cause the septic odors, vegetation burn, and fish kills
that create real environmental problems.
Losses from bunk silos can be as high as 15% of the nutrients in the
harvested feed. Concentrated Animal
Feeding Operations (CAFO) are required to address the effluent from these
bunks. A practical way to address this issue has been
adopted by many farms in New York and a New York State Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) standard has been developed. They collect the low flows while having a
mechanism so that the higher volume but lower concentration of pollutants
mixed with rainwater are treated in a vegetative filter are. Allowing rainfall driven higher flows to
bypass the storage system makes the storage of the higher concentrated
effluent more palatable to the producer while still protecting the
environment. This paper will show the actual pollution
reduction obtained from this system on one site where three, two-inch
rainfalls were simulated by irrigating the bunk and filter area as well as on
two other sites during two different rainfall events. The implications of the results on CAFP
regulations and on NRCS standards will be discussed. Impact of nitrogen BMPs on nitrate losses to
subsurface, tile d Subsurface, tile drainage from row-crop,
agricultural production systems has been identified as a major source of
nitrate entering surface waters in the Mississippi River Basin and has been
linked to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Tile drainage studies have been
conducted at three drainage research facilities at two locations in Minnesota
since 1973. Nutrient and crop management systems including rate and time of N
application, N sources (fertilizer and manure), nitrification inhibitors, and
cropping systems have been evaluated to determine their agronomic and
environmental characteristics. Cropping system has a huge effect on nitrate
losses from agricultural landscapes with losses being 30 to 50X greater for
row crops (corn and soybeans) compared to perennial crops (alfalfa and a
grass-alfalfa mix). Rate of N application is the management practice that
most influences nitrate concentrations in the drainage water. Reducing the N
rate by 33% from the recommended 120-lb N rate for corn after soybeans
decreased the nitrate-N concentration in the subsurface, drainage water by
2.6 mg/L (14%) and decreased corn yield by 25 bu/A (16%). On the other hand,
increasing the N rate by 33% above the fall-applied 120-lb rate, increased
nitrate-N concentration by 4.3 mg/L (23%) but increased yield only 9 bu/A
(6%). Time of application studies showed nitrate-N losses from a corn-soybean
rotation to be ranked fall N > split N > spring N = fall N with a
nitrification inhibitor. Greater amounts of N were lost in the soybean phase
when N was split- or sidedress-applied. Nitrate-N losses were similar between
fertilizer N and manure N when applied at equal rates of “available” N.
Nitrate losses can be reduced from 30 to 40% when using a combination of BMPs
for N in a corn-soybean rotation but this reduction is small compared to the
effect of introducing some perennial crops into the subsurface-drained
landscape. Importance of lateral, subsurface erosion on total
sediment load to streams in northern Mississippi, Garey Fox and Raja
Periketi, University of Mississippi; Glenn Wilson, USDA-ARS Sediment from agriculture impairs more stream
miles on the U.S. EPA’s Clean Water Act 303(d) list than any other
contaminant. As much as 80% of the sediment entering streams in some
agricultural watersheds originates from the streambank. Fluvial processes are
generally the only mechanisms considered in contributing to streambank
erosion. Limited information exists about lateral, subsurface flow as a
mechanism of streambank erosion, even though subsurface flow erodes
streambank sediment in numerous geographical settings. This research
evaluates the importance of subsurface flow erosion and investigates the
contribution of streambank erosion by ground water mechanisms. Field
experiments are performed at Little Topashaw Creek (LTC) within the Yalobusha
Watershed in Northern Mississippi. Initial soil characterizations are
performed at three identified sites where subsurface erosion of LTC
streambank sediment is occurring. The potential for substantial, lateral
subsurface flow is prevalent due to alternating layers of less permeable clay
and high conducting sand. Laboratory analyses on each soil type indicate a
considerable hydraulic conductivity contrast and therefore, a substantial
difference in the flow characteristics of each of these horizons.
Intermediate scale experiments using lysimeters constructed to simulate LTC
streambank soil profiles and instrumented with an array of TDR probes for
water content and mini-tensiometers for soil water measurement are used to
simulate the dynamics of bank undercutting due to sediment loss. The effects of the closure of surface,
agricultural drains on water quality and fish habitat, Mari Veliz, Ausable
Bayfield Conservation Authority The transformation of
open, surface agricultural drains to closed, tiled drains is occurring across
southern Ontario. In one example, a
preliminary analysis of the number of drains enclosed between 1975 and 1999
in one sub-basin of the Ausable River indicated that 14% of open drains were
transformed during this time period.
The impact on direct or indirect fish habitat and to the overall health
of the watershed and ecosystem is not clearly understood. The closure of these low order drains may
reduce downstream water temperatures and sediment deposition. Conversely, the loss of habitat in these
tributaries should be recognized. A
literature review of the potential effects of closing open, surface drains
was completed. Stream temperature,
hydrologic consequences, effects on nitrate, total phosphorus, suspended
solid concentrations was examined. In
light of these changes, implications for the aquatic habitat were evaluated. Topic: Assessing
the Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental Programs, Governors II, Scales
of Effective Measurement This concurrent session will compare differing
methods of measuring the effects of conservation at differing scales. Can methods be integrated or does
integration diminish the true value of what we want to measure?, Moderator:
Henry Duncan, University of Kentucky 3:30 – 3:50 p.m. Assessing
and managing wetland quality using MnRAM and the Management Classification
System - Natasha DeVoe, Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources 3:50 – 4:10 p.m. Implementation
of the Lake Okeechobee Protection Plan - Gary Ritter and Benita Whalen,
South Florida Water Management District 4:10 – 4:30 p.m. A
process to report on basin wide water quality using data collected at
multiple scales - Robert Finley, Minnesota State University; Bill
VanRyswyk, Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Pat Baskfield, Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency; Heather Offerman, Metropolitan Council 4:30 – 4:50 p.m. Estimating
the effects of management actions on water quality at the regional level
- Russell Mader, Jr., USDA-NRCS-CBPO Assessing and managing wetland quality using MnRAM
and the Management Classification System, Natasha DeVoe, Minnesota Board of Water
& Soil Resources BWSR led an interagency group to update a tool to
help assess a wetland's contribution to the diversity and integrity of
Minnesota's natural resources. The
Minnesota Routine Assessment Method (MnRAM) is a standard procedure for
evaluating wetland functions and values. By answering questions programmed into the MnRAM
database, you get a quick picture of overall individual wetland ecologic
health, vulnerability, and social value.
The database format then allows each local authority to sort wetlands
based on the functions deemed most desirable for a given project, whether for
project-specific mitigation or as part of a watershed-level inventory for
land use planning. Version 3.0 includes scientifically referenced
parameters, numeric ranking, integrated GIS capability, comprehensive data
management, and improved landscape-level evaluations (including buffer,
upland soils, and upland land use). A policy-implementation procedure
("management classification") is intended as a companion document
to help local planners use the MnRAM rating information and make adjustments
for local conditions. Implementation of the Lake Okeechobee Protection
Plan,
Gary Ritter and Benita Whalen, South Florida Water Management District The state of Florida in partnership with the
Federal Government is undertaking one of the largest ecosystem restoration
projects in the world in restoring the fragile Kissimmee River, Lake
Okeechobee, Everglades’ ecosystems. A major component of this effort is the
multi-million dollar restoration of Lake Okeechobee specifically through the
implementation of best management practices (BMPs). In 2000, the Florida
Legislature enacted the Lake Okeechobee Protection Act (LOPA) Fla. Stat.
§373.4595 and the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Fla. Stat. §373.4595(3)(a)
two comprehensive statutory programs established to restore Lake Okeechobee
through the implementation of projects designed to reduce phosphorus loads.
The Lake Okeechobee Protection Act provides guidance to three state agencies,
the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the South Florida Water Management
District to implement watershed source control programs intended to reduce
phosphorus loads to the Lake. A major component of LOPA involves implementing
new technologies and refining existing programs to provide necessary support
to new watershed source control initiatives. These initiatives include
controlling non-point source phosphorus runoff from agricultural and urban
areas in the watershed through the implementation of BMPs as well as the
development of sub-regional and regional stormwater projects. In 2001, FDEP adopted a 140 metric ton phosphorus
TMDL for Lake Okeechobee (of which 35 metric tons is from atmospheric
deposition) to achieve an in-lake phosphorus concentration target of 40 ppb.
In January 1, 2004, the coordinating agencies provided a Lake Okeechobee
Protection Plan to the legislature, which included a water quality monitoring
plan along with an implementation schedule to achieve phosphorus load
reductions consistent with state mandated TMDLs by 2015. A process to report on basin wide water quality
using data collected at multiple scales, Robert Finley, Minnesota State
University; Bill VanRyswyk, Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Pat
Baskfield, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; Heather Offerman, Metropolitan
Council In 2000 an inter-agency team instituted a process
to report on and describe water quality conditions in the Minnesota River
Basin using data collected at three different scales: minor tributary (<
100,000 acres), major tributary, and main stem. Total suspended solids, total
phosphorus, orthophosphorus, nitrate-nitrogen, and runoff are the variables
of interest. Annually, since 2001, these data have been summarized and
published in a State of the Minnesota River Report. The process used to generate these reports
includes acquiring seasonal monitoring data from various local, regional, and
state organizations working in the basin; verifying the accuracy of loading
estimates computed by these organizations; and publishing these data in a
format that describes and compares water quality conditions across the basin. Most agencies and organizations supplying water
quality data for inclusion in the reports are collecting these data for
reasons other than assessing the condition of the Minnesota River. Monitoring
networks have been set up on over twenty small and major tributaries and the
main stem of the Minnesota River to answer questions of relevance to
particular sub-watersheds of the basin, not to provide an overall assessment.
To help overcome this problem, authors have instituted criteria to help
establish a set of standard methods for collecting and reporting on water
quality data. Improvements in consistency have been achieved in sample
collection, laboratory analysis, flow and load calculation methods, and data
analysis techniques enabling reports to draw comparisons, identify trends,
and suggest relative contributions from various portions of the basin
regardless of watershed size. Estimating the effects of management actions on
water quality at the regional level, Russell Mader, Jr., USDA-NRCS-CBPO The Chesapeake Bay Watershed comprises 41 million
acres, over 17 million people and many competing uses that continually impact
the health of this estuarine system. The Chesapeake Bay Program has reduced
delivered nutrient loads to the Chesapeake Bay by 53 million pounds of
nitrogen and 8 million pounds of phosphorus between 1985 and 2000. These
values do not include offsetting the significant growth in N/P load
associated with an 18% increase in population over that same fifteen-year
period. In April 2003 the six Chesapeake Bay basin states,
the District of Columbia and EPA (Bay partners) agreed to aggressive nutrient
and sediment cap allocations designed to restore and protect the aquatic
living resources within the Chesapeake Bay and it’s tidal tributaries. In May 2003, Bay partners began developing
strategic plans, called Tributary Strategies, to reach and maintain assigned
nutrient and sediment caps. A tributary strategy identifies the actions a
jurisdiction will take to reach tributary specific nitrogen, phosphorus and
sediment allocation caps. These plans are scheduled for completion in April
2004. The Chesapeake Bay Program must integrate the
basin-wide effects of nutrient loads on tidal Bay water quality, evaluate
progress toward nutrient/sediment allocations assigned at the state-basin (major
tributary) scale and consolidate local tributary strategies developed at the
sub-basin level. This presentation will explore how the Chesapeake
Bay Program uses the Chesapeake Bay Program’s watershed model to assess
progress toward the new nutrient and sediment caps at the basin, tributary
and sub-tributary level. Poster Presentations Topic 1 – Soil and Environmental Quality Board 01, Conservation management decisions for
compacted coastal soils in cotton with buried microirrigation Because of high soil strengths in Coastal Plain
soils, producers using buried microirrigation tubes may have to decide
whether to increase the amount of tubing used or to deep till between
tubes. In cotton that was irrigated with
buried microirrigation tubes on coastal sandy soils, high soil strength
became so severe that root limiting values occurred within a few inches of
the surface. High strengths continued
down through the profile in Ap and E horizions to a depth of more than 12
inches, the depth of the buried tubes.
Different surface and deep tillage conservation management systems
were used to alleviate compaction.
Surface tillage was disking, chiseling plus disking, or no tillage;
deep tillage was subsoiling or not. Tillage operations were carefgul to not disrupt laterals that
were buried under either every row or under every other mid-row. Cotton was grown in the plots in 38-in
wide rows. Since both 2001 and 2002
were dry years, yield was improved by irrigation. Deep tillage was effective in increasing yield for laterals
buried in every other mid-row but not when laterals were buried in every
row. For conservation purposes,
producers will have to decide whether to bury laterals under every row and
not deep till or bury fewer laterals under every other mid-row and deep till. Board 02, Forest soil quality monitoring in the
U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis Program The Montreal Process was formed in 1994 to develop
an internationally agreed upon set of criteria and indicators for the
conservation and sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests. In
response to this effort, the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and
Analysis (FIA) implemented a national soil monitoring program to address
specific questions related to: (1) the current status of soil resources and
(2) the contribution of forest soils to the global carbon cycle. Soil
indicator measurements are collected on a 1:16 subset of the national FIA
forest inventory plot network with one plot representing approximately 96,000
forested acres. Measurements are divided into three general categories:
compaction, erosion, and soil chemistry. The areal extent of surface
compaction is estimated visually using one or more evidences of compaction
(e.g., changes in density or soil structure). Erosion measurements including
% cover, % slope, and soil texture are used to parameterize existing soil
erosion models (e.g., Water Erosion Prediction Project). Soil chemical and
physical properties are determined by laboratory analysis of forest floor and
mineral soil samples collected from each plot. Measurements include: bulk
density, water content, coarse fragment content, total, organic, and
inorganic C, total N, water and salt pH, 1 M NH4Cl exchangeable cations (Na,
K, Mg, Ca, Al), trace metals (Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb), and S, and
extractable P. A detailed map of forest soil carbon pools in the north
central states was prepared using the FIA soil indicator database to
illustrate the applicability of this soil quality monitoring program. Board 03, Integrated assessment of
agroecosystems: Case studies from the Great Plains and western Corn Belt Balancing productivity with environmental quality
is necessary for agricultural sustainability. Assessment techniques to
evaluate agronomic and environmental outcomes within agricultural production
systems have been developed to identify management practices that are
productive, yet minimize deleterious environmental impacts. Such techniques
provide users with an inclusive evaluation of overall system performance. The
AgroEcosystem Performance Assessment Tool (AEPAT) was developed to assess the
relative sustainability of management practices using agronomic and
environmental data. Using multi-objective analysis principles and
performance-based index methodology, AEPAT derives a relative ranking of agroecosystem
performance among management practices using indicators included in the
procedure. Users categorize indicators into key agroecosystem functions
(e.g., erosion control, food production, greenhouse gas regulation, nutrient
cycling, raw materials production, waste treatment, and water regulation) and
define relationships between each indicator and its associated agroecosystem
function using appropriate mathematical scoring functions. Scores for
individual indicators are summed across agroecosystem functions, while
agroecosystem function scores are summed to provide a single value of
performance. Users can assign numerical weights to indicators and
agroecosystem functions, thereby allowing for context-specific emphasis
within an evaluation. To demonstrate the utility of AEPAT, data from two
long-term cropping experiments in the Great Plains and western Corn Belt will
be used to quantify the relative performance of management practices over
time based on relevant agronomic and environmental indicators. Board 04, Impact of soil erosion on production
and emission of greenhouse gases within complex landscapes In cultivated, topographically complex landscapes,
soil erosion results in the redistribution of large amounts of soil. As the
result of this redistribution, soil rich in organic carbon and nitrogen is
lost from the upper slopes and accumulated in the lower slopes. The soil
redistribution changes the sources and sinks which contribute to the
production of CO2 and N2O. Our studies evaluate how
soil erosion affects the spatial and temporal variability of CO2
and N2O production and emission within landscapes. In a
conventionally tilled cropping site, experiments are being conducted within
depressions of selected hillslopes to examine CO2 and N2O
surface emission and production over soil depths. The distribution of eroded
soil is being assessed with 137Cs and 210Pb. Related to the field study, two
lab experiments are being carried out. One is a growth chamber study which
assesses the effect of soil depth on CO2 and N2O
surface flux. The other is an incubation study to determine potential gas
production of different soil depths. The goal of this research is to
establish the relationship between soil erosion and greenhouse gas emissions
within cultivated landscapes. Board 05, Soil wettability for assessing soil
quality Simple wettability tests are useful for assessing
the impact of soil management practices on soil quality. Soil wettability and
soil structural stability to water are closely related, because wettability
results from surface hydrophobicity, initial porosity, and pore stability to
water entry. Both soil stability and wettability are related to soil organic
matter quantity, quality and location within the soil structure. Aggregate
wettability is a major component of soil wettability, which derives from
water entry into inter-aggregate and intra-aggregate pore spaces. When
rainfall intensity exceeds the actual rate for incipient aggregate failure
water enters aggregates faster than intra-aggregate pore stability can
withstand (excessive aggregate wettability), the soil structure is disrupted,
and pore sealing hinders further water infiltration in the soil. A proper
location of the organic soil constituents can prevent slaking and soil
dispersion during rapid wetting. Aggregate wettability is a desirable
property for agricultural soils when it is related to stable porosity, as may
be found in high organic matter soils (e.g., grasslands). Wettability is
excessive when fast aggregate wetting results in aggregate destruction as
observed in low organic matter cultivated soils. Wettability is too low when
organic matter coatings on soil minerals make soil surfaces hydrophobic
precluding soil water entry. Lack of soil wettability favors water runoff and
surface erosion. Water drop penetration time and wetting rate under tension
of soil aggregates are rapid wettability tests and do not require expensive
equipment or reagents. Board 06, Water quality education for youth at
the annual Natural Resources Conservation Workshop Field Day, Tifton, Georgia The Natural Resources Conservation Workshop is
held annually at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia. The
events of the weeklong workshop for high school students focus on four major
areas of Georgia’s natural resources and include soil and water, wildlife,
coastal resources, and forestry. Although much of the instruction is provided
in a classroom setting, a field day is hosted each year that offers hands-on
exercises to reinforce classroom lessons. For the past four years,
interactive exercises in water pollution and aquatic ecology have been used
to instruct students about water-quality issues. In the pollution exercise,
each student plays a part in a story about a pristine lake that becomes more
polluted as development occurs over time. The objective of the exercise is to
foster the recognition that everyone contributes to water pollution and, therefore,
everyone is responsible for prevention and clean up. Students also learn more
about the complexity of aquatic systems by donning waders and capturing and
identifying aquatic invertebrates. This is an eye opening experience for many
students who were not even aware that these animals exist! These exercises
increase students’ comprehension of water-resources issues, awareness of the
roles and responsibilities of each person with regard to water resources, and
appreciation for the complexity and diversity of aquatic systems. Board 07, Field, farm, and watershed: Iowa
Soybean Association advancing agricultural performance Societal expectations of production agriculture are
becoming greater. Increasing concerns with regard to non-point source
pollution and associated impacts on the environment are prompting an increase
in studies and debate about what should be done to bring about environmental
improvements. It is clear that society wants improved environmental quality. Often, farmers perceive they are using effective
management systems that result in resource protection and improvement.
Farmers intuitively recognize production efficiencies are gained with better
management applications. Redefining farmer leadership in natural resources
management based upon management system performance, rather than
prescription, holds the best chance of achieving measurable progress. Recognizing the need to help farmers achieve and
demonstrate environmental performance, the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), a
state-based commodity organization providing service programs and research to
over 60,000 farmers, is developing an integrated approach to field, farm, and
watershed management. The approach applies an action-oriented framework
focusing public and private resources that include defined projects at each
scale. At the field scale, ISA is empowering an on-farm
network of over 150 Iowa farmers to evaluate, validate, and demonstrate
in-field performance of various practices as part of their overall management
system. At the farm scale, the Certified Environmental Management Systems for
Agriculture (CEMSA) pilot initiative aims to provide an Environmental
Management System (EMS) framework for farming operations. At the watershed
scale, a jointly coordinated watershed management and demonstration project
is facilitating site-specific management while enabling farmers to
collectively achieve environmental outcomes. Board 08, Alberta Soil Quality Benchmark
project: Costs and benefits after five years, Tom Goddard and J.L.
Winder, Alberta Agriculture Canada’s largest soil quality benchmark project
was initiated in 1997. It was
designed to encompass landscape variability and the variability across the
province of Alberta. Sites were
selected to be representative of the ecodistrict within which they are
located (one third of all ecodistricts in the agricultural area have a
benchmark site). Sampling/monitoring
points are stratified by upper, mid and lower landform. This allows the quantification of
within-field variability in state and process variables and serves as a tool
for upscaling of plot data. Originally conceived as a cross-validation
dataset for modeling it has provided valuable data and attention on its
own. It was designed to be low budget
and be sampled every year by regional staff.
The establishment costs of the benchmarks work out to C$0.014 per
cultivated hectare. Ongoing
operational costs are mostly laboratory analysis. The baseline data provided from the benchmarks allowed
leveraging of the project for other resources and funding. Samples from the sites have been used for
comparisons of phosphorus analytical techniques, N mineralization and balance
model development as well as pesticide sorption and degradation studies. This poster will review the design
considerations, operational protocols and costs for the initiation as well as
on going annual operations. Board 09, Multi-scale soil resource evaluation
using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) Systems approaches and hierarchical organizational
tools can be used to help scientists and managers develop adaptive soil
resource management strategies. Our objective was to use one such
organization tool, the soil management assessment framework (SMAF), to
evaluate soil function at multiple spatial (watershed, field, and point
scale) and temporal scales within an agricultural watershed in central Iowa.
We randomly identified 21 potential soil sampling locations within each of
twenty-eight, 680-ac sections within the watershed. We were able to obtain
permission from the landowners to remove soil samples from a minimum of five
locations from each section. Current land-use information was collected for
each sampling site and the location was georeferenced using GPS technology.
Soil sampling grids (250 m x 250 m and 200 m x 500 m) were established at two
fields within the watershed. One of the sampling grids was sampled every year
after harvest for three years and the other sampling grid was sampled every
month during the growing season for two sequential years. We collected soil
samples from the watershed and field sampling sites to a depth of 15 cm and
quantified a suite of soil biological, chemical and physical properties. We
used the SMAF tool to quantitatively evaluate soil quality and to develop
soil quality indices at multiple spatial and temporal scales. The SMAF
outcomes obtained for the various scales are compared and contrasted in this
study. Board 10, The use of leguminous crops for the
management of a heavily degraded and eroded soils of Ekpoma in
Savanna-Rainforest transitional agricultural ecological zone of Nigeria, West
Africa A ten-year, on-farm factorial split trial was
conducted to ameliorate a severely degraded and eroded soil of Ekpoma and
return agricultural value to the land. Five species of the leguminous crops
(Leucaena leucocephala, Gliricidia sepium, wild cowpea, Mucuna mucunoida and
Centrosema spp) were cultivated on Ekpoma arable farm site at close spacing
across the contour to limit the rate of run-off and consequently soil
erosion, in other to concentrate the plant residue for organic matter
build-up on the land. Adequate return
of the major nutrients especially nitrogen and phosphorus was ensured that
support a substantial yield of maize (Zea mays ) planted after the tenth
year. The physico-chemical properties of the soil improved significantly. There existed significant negative correlation
between organic matter and bulk density (r = -70) and positive correlation
between organic matter and CEC ( r = 0.60). Board 11, Used tires recycled for conservation NRCS partnered with the Hungry Canyons Alliance to
construct a grade stabilization structure using used automobile ties bolted
in layers and filled with soil cement.
Iowa State University conducted research which was used during the
design process. The site selected was
a typical western Iowa gully. The
tire structure was placed in series with some rock check structures to
stabilize about 1000 lineal feet of gully.
The total grade control was four feet per structure for a total of 16
feet. The poster will show pictures
of the complete project and sampel plans and design decisions made for this
site. Topic 2 – Agricultural Management and
Environmental Quality Board 12, New equipment for removing fine
sediment from streams, and for restoring sediment-impacted habitats Habitat loss due to sediment is widespread and
significant. The “Sand Wand”, from Streamside Systems, was tested for
effectiveness in removing sand to restore stream substrates for fish and
macroinvertebrate habitat. The Sand Wand uses a water jet to flush fines from
the streambed, plus a screened suction nozzle to remove the fines, while
leaving coarser particles in place. The test site was the Little Manistee
River (MI), where a dam break had covered the riffle gravel and filled pools
with sand. Pebble counts, core samples, and embeddedness were measured before
and after a 45-minute test application of the Sand Wand. Pebble counts showed
64% sand and 36% gravel at the start, and ZERO SAND and 100% gravel after the
test. The median particle size was 0.2 mm before, and 16 mm after.
Embeddedness at the start ranged from 50% to 100%; afterwards, embeddedness
was zero to less than 25%. Duplicate core samples (4-inch diameter, to 4-inch
depth) showed an average of 28.9% particles finer than 500 microns before,
and 16.2% after, by weight. Core sediments finer than 2.0 mm averaged 34.2%
before, and 21.0% after. The improvement in substrate composition was
notable, and confirms the potential of the Sand Wand for restoring
sediment-impacted habitats. Board 13, Considerations for odor control and
management in agricultural operations The intensity and types of odors emitted varies
with the characteristics of the material and the way it is processed. Odors can be released at any point during
waste processing. Generally, the
potential for odor emissions decreases with each stage of processing. Hence, the lowest emissions occur from the
most stabilized waste material. The
most difficult odor control engineering challenges include determining the
degree of odor control required for a particular waste processing
facility. In some cases, a
computerized dispersion model, which predicts the downwind implications of
various odor scenarios, can be used to estimate how much odor control is
necessary. The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM)
has drafted a standard E-679 entitled "Standard Practice for Determine
of Odor and Taste Thresholds by Forced - Choice Ascending Concentration
Series Methods of Limits." The
practices used to quantify an odor or taste in a gas, liquid, or solid. The factors involved in odor production include
bacteria, temperature, moisture, and type of material, particle size, and
chemicals. In the management of odors, consider the following
options: avoid, cover or remove.
Before evaluating odor control systems, consider pollution
prevention. This includes properly
operating and maintaining treatment systems, changing closed-loop recycling
systems to prevent spillage and changing vapor collection and condensing
systems to remove condensate odorous vapors from process exhausts. Another example of pollution prevention
would be to install properly sized aerators in a flow equalization tank to
prevent wastewater from developing foul odors. Pollution prevention is probably the least expensive option and
could eliminate the need for end-of-pipe treatment. Pollution prevention is not always easy to implement because
the processes that generate odors may not be easy to control. Board 14, Dust deposition near an eroding
source field Dust deposition samplers were constructed from
inverted flying disks attached to unilets and electrical conduits. Wind
tunnel tests showed a fine screen placed over a porous mat in the bottom of
each sampler was necessary to prevent blowout of trapped dust particles.
Twelve samplers were installed along three transects near a vegetated surface
within 200 m of a 6-ha bare, Amarillo fine sandy loam, source field at Big
Spring, TX. Dust deposition data from individual storms were collected for
three erosion seasons. Both particle size and deposition mass of dust
decreased with distance from the source field. Model predictions of dust
deposition were compared to measured for a number of erosion events. Based on
these results, estimates of pollution potential from dust deposition near
source fields are discussed. Board 15, Evaluating forest road BMP
effectiveness Forest road systems are frequently cited as one of
the major sources of sediment that reaches stream channels on forestlands.
Research has shown adverse impacts on the nation’s water quality from soil
erosion and stream sedimentation. In recent years, increased concern and
societal pressure has focused on impacts of forest roads and the
effectiveness of erosion control measures. Application of Best Management Practices
(BMPs) is considered an effective means of reducing the environmental impacts
of forest roads. However, there is a lack of information documenting the
effectiveness of prescribed practices in reducing sediment loads onto the
forest floor. Currently, due to the complexity of assessing sediment delivery
to the forest floor and stream systems, little sediment transport information
is available in the South. Alternative sediment control practices may hold
the key to reducing sediment contributed from the forest road prism. A study
was initiated on the Tallulah District of the National Forests of Georgia to
evaluate the effectiveness of three road sediment control treatments:
settling basins, sediment basin with riser control, and hay bale barriers in
reducing sediment export onto the forest floor and filtering sediment laden
storm runoff. This poster and paper presents the BMP effectiveness study
design which utilizes stormwater samplers, trapezoidal flumes, automated flow
level devices, and flow dividers to evaluate sediment transport through
sediment control treatments. The poster and paper also discusses the
engineering considerations involved in the design of structures to evaluate
BMP effectiveness. Board 16, Phytofiltration shows promise to
reduce ground water nitrate Treatment of drinking water to remove excess
nitrate is expensive and the commonly used process, reverse osmosis,
generates a wastewater stream containing very high nitrate concentrations. We
hypothesized that ground water nitrate concentrations could be reduced by
over-irrigating perennial forages to remove nitrate from irrigation water and
produce cleaner recharge water. Field experiments at two sites in Minnesota
and a greenhouse experiment were conducted for two years. In the field,
nitrate-spiked water was applied to 3 or 4 species (alfalfa, smooth
bromegrass, orchardgrass, and soybean) at irrigation water concentrations
ranging from approximately 15 to 50 ppm nitrate-N. Highest yield and N
removal were obtained with alfalfa, lowest with smooth bromegrass. Soil
solution nitrate concentrations were generally very low under the perennial
forages and considerably higher under soybean. Removal of nitrate appears to
involve both N uptake and denitrification. We tested alfalfa, reed
canarygrass, bermudagrass, and switchgrass in coarse sand in the greenhouse
with different water application rates. All species removed nitrate
effectively when water did not move too quickly through the root zone. This
remediation approach has potential in areas where ground water can be readily
influenced by leaching. Board 17, Mitigating the environmental impact
of agriculture with alternative management practices A common management
practice for the production of fresh-market vegetables utilizes polyethylene
(plastic) mulch, to control weeds and warm the soil, and requires multiple
applications of agrochemicals. During
rain events, runoff is enhanced because 50 to 75% of the field is covered
with an impervious surface. Previous
studies have shown that runoff from polyethylene mulch can contain soil and
pesticide concentrations that would impact adversly non-target aquatic
organisms in adjacent surface waters.
Two field studies were conducted to quantify off-site movement of soil
and pesticides with runoff from tomato plots managed with the conventional
polyethylene-mulch and two alternative management practices. The addition of vegetative furrows to the
conventional polyethylene system decreased runoff volume by more than 40%,
soil erosion by more than 80% and pesticide loads by more than 60%. Replacement of the impermeable
polyethylene mulch with vegetative mulch further reduced these values by an
additional 10 to 40% resulting in an 80, 90, and 80% reduction in runoff
volume, soil loss, and pesticide loss with runoff, respectively, relative to
the conventional polyethylene-mulch management practice. The maintained harvest yields and reduced
runoff volume, soil loss, and off-site transport of pesticides measured in
runoff from the alternative management practices demonstrate these vegetative
systems are more sustainable and may have a less adverse impact on the
environment, while providing growers with an acceptable economic return. Board 18, A purpose-based selection guide for
woody conservation plantings “Woody Plants for the Great Plains” is designed to
assist land managers with selecting the most appropriate trees and shrub species
for conservation practices in the Great Plains region. Potential users
include federal, state, district and local natural resource professionals who
routinely assist private landowners with planning and installing conservation
practices such as riparian forest buffers, windbreaks, shelterbelts, and
wildlife habitat improvement projects. We have rated over 140 woody species
for their relative ability to provide wildlife habitat, water quality,
erosion control, and economic products, among other benefits. This guide also
includes information on site requirements, growth characteristics, and other
useful information about each species. The guide will be published both as a
reference book and abbreviated field guides for various portions of the Great
Plains. It will also be made available to users through the National
Agroforestry website and on CD. This guide should help conservation planners
make better decisions about the plant materials they use in conservation
planning. Board 19, A buffer capability index for water
quality planning, Michael Dosskey, USDA Forest Service; Matthew Helmers,
Iowa State University; Dean Eisenhauer, University of Nebraska Toward increasing the efficacy of buffers and
buffer programs to improve water quality, we have developed a planning tool
that identifies locations where buffers are likely to have greater impact on
water quality. The tool is based on USLE factors and a few other variables
found in soil surveys. The tool consists of a simple index that rates each
soil survey mapping unit for relative effectiveness of a standard design
buffer strip to filter pollutants from crop field runoff on that soil.
Separate indexes have been developed for sediment, dissolved pollutants in
surface runoff, and for pollutants in groundwater. Using the indexes, we have
rated all farmable soil mapping units in 57 Major Land Resource Areas in the
eastern U.S. Maps that display the results are created using STATSGO and
SSURGO in a GIS. Results can be used by local project managers, state resource
planners, and national program planners to help target resources to regions,
watersheds, and sites where buffer impacts are likely to be greater. Use of
this tool should substantially improve both the effectiveness of buffer
installations and the efficacy of water quality improvement programs. Board 20, Movement and survival of fecal
contaminant indicators in an Iowa watershed The South Fork of the Iowa River drains a 78,000
ha (215,000 ac) watershed in north-central Iowa. The land is about 85% in
row-crop (corn-soybean) agriculture. There are approximately 95 confined
feeding operations (mostly swine), and in lower stream reaches there are
wildlife, pastures with cattle access to streams, and homes that may have
inadequate on-site waste treatment. These may all be sources for fecal
contamination of streams. Since August 2001, stream water monitoring has been
conducted to evaluate the occurrence of Escherichia coli in the South Fork watershed.
During 2002, monitoring was expanded to include tile-drain discharge, soil
populations following application of manure, and event-based monitoring of
field runoff and stream flow. The first 12 months of stream monitoring showed
E. coli populations exceeded a recreational-contact standard of 200 mpn/100
mL between 34 and 56% of the time, depending on the sub-basin. Tipton Creek
showed a downstream increase in E. coli populations, i.e., with increasing
distance from most swine feeding operations. This indicates downstream
sources may be important, or there are resident populations in stream
sediments that are released during runoff events. E. coli populations vary
seasonally, and correlations with temperature, and sediment and nutrient
concentrations were observed. Soil monitoring showed E. coli populations
declined about 90% per week after fall manure application. But a runoff event
shortly after application showed a large pulse of E. coli in field runoff and
in streams. Research to better understand the sources and risks of fecal
contamination in this watershed is continuing. Board 21, Soil erodibility by rainfall on CRP
lands converted to crop and hay production If grasslands currently under the CRP program are
returned to crop production, there are concerns that these lands will
experience increased soil erosion. Our objective was to compare runoff,
erosion, and soil erodibility on CRP land converted to crop and hay
production using rainfall simulation technology. The study was conducted in
North Dakota six years after the CRP land had been converted to crop and hay
production with a spring wheat – winter wheat – dry pea rotation. Agronomic
treatments examined were conventional-till (pre-plant disk tillage, CT),
no-till (NT), and permanent (annual) haying (PH) on Argiustoll soil. Runoff
volumes and soil loss were measured on 1.5- x 5-m bordered runoff plots on 4%
slope. Soil erodibility was calculated as the ratio of soil loss rate to
runoff rate measured at relative steady state. Erodibility on undisturbed CT,
NT, and PH treatments was 1.65, 0.29, and 0.28 g m-2 mm-1, respectively,
indicating that NT did not differ from PH and that the single preplant
tillage of CT increased erodibility 6-fold above that of PH. Soil erodibility
was increased by thorough disk tillage 3-fold for CT, 15-fold for NT, and
9-fold for PH. Of interest to soil conservationists, our results show that
chemically weeded (glyphosate and others) NT exhibited the same low
erodibility as the grassland PH treatment. However, erodibility of tilled NT
was significantly higher than that of tilled PH, reflecting the higher
inherent stability of grassland surface soil with its perennial plant root
structures. Board 22, Conservation practice standards -
delivering conservation technology to the field A conservation practice standard is the vehicle by
which NRCS, Technical Service Providers and others deliver specific
conservation technology to landowners, helping them maintain or improve the
quality of the natural resources they manage. These standards define the
practice, list the purposes for which it may be applied, describe the areas
where the practice is suited, and set out the minimum criteria that must be
met when the practice is applied to ensure that it will accomplish its
conservation purposes. To ensure that the latest technology is available to
the field, existing practice standards must be reviewed and updated regularly
and, as new technology or new resources concerns emerge, new practice
standards must be developed. The process for developing, reviewing, and updating
conservation practice standards will be presented. In addition, the mechanism
for evaluating new conservation technology and making it available to
conservationists will be presented. Links to Web sites from which practice
standards can be downloaded will be provided. Board 23, Using SWAT to predict basin scale
water quality changes due to field scale management decisions Non-point source pollution is considered to be a
threat to surface water quality in Kansas and the midwest. Runoff of
pesticides, sediment and nutrients from agricultural land contribute
pollutants directly to surface water. GIS tools and watershed models are
being used to help identify areas at risk and the impact that various
management practices have spatially on pollutant loading. The project goal is to develop and apply a model
that utilizes local, field-scale research knowledge to simulate the effects
of nutrient, sediment and pesticide BMPs on water quality at the watershed
scale. In addition, model outputs are used to identify areas within the
watershed that contribute the greatest amounts of pollutants. The intended
outcome of this project is to work with stakeholders to develop and deliver
agricultural BMPs and recommendations for reaching water quality goals. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is
being used to evaluate watershed conditions in the Lower Little Blue River
Basin of Nebraska and Kansas. Initial results have been presented to local
conservation districts and basin advisory committees and are being developed
into specific sub-basin BMP recommendations. Model outputs are also being
used to determine a real NPS contribution and are being used to assist state
and federal agencies target conservation resources. The long-term outcome of
this work will be a citizenry that is educated about the water quality
impacts of various management alternatives and producers motivated to adopt
BMPs likely to make an impact. This will lead to improved water quality in
the watershed. Board 24, A regional assessment of coarse woody
debris in riparian and non-riparian areas The Forest Inventory and Analysis Program (FIA) of
the USDA Forest Service conducts a regional-scale inventory of coarse woody
materials (CWD) for a majority of states. The amount and attributes of CWD
serves as a critical indicator of habitat and water quality in numerous
forested areas of the upper Midwest region. FIA’s inventory of CWD for 11
north central states was analyzed for trends in CWD amounts and attributes
(i.e., decay classes and species composition) among the strata of riparian
and non-riparian areas. Results indicate that a regional-scale inventory of
CWD allows strategic-scale assessments of riparian habitat quality.
Additionally, definitions of riparian areas can be altered dynamically with
the CWD inventory database to test a number of habitat scenarios and
delineations. Board 25, Wagon Train Lake, protecting a valued
resource The Wagon Train Lake is a reservoir created in
1962. The PL-566 Small Watershed Program dam is part of the Salt Valley Flood
Control Project. The flood control and recreation features of the 315 acre
reservoir have increased greatly in value because of its proximity to the
city of Lincoln, Nebraska. The 10,000-acre Wagon Train Lake watershed is
still primarily agricultural but acreage home sites are becoming more common.
There has been little incentive to maintain, or to install new, conservation
systems. Many of the older soil and water conservation systems have fallen
into disrepair. Water quality data of the Wagon Train Lake has
been collected for 20 years. The Wagon Train Reservoir was placed on the
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) list of impaired waters
in 1996. The Wagon Train Lake watershed was identified by NDEQ as a high
priority for a non-point source management plan. A locally lead conservation work group, assisted
by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Nebraska
Cooperative Extension and the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District,
developed the planning goals and future vision of the watershed. An EPA grant
was awarded in 2003 to offer incentives to implement the approved
conservation practices. Other grant funds offer a unique option to improve
septic systems that do not meet current health department standards. The NRCS
is calling on landowners and providing technical assistance for applying
conservation practices. Board 26, Missouri Soil Phosphorus Potential
Report is used as a tool to improve water quality The Missouri soil phosphorus loading report was
developed for watershed and nutrient management planning in the Ozarks. The
Missouri Ozarks are quickly being urbanized because of the aesthetic beauty
and the recreational opportunities from Branson and several lakes. The
poultry and dairy industries compete for land area with the urban neighbors.
Runoff from fields where poultry litter, dairy waste, and municipal sludge is
applied is a source of nutrient loading in Table Rock Lake. Many soils in this area either developed in karst
limestone or have high concentrations of rock fragments in the soil profile.
Runoff from fields with land applied animal or municipal wastes has a high
potential to reach existing ground and surface water recharge systems. This
report was developed as a general guide for conservation planners to evaluate
areas suitable for land application of animal and municipal wastes containing
phosphorus. The report was developed using the National Soil
Information System (NASIS). The report may have the potential to be used
throughout Missouri and possibly other states. The report is being field
tested at the county and watershed level. Adjustments have been made to
improve the value of the report for the planners. Having the report in NASIS
allows for use and testing of the report in any part of the country where
NASIS soil information is available. Board 27, Changing dairy manure from a
liability to a resource Fessenden Dairy has made dramatic progress towards
transforming their manure from an environmental, social, and economic
liability to a positive resource. They first installed a satellite manure
storage to supply the nutrient needs of a 200 acre tract within hauling
distance to eliminate land spreading there under bad conditions. This manure,
one-third of the farm’s total, is now custom applied using a drag hose and
immediately incorporated with a chisel plow, virtually eliminating the odor
problem, reducing surface runoff, and increasing yields due to decreased soil
compaction. In 2000-2002, the Fessendens piloted a novel approach to dairy manure
treatment based on research at Syracuse University. A state agency funded a
pilot project that took the manure produced by 100 cows, composted the solids
with a static aerated pile and vermicomposting, and digested the liquids
using a living biofilter greenhouse system. The compost process was and is a
success; the biofilter greenhouses partially so, due mainly to problems with
winter cold. They are now experimenting with methods to separate more solids
and nutrients from their six million gallons of raw manure, including
centrifugation, dissolved air floatation, and mechanical clarification.
Liquids will be aerated to reduce odors and soluble N and P. The treated
liquids will be applied to crops during the growing season using traveling
irrigation equipment that will further reduce soil compaction, energy and
labor requirements. Compost will be sold off-farm and all liquids applied
beneficially to growing crops. Board 28, Establishing cover crops at time of
corn silage planting The establishment of cover crops following corn
harvest is limited due to the short growing season in the northeast. The
establishment of cover crops at the time of corn planting takes advantage of
good soil moisture, a prepared seed bed, and allows for the use of
conventional seeding equipment.
Herbicides are used to suppress the cover crops while controlling
weeds without reducing corn yields.
Summary information on eight herbicides and six cover crop treatments
will be provided. The cover crops used, depending on the herbicide selection
were: alfalfa, red and white clover, birdsfoot trefoil, perennial and annual
ryegrass. The red clover and
birdsfoot trefoil were the least competitive cover crops with average corn
yields of 17.3 and 19.7 t/ac respectively compared with the control of 16.8
t/ac with the Pursuit (1.44 oz/ac) and Python (1.0 oz/ac) pre-emergence
herbicide treatments using a Clearfield or IMI corn hybrid (LSD.05 =
4.5). The red clover and birdsfoot
trefoil cover crop treatments had average corn yields of 16.9 and 15.5 t/ac respectively compared with the control of
17.6 t/ac with the Eradicane (5 pints/ac) and Python (1.14 oz/ac) pre-plant
incorporated herbicide treatment using a conventional corn hybrid (LSD.05 =
4.0). The average corn yield for the annual and perennial ryegrass cover
crops was 15.2 t/ac for the Pursuit and Python treatment. The red clover and birdsfoot trefoil
averaged over both herbicide treatments had 68 and 48% cover on 11/14/00 and
82 and 61% cover respectively on 5/24/01. The ryegrasses averaged 90% cover
on 11/14/00. Board 29, Conservation practices to enhance
wildlife habitat on Taro Farms in the Hawaiian Islands Wetland taro (Colocasia esculenta) is cultivated
in flooded terraces typically carved from rich alluvial floodplain
soils. The shallow open water in this
productive zone attracts a variety of wildlife. Five endangered and at least 25 species of migratory waterbirds
inhabit taro farms. The
Federally-listed Nene (Hawaiian Goose, Branta sandvicensis) and Koloa
(Hawaiian Duck, Anas wyvilliana) forage and breed on taro farms. Associated waterways are habitat for
invertebrates found nowhere else in the world. All five endemic forms of goby (fish) are found in Hanalei
Valley and Waipio Valley, the largest taro cultivation areas in the
state. Taro is a staple food for
Hawaiians and represents a traditional bond between agriculture and watershed. There has been a revival of taro farming
in recent years. The state produces
6.2 million lbs of taro valued at $3.2 million on average annually. Our objective was to develop conservation
practices to enhance wildlife habitat that are compatible with or benefit
taro production. Surprisingly little
is published on wildlife in taro. We
conducted a review of gray literature and interviewed wildlife, wetlands, and
agriculture specialists, researchers, and farmers, including environmental
activists and cooperative extension agents.
Interviews were valuable for identifying major issues such as water
delivery, erosion, and invasive and endangered species liability. We recommend practices that address
wildlife habitat and other resource concerns that can be included in taro
management systems. We also identify
funding sources, including Farm Bill programs that may be available to assist
farmers in the implementation of these practices. Board 30, Implementing a composting/vegetative
filter demonstration site at the ISU Dairy Teaching Farm Composting is often the preferred technology for
solid manure management. Composting reduces odor, stabilizes nutrients, and
generates an easily stored product. While the benefits of composting are well
documented, little is known about the water quality impacts at composting
sites. This project establishes a demonstration site at the ISU Dairy Farm,
Ames, Iowa, to explore these impacts. The objective of this research is to evaluate the
effect of a compost/vegetative filter strip system on surface runoff of
nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and sediment after natural rainfall. Compost
and runoff samples are being collected from the dairy site in 2001-2004. The study site includes nine-6 m x 23 m (20' x
75') plots with compost placed upslope from the vegetative filter strips
(VFS). The study site focuses on N and P concentrations and sediment
contained in compost runoff that has passed through compost:vegetative filter
strip area ratios of 1:0 (control), 1:0.5, or 1:1. Compost and runoff samples for all three
treatments are being collected from the plots into a tipping bucket system.
This system measures and collects a runoff sample for each rainfall event.
Grab samples also are being collected from the compost windrows. All
treatments are randomized and have three replications for statistical
analysis purposes. This project will benefit Iowa livestock manure
management systems and municipalities generating solid waste streams
compatible with composting. The project also provides an education and
demonstration site for managing livestock manure/urban yard waste
combinations in a windrow composting facility and runoff from such a facility. Board 31, On-farm evaluations of nitrogen
fertilizer recommendations for corn Rates of nitrogen (N) fertilization for corn
influence profits for producers and losses of N to water supplies. In the
past, recommendations given to producers were assumed to be the best
management practices. Precision farming technologies offer producers the
ability to evaluate N recommendations on their fields. The objective of this
study was to evaluate the effect of reducing N rates by 50 lb N/acre below
those normally recommended. Over a three-year period, 92 on-farm trials
compared a recommended rate and a lower rate in alternating strips replicated
at least four times on corn after soybean. Each strip was 8 to 24 rows wide
and went the length of the field (usually >1600 ft). Combines equipped
with yield monitors and global positioning systems measured grain yields in
each strip. Mean rates of fertilization were 96 and 146 lb N/acre. Mean
yields were 172 and 177 bushels/acre. Reductions in value of crop were
approximately equal to reductions in amounts producers paid for the extra N.
Of the additional N applied, only 3.5 lb N/acre was accounted for in the
additional grain harvested. The results suggest that N rates can be reduced
below those normally recommended and that guidelines given to producers were
a major barrier to improving N management. On-farm evaluations of N
recommendations make it possible to improve N management practices and reduce
water quality problems. Board 32, On-farm evaluations of the
effectiveness of nitrogen applied as manure Recent studies show that management guidelines
widely recommended by government groups do not provide reliable estimates of
amounts of nitrogen (N) supplied for corn by applications of animal manure.
The problem is that losses of manure-N soon after application vary greatly
with many different factors and the guidelines lack ability to predict these
losses. This problem is of great economic and environmental importance
because it prompts most crop producers to apply more manure and fertilizer N
than is really needed. We describe how many producers cooperating in on-farm
trials using precision farming technologies can reduce this problem. The
producers applied manure and managed fields according to their normal
practices, except no fertilizer N was applied other than specified treatments.
The fertilizer treatments were 0 and 75 lb N/acre side-dressed in alternating
and replicated strips going the lengths of the fields. Combines equipped with
yield monitors and global positioning systems measured grain yields in each
strip. The results showed that manure-N injected into soils to control odor
was a much more reliable source of N than manure applied by more traditional
methods. The difference between application methods was much greater than
indicated by current guidelines. Recognition of this difference enables corn
producers to avoid unnecessary applications of N as manure and fertilizer.
The results demonstrate that on-farm trials to evaluate and improve N
management practices can help producers identify practices that can increase
their profits while reducing environmental problems. Board 33, Restoration of natural wetlands and
remediation of contaminated groundwater using spray irrigation The North Lake Basin Wildlife Management Area lies
within the Rainwater Basin Area of south-central Nebraska, which provides
critical habitat for tens of millions of waterfowl migrating annually through
the central U.S. flyway. Since the early 1900s, climate change and the
impacts of agriculture have decreased Nebraska's natural wetlands acreage by
90%. Recently, less than 5% of the 364-acre North Lake Basin has contained
water available to waterfowl. Approximately 0.5 mile from the North Lake Basin,
shallow groundwater beneath the town of Utica contains carbon tetrachloride
contamination. The contamination resulted from widespread use (prior to 1985)
of fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride to treat stored grain. In cooperation with numerous state and federal
agencies, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (CCC/USDA) has initiated a pilot program for combined restoration
of the wetlands and remediation of the Utica aquifer with a unique spray
irrigation technology. More than 3,600 acre-feet of supplemental water are
expected to enter the wetlands over the projected 12-year life of the
program. This project is part of an ongoing CCC/USDA effort
to develop efficient, cost-effective remediation approaches - primarily for
rural areas - that permit the beneficial use of contaminated resources to
meet local ecological, agricultural, or municipal water demands. The CCC/USDA
program at Utica is being conducted by the Environmental Research Division of
Argonne National Laboratory. Board 34, Paired watershed studies for nutrient
reductions in the Minnesota River Basin Non-point sources of pollution from agricultural
watersheds are a major contributor to impaired waters in the Upper Midwest.
There is great interest in finding economical ways to reduce the loss of
sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen from these watersheds. This paper
describes a paired watershed approach involving a coalition of producers,
state and county agency personnel, and researchers and extension faculty at
the University of Minnesota. Our goals are to 1) accelerate the voluntary
adoption of BMPs, 2) improve water quality, 3) evaluate the economics and
water quality impacts of BMPs, and 4) allow farmers to decide what strategies
for water quality improvement work best. Our approach involves paired
agricultural watersheds in Nicollet County, Minnesota. These are adjacent to
each other, and each consists of approximately 2800 ac of corn and soybean
fields, along with several animal operations involving hogs and dairy cattle.
Automated water quality samplers collect storm event data from each
watershed, these are analyzed for sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Farm
management surveys have been conducted for two years in both watersheds,
covering 90% of the cultivated area. The high participation rate is
attributed to the involvement of local farmers and an agronomist in the
project. Survey findings show a wide range of management practices in the
watersheds, and point out the need for a correspondingly wide range in BMPs. Board 35, CEMSA - An Iowa Soybean Association
program to evaluate the use of EMS on Iowa farms The Iowa Soybean Association is beginning the
second year of the Certified Environmental Management Systems for Agriculture
(CEMSA) project. The goal of CEMSA is to evaluate the feasibility and use of
environmental management systems (EMS) in Iowa agriculture. CEMSA is a farmer
driven initiative supported by the Iowa Soybean Association and Iowa Soybean
Promotion Board’s farmer directors. Participating in CEMSA helps farmers
document their good stewardship practices, make environmental improvement,
and evaluate alternatives in environmental management. It is designed to
balance environmental concern with economic and agronomic needs, keeping the
farmer’s bottom-line as a priority. Challenges and experiences of the CEMSA
project will be shared. Board 36, Geotextile innovation for waste
management The Ching Dairy, Mobile County, AL, sits adjacent
to Juniper Creek, which is on the 303d stream list for pathogens, nonpoint
source grazing cattle. The dairy is locally owned and operated by three
brothers who are third generation dairy farmers. NRCS, along with other
stakeholders, has provided technical advice and financial assistance for
innovative best management practices (BMPs). The BMPs are addressed in a
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan which includes plans for a unique
solid-waste separator. The goal is to provide a conservation system that will
allow these men to continue their work in a growing neighborhood while
conserving valuable natural resources. Milking parlor waste will flow into a 400-gallon
“sand trap” beside a 3000-gallon tank. Pumps will transport waste via a
four-inch pipe into Geotextile solid-separator bags—50’ long by 45’
circumference. Bags will be housed on a concrete pad beside the lagoon. The
pad, large enough to hold two bags, will slope to ensure proper drainage of
the leachate. The bags will dewater; leachate will drain into the lagoon. The
lagoon measures 220’ by 200’ by 10’ and is composed of a 2’ clay compacted liner
and a 1’ protective soil cover. Odor and pests will be reduced; the solids
will be contained within the bags to dry. Dry matter will be analyzed and
applied on site according to soil test recommendations. Process will reduce
the amount/cost of purchased fertilizers. Hypothesis is that the solids will
reduce soluble Phosphorous. Tests will be run to confirm hypothesis. Board 37, Use of the OnePlan Planner Software
for nutrient management in the state of Idaho OnePlan Planner Software developed for the state
of Idaho creates a platform to write a nutrient management plan in a uniform
format for multiple agricultural operations.
OnePlan is an interactive graphical user interface driven program that
shares dependency on user input which in turn determines information pulled
from other program sources. The OnePlan program is an collaborative effort
between the Idaho department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation
Service and the University of Idaho.
Staffs from each of these agencies have been trained in the use of
OnePlan. Overall use and
implementation of nutrient management plans written by OnePlan software
support the advantage of a single format plan on a statewide level. Board 38, Two-year association of seasonal
sources of fecal E. coli with rain events in southwest Missouri The Shoal Creek watershed, in southwest Missouri,
includes 90% of pastures grazed by cattle and fertilized with poultry litter,
and 10% of wooded-land. Rural residents use septic systems. A 13-mile segment
of Shoal Creek is designated impaired due to high fecal E.coli levels. Our
two-year study was designed to identify the seasonal sources of pollution and
to consider the correlation of fecal E.coli levels in the waterway with
rainfall events. DNA fingerprinting of fecal E.coli was done using the
rep-PCR method. Our landscape library included human, cattle, horse, dog,
poultry, and wildlife samples collected over the two years. Stream water
samples were collected weekly from March through November, and monthly from
December through February at a central point of the watershed. Flow rates
were continuously monitored at that point. Rainfall data was obtained from
two stations located at the watershed periphery. Total fecal E.coli counts
were determined and an average of 15 isolates was analyzed for each water
sample. Nearly 50% of fecal pollution was associated with cattle during the
summer and 25% during the winter. Poultry was second only to cattle when flow
was affected by runoff. Horse and dog combined to contribute between 15 and
23% of the pollution. The human contribution ranged between 6 and 27%.
Conclusions indicate that cattle, both grazing in the landscape and standing
in the waterway, are major contributors during base flow. Animal waste
deposited on the landscape contributes to the high peaks of the fecal E.coli
counts recorded during storm events. Board 39, Web-based watershed tools for the
classroom: A project for grades 4-8 in Missouri "A watershed is the land area from which
surface runoff drains into a water body.
Perhaps more important, a watershed contains the history of all who
went before - and the spirit of those who touched it remains." (George
Wingate, U.S. Bureau of Land Management).
Costly to purify and transport, impossible to substitute - water is
essential to food production, economic development, plant and animal
life. In the United States over 250
million people depend on rivers, lakes, streams, and ground water supplies
for their drinking water.
Approximately 179 water bodies are listed on Missouri's 1998 Final 303
(d) List for Impaired Waters and require immediate resotration to designated
uses. Many streams suffer from low
water volume, organic enrichment, siltation and polluted runoff. There is need to address water issues of
surface runoff, groundwater, sediment, in-stream nutrients, wildlife and fish
populations from the perspectives of researchers, state and federal
conservationists, local citizen-based watershed groups, natural resource
interest groups, landowners, famers, young children plus local officials. The Internet is increasingly playing a vital role
by providing access to watershed information. MoWIN proposed to develop and
disseminate interactive web sites for use in schools (grades 4-8) in five
Missouri watersheds. Topics include
history, agricultural activities and statistics, human impact on the
environment, recreational resources, non-point source pollution and
prevention, plant and animal life plus water quality information. This project is an additional tool for
educators to improve science education library collections and integrate
watershed education with science, social studies, and other subjects and to
help increase children's awareness of localc ommunity natural resources. Objectives: providing information to
encourage participation in watershed stewardship; increasing knowledge and
understanding about watersheds, and facilitating development of skills to
identify and prevent nonpoint source pollution. For additional information please visit us at
http://outreach.missouri.edu/mowin. Board 40, Reducing nutrient BMP adoption risk
by guaranteeing performance Economic risk is a major barrier to farmer
adoption of Best Management Practices (BMPs). For example, many farmers are
reluctant to lower nitrogen and phosphorus applications to BMP rates. If the
farmer or advisor miscalculates the rate, or unusual weather causes the BMP
to fail, yields and profits may decline. Since fertilizer costs are
inexpensive relative to the potential loss, farmers "self-insure"
by applying higher than recommended rates. Nutrient BMP risk management can
protect farmers from income risk. Currently, a federal crop insurance
endorsement developed by American Farmland Trust and Agflex, Inc. has been
approved by the Risk Management Agency of USDA and is being piloted in Iowa,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. Partners are also testing a BMP
recommendation guaranty as an alternative to the insurance product, in
collaboration with state agency and non-governmental organization partners. In
these systems, the participant purchases a specially designed insurance
policy or guarantee, applies university-recommended BMP rates, and applies
additional fertilizer to a check strip. If a yield loss occurs on the
BMP-fertilized acres vs. the check strip, the insurance policy or guaranty
provides a payment to compensate for the loss. To date, more than 30 corn
farmers in five states have participated in research and development, with
average fertilizer rate reductions of 23%. Up to 400 additional farmers are
being recruited for the 2004 growing season. Watershed managers are quickly
recognizing these systems are highly cost effective in terms of setting up
field-scale demonstration site and are now purchasing or cost-sharing on
policies. Board 41, Reducing environmental risk in soil
fumigation with models, Dong Wang, University of Minnesota A user-friendly numerical model was developed to
simulate distribution transport and volatilization losses of soil
fumigants. The model provides an
intuitive graphical user interface by linking databases with default soil and
chemical properties to predict subsurface distribution patterns and potential
surface volatilization losses of soil fumigants based on a multi-phase
pesticide transport theory. The model
was integrated with Window-based graphical user interface using Visual Basic
so that all the input parameters could be chosen thorugh the input window
forms. Although there are still
limitations in selectable field configurations, the model should be useful in
helping pesticide specialists and farm managers to optimize the depth, rate,
and duration of fumigant application to achieve the highest possible
distribution uniformity and the lowest leaching and volatilization losses. Board 42, Finding the "leaks" in source
water protection areas Numerous rural public water suppliers in the USA
are faced with excessive nitrate in their source ground water. Ten to fifteen Minnesota suppliers are
currently blending or treating water to comply with drinking water standards. In wellheads that are dominated by
agriculture, an alternative, long-term approach is needed to reduce nitrate
leaching. Maximum effect will be
achieved by targeting those fields where the risk of nitrate leaching is
greatest. We used local information
on soils, historical weather, and crop management with simulation modeling
and GIS techniques to produce maps of two wellhead protection zones in
southwestern Minnesota. These maps
identify fields that have the greatest likelihood of nitrate loss and show
the predicted outcome of improved nitrogen fertilizer management or
conversion of annual cropland to perennial vegetation, such as alfalfa or
CRP. Both land managers and personnel
responsible for the water supply can understand these maps, facilitating
development of effective, site-specific strategies to protect source water. Topic 3 – Assessing the Effectiveness of
Conservation and Environmental Programs Board 43, Assessing stream restoration based on
natural stable stream form Measuring success on natural channel reiver restoration
projects can be difficult and sometimes precarious depending on the specific
disciplines and/or stakeholders involved.
Because perspectives of success from restoration projects vary, a
common frame of natural reference is needed.
One common frame of reference of success used in monitoring and
evaluation in the Cascade and Blue Mountains of the Pacific Northwest is the
geomorphic reference site. The
geomorphic reference site is the natural stable morphological site within a
specific valley type and climate regime.
Many geomorphic reference sites are commonly known by local
stakeholders as the best fishing spots that have remained unchanged for many
years. This description is similar to
the definition of a geomorphic reference site in that it is a segmet of
stream that neither aggrades nor degrades yet maintains its profile,
dimension, and planview over time.
Geomorphic reference sites were measured to laser grade standards and
converted to dimensionless ratios to describe the natural stable form of a
river. A study of stream morphology
and dimensionless ratios on both east and west slopes of the Cascade Mountain
range was completed during the fall and summer of 2002 within a 6358 square
mile area. Fifty-eight
glacial-fluvial valley streams were randomly selected from a population of
218 stable geomorphic reference sites.
These dimensionless ratio templates serve as a benchmark form which
assessed river streams (restored or perturbated) can be measured against for
a quantifiable measure of departure from stable morphological conditions
within the same geomorphic stream type. Board 44, The Tule Gun Club and Yakama Tribal
Nation join together and make an investment The Tule Gun Club is
made up of local business people. The
club owns 160 acres of land in the Toppenish Creek watershed. The club is one of the oldest in the area
and has been in existence since the 1920’s.
The "club property" lies in the middle of the 1.3 million
acre Yakama Indian Reservation, in central Washington State. Over the years, creek diversions, levees
and shallow ponds have been constructed.
Each fall the club diverted water from Toppenish Creek to fill the
shallow ponds. These water features
would attract ducks for the annual "fall hunt." In 1999, several groups met with the club
to explore alternatives regarding land treatment to the property. The interested groups included Ducks
Unlimited, U.S. FWS, NOAA-Fisheries, Yakama Indian Nation, and NRCS. Each entity had their objectives and
vision in regards to land treatment.
The Yakama Indian Nation wanted to see the wetlands restored and
floodplain connectivity as it was before settlement. U.S. FWS wanted the "ESA-listed"
bald eagle to have its habitat restored, NOAA-Fisheries wanted the
"ESA-listed" steelhead trout habitat restored, Ducks Unlimited
wanted the wetlands restored for waterfowl habitat and the NRCS wanted to
bring all of these objectives together and restore the site. The group designed a conservation plan and
NRCS secured a permanent easement, using the Wetland Reserve Program. The Tribe agreed to restore almost 400
acres of similar land immediately adjacent to the Club property. The two land units will operate together
and provide almost 600 acres of restored wetland habitat. The plan included the construction of
three shallow water ponds, planting native cottonwood trees, upland
improvement and the design of a system that allowed the entry and exit of
steelhead trout through the wetland ponds.
The team’s visions have brought people together to enjoy an improved
environment that tribal and non-tribal people can enjoy for generations. Board 45, Increasing and declining populations
of northern bobwhite inhabit different types of landscapes Northern bobwhite have been declining in abundance
throughout their range for several decades. We used the 1997 National
Resources Inventory to characterize the composition and heterogeneity of
landscapes inhabited by bobwhite populations that have been increasing (43
populations), decreasing (468), or have become locally-extinct (28). Bobwhite
population trends were estimated using data from the North American Breeding
Bird Survey and a powerful randomization test to control for observer
effects. Landscapes occupied by increasing and decreasing populations were,
on average, different from one another in composition but not heterogeneity.
As predicted, the latter type of landscape tended to have a greater
percentage of land of little or no use to bobwhite (e.g., urban and forest
land) and a lesser percentage of useable land (e.g., cropland, pastures,
rangeland, and early successional land) as compared to landscapes where
bobwhite actually increased. Moreover, landscapes where bobwhite had recently
become extinct were different from those where bobwhite were only declining.
In particular, the landscapes of extinct populations were characterized by a
very large percentage of urban land. To some extent, landscapes of large
(above average) and small (below average) populations also differed as
predicted. The results of this study clearly show that declining populations
inhabit local landscapes that, on average, are very different from those
occupied by increasing populations. This knowledge may assist quail
biologists and land managers in recognizing the general type of landscape
where bobwhite may be most successfully restored and also the general type
where extant populations may be most threatened. Board 46, Our community and the EPA Watershed
Initiative - A unique partnership on a watershed basis The Watershed Initiative was conceived to
encourage successful community-based approaches to restore, preserve and
protect watersheds of the nation. The Greater Blue Earth River Watershed
(GBERW) is one of twenty watersheds that were selected nationwide for the
Environmental Protection Agency’s Watershed Initiative. This opportunity for
GBERWI (Greater Blue Earth River Watershed Initiative) has brought many
partners together including partners in Minnesota and Iowa. The watershed
lies within 14 counties and is approximately 2.26 million acres in size. The
Watershed Initiative is incorporating program integration strategy into
projects, giving EPA programs the opportunity to work on a watershed basis.
The GBERW is an agricultural based watershed. The project incorporates urban
and agricultural BMPs into the work plan. Highlights of the work plan include
Nutrient Insurance, Nutrient Trial Demonstrations, Rain Garden
Demonstrations, Conservation Cost share funding, Riparian Buffer Incentive,
Wetland Restoration and Education. The unique partnership between the EPA and
local partners spells success as the future prediction for the project. Board 47, Real-time water quality monitoring
and web data display for the Saluda-Reedy Watershed Field monitoring is a necessity in order to
characterize the impact of human activities on environmental quality.
Real-time feedback to resource managers and other stakeholders is equally
important. A system for real-time acquisition and world-wide-web display of
water quality information has been developed. Data collected from sensors at
two locations in the Saluda-Reedy watershed near Greenville, SC, is passed to
a server on the Clemson University campus using a satellite Internet uplink.
Water quality parameters measured include sediment concentration and mean
particle size, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved oxygen and pH. Received
data is checked for data quality and stored in a relational database. Graphs
are produced from this data and displayed on a website in real-time to give
stakeholders a current status of river water quality. Real-time sensor data
is compared to laboratory analysis to evaluate performance. Board 48, Re-suspension of bottom sediments: An
important reservoir for surface water fecal coliforms and E. coli for the
Saluda-Reedy Watershed Fecal coliform and E. coli levels in surface water
and bottom sediments were compared and the effects of storm events on
resuspension of fecal coliform and E. coli is presented. Bottom sediment
fecal coliform counts are 1-4 log10 higher (at base flow) than counts for
surface water and both are related to land use. During storm events surface water levels of fecal coliforms and
E. coli are related to runoff and to re-suspension of fecal coliforms from the
bottom sediments. There are relationship between fecal coliform and E. coli
levels in bottom sediment and surface water.
Although all are highly variable, fecal coliform and E. coli levels in
surface water at base flow tend to increase as bottom sediment fecal coliform
and E. coli levels increase. In this study a statistically significant
relationship was found between re-suspended sediments and both fecal
coliforms and E. coli. Land use and development also play an important role
in fecal coliform and E. coli levels in both surface water and bottom
sediments because bacteria adsorbs to clays of inorganic sediments and
sediment levels increase with land disturbance (improper agricultural
practices and new land development).
We contend that examination of surface water only is not sufficient to
determine the bacterial quality of water especially in areas where sediments
are constantly being added and disturbed.
The relationship of fecal coliform and E. coli to sediment adds yet
another dimension to the understanding of microbial contamination of our
nation’s waters. Board 49, Focus group evaluation of manure
management practice adoption and education needs Minnesota state feedlot rules were revised in
2000. The University of Minnesota (UM) Water Resources Center and UM
Extension Service, in cooperation with state agencies, began a two-year
grant-funded program to improve feedlot, manure, and nutrient management
through education about the new rules. Education materials were produced,
regional “train the trainer” workshops were held, and county workshops for
producers were conducted. In 2002, Extension and partners assessed producer
adoption of recommended practices and future education needs. Two farmer
focus groups were conducted in each of four counties, one for producers who
had attended an education workshop and one for non-attenders. The discussions
focused on 1) barriers to adoption of recommended rates and practices, and 2)
education needs. Key barriers to adoption included lack of confidence in
uniformity of nutrient application with solid manure, as well as inadequate
access to nutrient management planners, spreader calibration scales, and
suitable forms for application records. Preferred education and information
delivery methods were publications and workshops, with the Web ranking low.
Topics of choice were phosphorus management, manure application in
environmentally sensitive areas, and application technology. Rates of
practice adoption had increased from 2000 (prior to rule implementation) to
the present (2002), and were expected to increase again by year 2004.
Producers who had attended the education sessions expressed higher levels of
intended adoption by 2004 than those who had not. Board 50, Soil conservation and management of
arid land in Kuwait Soil of Kuwait is mostly sandy in texture with
shallow horizons and contains high calcareous materials within the lower
layers. Overgrazing, gravel mining, and vehicle movement through the fragile
soil enhanced winds erosion and increase sandstorm occurrences. High
evaporation (3000mm/year) and low rainfall (100mm/year) during the year
limited native plant growth and increase soil mobility through wind movement
with enormous environmental hazard to the urban areas. Soil erosion is a
common habitat of arid zone, but the phenomena has tremendously increase with
man interfering with the natural setting of the environment, introducing new
destructive mining equipment, four wheel drive, overgrazing, and oil
pollution. Sandstorm and soil movement in Kuwait affected various aspect of
life and industrial development within the country. Most of the roads, oil refineries,
desalinated seawater factories, power station, and all the urban areas are
totally influenced by soil erosion and windstorm movement. The paper
discusses the soil properties in Kuwait and wind movement with some solution
for soil management in arid area to decrease soil erosion and improve the
urban environmental condition. Board 51, Evaluation of conservation within
agricultural landscapes using repetitive landscape units, Tom E.
Schumacher, Diane H. Rickerl, W. Carter Johnson, Patricia K. Wieland, and
Joseph A. Schumacher, South Dakota State University A primary goal of conservation in agriculture is
the development and maintenance of sustainable agricultural landscapes. This
entails using management practices that will sustain ecological goods and
services as well as agricultural productivity in the rural landscape. The
criteria for conservation practices are frequently confined to one or two
components and often narrowly focused to the field. Landscapes can be
described in terms of three types of landscape elements: patches, corridors,
and matrix. In an agricultural landscape the matrix element is agricultural
production. A patch is a landscape element that is not dominant but occurs
repeatedly within the matrix, Examples are wetlands, farmsteads, woodlands,
etc. Corridors are paths that connect patch and matrix elements. We define a
new concept called the repetitive landscape unit defined as a minimum
representative land area that contains landscape elements in the same
proportion as the larger landscape. An example from the Prairie Pothole
region of the Northern Great Plains will be used to illustrate this approach.
In our case study approximately 30% of the RLU are classified as wetlands
while corn and soybean production comprised the main land use within the
matrix. The results of using various types of management practices in this
landscape are illustrated and discussed in the context of the wider region. Board 52, The Grazing Compliance Standard Federal and State land management agencies are
entrusted through legislation to determine whether livestock grazing on
Federal, State, and Tribal land is in compliance with the terms and
conditions of the grazing lease and various land management plans. NRCS is
required to determine whether grazing complies with the requirements of the
Prescribed Grazing standard when ranchers participate in federal cost share
programs. Other State and Federal agencies must determine whether grazing is
being done in a manner that complies with the Clean Water Act and other
environmental laws and regulations. In an effort to better justify agency decisions, a
limited grazing compliance standard has evolved – the utilization compliance
standard. The utilization compliance standard requires one key assumption -
that if forage utilization is adequately controlled each year, the health of
the rangeland will be maintained or improved. There is some scientific basis
for accepting this assumption. Trying to simplify sound grazing management
decisions down to allowable utilization and forage allocation formulas has
significant problems, because of the number and variability of the factors
involved, and the difficulty in inventorying and monitoring all of these
factors over thousands of acres from year to year. For obvious reasons, the scientific community has
strongly rejected the use of utilization monitoring alone, and forage
allocation formulas for justifying adjustments in livestock numbers. The
scientific community embraces the development of clearly stated management
objectives, and a stock and monitor approach to determine if those objectives
are being achieved. Board 53, Economic and environmental
implications of potential policies to address agricultural wetlands loss The 220,000 + ha of land in rice and crawfish
production in Louisiana provides resting, wintering, and breeding habitat for
over 100 species of waterbirds. These agricultural wetlands have become
critically important waterbird habitat because 440,000 + ha of adjacent
coastal wetlands have been lost since 1950. Over the past two decades, Louisiana rice farmers
have diversified their operation to include crawfish production as a means of
reducing risk and increasing farm income. However, in 2003, land planted to
rice in Louisiana declined 15% due to falling rice prices and increasing
production costs. This reduction in land potentially available for crawfish
production, the importation of low-cost crawfish meat from China, and the
loss of crawfish processing facilities all have negatively influenced
crawfish production. In addition to these economic difficulties, the
Louisiana rice industry is being scrutinized closely by water resource
managers due to the large volumes of ground waters used to cultivate rice. We will examine how decreased land in crawfish and
rice production, and associated reductions in agricultural wetlands,
potentially affect wildlife resources and the state’s economy. Potential
policies for addressing this probable habitat loss, economic impacts
associated with such policies, as well as implications for the overall
management of continental waterbird populations will be discussed. Board 54, Field-scale water and nitrate flux
through an unconfined aquifer below a cropped Andosol We propose a monitoring method associated with a
simple numerical analysis to determine in situ fluxes of water and solute
through unconfined aquifers. We monitored field-scale spatial distributions
of water table and nitrate concentration with a grid of 5 m in a cropped
Andosol throughout the year for determining in situ vertical and horizontal
fluxes of water and nitrate through an unconfined aquifer. Finite difference
equations describing two-dimensional horizontal groundwater flow, which took
into account the spatial distribution of depth to the low-permeability layer
and the vertical profiles of total porosity and saturated conductivity, were
applied to simulate the measured water table depths by assuming instantaneous
steady-state conditions. Numerical solutions were obtained under constant
head boundary conditions applying the measured one and constant vertical
water flux which was determined by least square method, so that the simulated
water table depths inside of the field were in best accordance with the
measured ones. Nitrate flux was calculated by multiplying the measured
concentration and the simulated water flux. Annual mass balance of water and
nitrate in the subsoil showed that 80 % of water and 65 % of nitrate leached
from crop root zone moved vertically downward to deeper groundwater bodies
through the low-permeability layer. Nitrate-nitrogen removal in the
unconfined aquifer was estimated to be 5.2 kg/ha/y with the first-order in
situ degradation rate constant as k = 1.8×10-9 s-1 which was two orders of
magnitude smaller than those obtained from laboratory experiments using
repacked soil columns. Board 55, Economic and biological effects
no-till dryland field corn in a four-year no-till crop rotation in the
Palouse area of Washington and Idaho The Northwest Crops Project is a cooperative,
farmer-driven on-farm testing research project across a 60-mile area of two
counties in eastern Washington and northern Idaho. The area has a previous history of sheet and rill erosion rates
of 50 tons per acre, yet a history of winter wheat yields of 100 bushels per
acre. Research has shown a decline in crop yield potential due to loss of
topsoil. The surface water quality
has impeded migration of anadromous, fish such as Chinook salmon. The objective in the six-year project has been to
evaluate the effects of a four-year no-till crop rotation on erosion, soil
quality, and economics. The control
has been a no-till seeded three-year rotation common in the area. Six cooperators have seeded such crops a winter
wheat, spring wheat, field peas, and field corn in a four-year rotation. This is a combination of cool-season
grasses, cool season broadleaf, and warm season grass crops. The trial at each farm is set up in
on-farm testing strips with each plot strip 30 feet by 700 feet. At each farm the crops are planted and
harvested by the farmer cooperator with his equipment and with guidance and
supervision of the technician. The
climate is a winter precipitation regime with an average of 35-50 centimeters
(15 to 20 inches per year). Some of the findings in the six years have been:
1) Erosion has been reduced to less than 5 tons per acre on the deep, silt
loam loess soil. 2) Soil organic
matter in the surface two inches has increased from 3.0 % to 3.4% from 1997
to 2003. 3) Earthworms have appeared
where they were non-existent under cultivation. 4) Dryland field corn, a crop new to the area, yielded 52
bushels per acre. 5) Dryland field
corn yields exceeded the yields of spring cereal crops of wheat and
barley. 6) Row-crop planting
equipment for corn enabled planting into 100 bushel per acre winter wheat
residue (8,000 pounds per acre residue).
7) The dryland field corn creates the potential to reduce the use of
broad spectrum herbicide, and reduce the potential of herbicide- resistance
in weeds. 8) The longer crop rotation adds crop diversity, reduces risk, and
is more economical that a cereal-only rotation when field peas and field corn
break even. Board 56, Economic and environmental effects of
no-till oilseed Brassica crops in a crop rotation 15 farms in the Palouse
area of Washington and Idaho The project is a cooperative, farmer-driven
on-farm testing research project across a 100-mile area of three counties in
eastern Washington and northern Idaho.
The area has a previous history of sheet and rill erosion rates of 50
tons per acre, yet a history of winter wheat yields of 100 bushels per acre.
Research has shown a decline in crop yield potential due to loss of
topsoil. The surface water quality
has impeded migration of anadromous, fish such as Chinook salmon. The objective in the two-year project has been to
evaluate the effects of oilseed Brassica
crops in rotation with cereals
Graminae on erosion, water quality,
and economics. Each of the 15
rain-fed, dryland farms serves as a replication in the project. The objectives of this project are
three-fold. 1) Determine the effect
of the continuous cropping rotation versus crop-fallow on erosion in the
Palouse area. 2) Predict the effect
on surface water quality in the Palouse River. 3) Compare the economic effects of the continuous cropping
rotation with crop-fallow on the
farms and in the communities. Fifteen cooperators in the project each produced
canola, rapeseed, or mustard in rotation with winter wheat or spring barley. The oilseed crop was
substituted for fallow. All the
cooperators are experienced oilseed producers who use no-till seeding
methods, or mulch tillage. Erosion
and sediment delivery for each field was predicted using the revised
universal soil loss equation.
Economics for each farm was estimated using a Washington State
University crop enterprise budget generator. Some of the findings among the fifteen farms over
the two years: 1) Predicted erosion
has been reduced to less than 5 tons per acre on the deep silt loam loess soil. 2) Sediment delivered from the continuous
cropped fields was reduced. 3) In
some fields the fumigation effect of the Brassica crop residue has provided a
potential to reduce soil-borne diseases in the next winter wheat crop based
on the wheat yield differences. 4)
Yields of the Brassica crop varies by as much as 500% among years, compared
to 50% among years of cereal crops.
5) Drought and spring frosts adversely affected the stands of Brassica
crops. 6) Addition of Brassica crops
to the area provides crop diversity, and a potential of new industry in the
small farm communities. Board 57, Local nitrate testing and outreach in
Minnesota: 35,000 samples later… In response to the limited availability of nitrate
information in Minnesota groundwater and the apparent need for water quality
outreach to private well owners, the MN Department of Agriculture began the
development of a nitrate testing clinic concept approximately ten years ago.
The outcome was a “walk-in” clinic style which provides free on-site nitrate
testing services. Clinics are frequently held at local community centers,
cooperator headquarters, county fairs and water festivals. The program grew
from a few pilot counties to one that now supports clinics in 35-50 counties
each year. Over 35,000 samples have been analyzed since 1993. Clinics also serve as a key distribution center in
a non-regulatory setting where farmers and rural residents can obtain a
variety of water quality information. They are frequently staffed with a
variety of local and state agency staff to answer questions on well
construction, fertilizer BMPs, septic maintenance, and health impacts. The clinic structure gradually evolved from a state
agency driven approach to the current design which is now powered primarily
by local support. Clinics are commonly hosted by the Soil and Water
Conservation Districts, environmental services, Extension, and lake
associations. This approach also has tremendous potential within public
schools and science fairs. One of the goals of this presentation is to assist
other interested states in setting up similar programs. We will discuss the
inner workings of the support network, costs, equipment distribution centers,
clinic promotion and media aspects, and some of the potential benefits and
pitfalls of the program. Board 58, The potential impacts of anaerobic
digestion technology on agriculture and the environment The changing agricultural systems, improved
technology, and the changing character of society has encourage anaerobic
digestion as one method of treating animal waste. This paper will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
anaerobic digestion in light of these changes. The increased concern for storage of animal wastes to reduce
the potential of contaminating surface and ground water has created odor
emission problems surrounding those farms that have adopted this best
management practice. Anaerobic
digestion is one of the few odor treatment techniques that can have a
positive effect on the farms profits.
There are also changes in the moisture content, nutrient forms, and
potential pathogen reduction that can impact the use of the effluent from
these systesm in land application.
Heat use, energy sales, solid recoery, and tipping fees fron
co-digestion are all potential benefits that the farm can obtain by using
anaerobic digestion. There will
likely be more manure irrigated during the crop-growing season reducing
potential environmental impacts from nutrients, Biological Oxygen Demand
(BOD), and pathogens as a result of this technology. Different land uses such as organic farms,
golf courses, and parks may become available to spread this effluent on. The energy produced by these systems will
encourage other integrated enterprises to be co-located with animal
agriculture. A support industry with
the additional economic benefits to the producer and the rural community will
likely be developed. Board 59, The Minnesota Citizen Stream
Monitoring Program In Minnesota, citizens and watershed improvement
projects are using a relatively new state program to help track changes in
the quality of streams, rivers and drainage systems. Patterned after the
“secchi disk” program for lakes, the Citizen Stream Monitoring Program (CSMP)
has grown steadily in the three years since it inception. The key water
quality indicator in the CSMP is transparency, which is measured using a
60-cm long transparency tube. Measured transparencies have ranged from less
than 1 cm to greater than 60 cm. Average transparencies are variable, and
involve factors such as drainage area above the point of monitoring,
watershed characteristics, and ecoregion. This simple tool can help provide a
sustainable water monitoring component to assist people involved with upland
soil conservation and land management activities, in urban, rural, or mixed
watersheds. Information will be presented regarding the
growing network of individual volunteers as well as groups of volunteers
associated with organized watershed improvement projects. Their work has
already produced useful information on the regional nature of stream water
quality across Minnesota. Examples of watershed projects where CSMP work has
been used effectively to shape watershed management activities will be
reported. The relationships between transparency and
instream turbidity, total suspended solids, and stream stage and
precipitation will be covered. The initial use of transparency as a surrogate
for total suspended solids in load estimates will be addressed. Board 60, Agricultural and Environmental Impacts of
Landscape Restoration Soil erosion is a common
problem in agricultural landscapes that reduces soil health. In topographically
complex landscapes, tillage erosion results in large quantities of topsoil
being redistributed from hilltops to lower slope landscape positions and
depressions. Landscape restoration is
a practice that may reverse years of tillage erosion by returning soil that
has accumulated in depressions back to the hilltop. This field trial examines the agricultural and environmental
impacts of this practice by monitoring crop yield, weed dynamics, greenhouse
gas emissions and soil carbon and nutrient status following landscape
restoration in a zero-till cropping system.
Results from the first field season indicate landscape restoration
does impact agricultural and environmental processes although some effects
may not be positive. Topic 4 – Geo-spatial Technology for Conservation
– Soil, Water, and Land Board 61, The use of Global Positioning Systems
(GPS) in grazingland management Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology has
become an important tool for use in grazingland management. The ever-increasing demand for food and
fiber across the country and increased production costs has lead to a more
precision based form of agriculture.
Rangeland managers are using the GPS for many applications including
navigation, positioning, field data collection and utilization. The data collected can be used to make
maps of the resources, infrastructure or other geographic features. Real time positioning allows managers the
ability to map existing fence lines and mark future fence lines for use in
rotational grazing paddocks. The
capability of GPS to determine more accurate pasture size, gives the producer
more accurate determination of stock density for each paddock and or stock
days. Another use of GPS is to map
areas planned for brush management.
Once these areas are identified, the producer uploads data to
herbicide applicators to get precision application to the infested
areas. GPS is a very important tool
in prescribed burning. Mapping of
firebreaks and possible "hotspots" allows the rancher to identify
exactkly where suppression crews need to be positioned. There are many other applications that can
be achieved through use of a Global Positioning System. The bottom line for its use is just that
-- economic stability and maintaining sustainable natural resources. Board 62, Using geospatial technology on the
Glacial Ridge Project In August of 2000, The Natural Conservancy
pruchased 24,270 acres in the Northern Tall Grass Prairie Ecoregion in NW
Minnesota. The Nature Conservancy is
in the process of enrolling 12,000 acres of the property into the Natural
Resources Conservation Service's Wetlands Reserve Program. Neighboring private landowners have
enrolled an additional 3,500 acres making this the largest prairie
restoration project in history. The latest technologies in spatial tools are being
utilized to restore land on the Glacial Ridge project including Survey Grade
GPS, Arcview GIS and hand held GPS units. Due to the size of the project, traditional survey
equipment to develop the elevation contours for wetland restorations would be
difficult and extremely time consuming.
The use of Survey Grade GPS technology has resulted in a considerable
time and cost savings, this technology has resulted in close to 10,000 acres
of topographic survey completed in 1/2 foot contours. The files generated by the survey grade
GPS can be imported into ArcView GIS and layers can be overlaid to compare
the topographic survey to the Ssurgo Digital Soil Survey, National Wetland
Inventory and Geo-referenced 1948 aerial photography. ArcView GIS is used almost daily on the project in
conjunction with the Garmin GPS units.
Proposed easement boundaries can be reviewed with the landowner,
recorded on the GPS and downloaded into ArcView. All conservation planning is completed in ArcView. Soils are evaluated to select the
appropriate seed mixture and records of implementation are kept track of in
ArcView. ArcView is also utilized to
target new areas for enrollment. Hand held GPS units are used to develop and post
easement boundaries, identify weed problem areas and to locate wetland
restoration structures from the GPS survey. Board 63, Comparison of pixel based and object
oriented image analysis processes Current accurate land cover mapping is needed by
various governmental and private segments of our society for the use,
management and evaluation of many natural resources. This poster displays a comparison between
object oriented image analysis and p[ixel based classification of a satellite
image usined to generate a land cover thematic map. Pixel based classification is based on only the
sensor values selected by the person doing the classification. The technician may supply the number of
land cover classes to be produced by the classification process and allow the
classification software to develop signature areas for each cover type
(unsupervised classification). The
technician may also choose to supply specific areas in the unclassified data
that represent specific cover types and develop signature areas for each type
(supervised classification). In either
of the above cases, the same mathematical algorithm is used to classify the
raw data as selected by the technician.
The classification process evaluates each pixel by the information
provided by the signature information.
Each pixel will be placed into a group represented by the signature
information until the process has satisfied a technician-defined number if
grouping iterations at a specified confidence level. The object oriented image analysis used for
comparison mainly differed from the pixel based classification because of a
pre-classification process of "Multi-resolution Segmentation." The concept behind segmentation is that
important semantic information, necessary to interpret an image, is not
represented in single pixels but in meaningful image objects and their mutual
relationships (Martin Baatz et.at., 2001).
An automatic segmentation process was formed prior to classification
of the raw imagery. This segmentation
process results in the condensing of information in the raw data and an extraction
of image objects. The formation of
the objects is carried out in a way that an overall homogeneous resolution is
kept. The segmentation algorithm does
not only rely on the single pixel value, but also on pixel spatial continuity
(texture, topology). The formatted
objects have now not only the value and statistic infomation of the pixels
that they consist. They carry also
texture, form (spatial features) and topology information in a common
attribute table. (loannis Manakos,
2001) The organized image objects
carry not only the value and statistical information of the pixels of whihc
they consist, but also information on texture and shape as well as heir
position within the hierarchical network (Ambients Humano, 2000). The basic difference, especially when
compared to pixel-based procedures, is that object oriented analysis does not
classify single pixels, but rather image objects which are extracted in a
previous image segmentation step. Board 64, Use of the hydraulic modeling tool
FLO-2D for alluvial fan sedimentation investigations FLO-2D offers the practicing resource
conservationist a new and exciting evaluation and planning tool for
addressing sediment related resource concerns by providing information on the
spatial distribution of erosion and deposition of sediment. This poster presents an example of how
FLO-2D may be used for watershed scale evaluations of erosion and soil loss
on alluvial fans. The model has been
applied to four scenarios with different soil types and vegetative cover
conditions to represent a range of conditions. Each scenario was evaluated using six different storm runoff
events. Two-dimensional plots of the
model output identify the spatial distribution of overland flow, maximum flow
velocities, scour, and deposition.
Processing of the model output permits the development of
sediment-frequency curves and the determination of average annual soil loss
rates. The soil loss rates have been
compared to demonstrate the sensitivity of the watershed to changes in
vegetative cover conditions and soil type.
Appropriately designed studies, such as this, can be used as a basis
from which to establish numerical targets for the management of soil loss. Board 65, Soils and ecological sites of the
Santa Rita Experimental Range A soil survey and rangeland resource inventory of
the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) was conducted by staff from the
Tucson office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) during
April and May of 1997. Thirty-two soils series and taxadjuncts were mapped on
the SRER and delineated in twenty-four different mapping units. These soils
all occur in an Aridic and Ustic moisture regime and spanning three precipitation
zones, and all soils are in the thermic soil temperature regime. Soil series
and mapping unit descriptions are provided. The rangeland inventory and the
soil map correlates soils into ecological sites and determine the present day
status or condition of the sites by comparing the present plant communities
with the potential plant communities as described by NRCS in their technical
ecological site descriptions. Eighteen different ecological sites were
identified in two Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA 40 and 41) on the SRER and
eight sites were mapped in the 10 to 13 inch precipitation zone of MLRA 40,
the Upper Sonoran Desert. Eight sites were mapped in the 12 to 16 inch
precipitation zone of MLRA 41, the Southern Arizona Grassland. Two ecological
sites were mapped in the 16 to 20 inch precipitation zone of MLRA 41, the
Mexican Oak Savanah. Board 66, Carbon value maps: Using economics to
encourage adoption of carbon conserving practices Soil organic carbon is often identified as a key
indicator of soil quality providing both environmental and crop production
benefits. However, because changes in organic carbon happen slowly over time
and effects on crop productivity may be masked by technological change, the
direct economic value of organic carbon to producers is not readily apparent.
Consequently, producers may under-invest in carbon conserving practices.
Although organic carbon can affect crop production in many ways, one of the
more important effects occurs via changes in available water capacity. In
general, available water capacity increases with increasing organic carbon,
and additional available water can be beneficial for crop production even in
areas where water is only occasionally limiting. However, the extent to which
available water is increased by increases in organic carbon, and the crop
production benefits of additional available water vary by soil type and
weather conditions. Crop simulation modeling is used with Soil Survey
Geographic Database (SSURGO) data to quantify the effect of increased
available water capacity (via increased organic carbon) on crop yields for
each soil map unit within Traverse County, Minnesota. The results are used to
generate a county-wide map of organic carbon values which can be used to
identify where carbon conserving practices might provide the greatest
economic benefits to producers. Board 67, Evolution of riparian soil map units
in southeastern Arizona In 1999, the National Cooperative Soil Survey
celebrated it's 100 anniversary. During this time, map unit description,
customers, and soil surveys use have changed immensely. The follow describes
how riparian map units have evolved to meet the needs of the expanding
customer base in southeastern Arizona during the past century. Early soil surveys in Arizona (1900 - 1940) were
developed to meet the specific soil need of a conservation district or group.
Major drainages were named and in some instances soils were phased "low
bottom" or simply called riverwash. The next period (1940 - 1980) had a
slightly larger customer base. Some soil surveys included "wet" or
"low bottom" phases to describe soil that had water tables and riparian
characteristics. Controlling soil erosion was the principle resource concern.
During the next period (1980 - 1999) environmental issues became a priority.
The expanding customer base demanded more soils information and
interpretations for urban, conservation, and environmental issues. Riparian
functions were being identified and tied to watershed systems. Customers
wanted to know how soil characteristics fit into the riparian environmental
picture. To address this need, soil surveys began to incorporate stream
characteristics into map unit descriptions to better describe active riparian
environments. Today's (2000 to present) ongoing soil surveys have developed
detailed soil map units which try to describe the vast dynamics of a shifting
hydrological system which make up riparian soil map units in southeastern
Arizona. As new technologies evolve and soil science progress, riparian soil
map units will become more detailed to better meet customers exceptions and
needs. Board 68, Assessing crop residue cover and
tillage intensity Crop residue management plays an important role in
controlling soil erosion and determining soil organic carbon. Current methods
of quantifying crop residue cover are inadequate for characterizing the
spatial variability of residue cover within fields and across large regions.
Our objectives were to evaluate several spectral indices for measuring crop
residue cover and to categorize soil tillage intensity in agricultural fields
based on crop residue cover. Hyperspectral data over the 400-2500 nm
wavelength region were acquired with ground-based, airborne (AVIRIS), and
satellite (Hyperion) sensors. Broad absorption features near 2100 nm and 2300
nm in the reflectance spectra of crop residues were associated with cellulose
and lignin. However, these features were absent in the spectra of green
vegetation and soils. Crop residue cover was linearly related to the
Cellulose Absorption Index (CAI), which was defined as the relative depth of
the 2100 nm absorption feature. Other spectral indices for crop residue were
also evaluated. The best spectral indices for assessing residue cover were
based on relatively narrow (10-50 nm) bands in the 2000-2400 nm region.
Regional surveys of management practices that affect soil conservation and
soil carbon dynamics may be feasible using advanced imaging systems. Board 69, The earth grant geospatial extension
program Landowners continue to face increasing demands on
their property and natural resources. For example, farmers are facing smaller
profit margins, and are therefore forced to further maximize yields.
Landowners are also faced with an array of decisions associated with
development pressures. In addition, landowners serve as fundamental stewards
of the land, and are expected to implement appropriate conservation and
management measures. Accurate information associated with the land is
essential. Over the past decade, we have witnessed a virtual explosion of
geospatial tools that can potentially support local information demands.
While geospatial tools (GIS, GPS, remote sensing) have proven to be a
critical element to support the efficient management of the landscape on many
levels, these tools have not always trickled-down to local stakeholders.
Ironically, local stakeholders often have the closest ties with the land, and
directly depend on the land for their livelihoods. Furthermore, local
knowledge of the land and related applications and pressures are often not
incorporated vertically at other levels in the decision-making process. The
Geospatial Extension Program was developed in response to these concerns. The Geospatial Extension Program was initiated by
Earth Grant to provide education, technical assistance and unbiased
evaluations of geospatial technologies to a wide variety of stakeholders.
Geospatial extension specialists assist private citizens, commercial
entities, and public agencies helping to integrate GIS software tools, GPS
technologies and remote sensing products to support their application needs. Board 70, Guidelines for polyacrylamide
application to control soil erosion in highly disturbed areas Guidelines for use of anionic polyacrylamide (PAM)
for soil erosion control in construction sites are not well developed.
Previous research shows that PAM can be an effective method for erosion
control in such highly disturbed areas. However, guidelines are needed to
reduce the cost, and increase the effectiveness of this practice. The goal of
this work is to develop guidelines to insure greater than 100 days of PAM
effectiveness subjected to natural rainstorms. We hypothesize that the amount
and frequency of application of PAM are inversely correlated to soil erosion.
In this study, four levels of PAM application and three application
frequencies were investigated on a Mexico silt loam soil using simulated
rainfall for one hour at 70 mm h-1. The four levels of PAM were applied as an
aqueous solution at 20-, 40-, 60-, and 80-kg ha-1 in single, double and
triple applications spread out over periods of equal rainfall amounts. These
were replicated three times on packed soil beds 0.30 by 0.30 m by 0.25 m in
depth set to 5% slope. All treatments were mixed with 5 Mg ha-1 of gypsum to
facilitate calcium bonding. Runoff, erosion, soil strength, and soil
structure were studied. Results will provide a basis for development of
improved management guidelines for use of PAM in highly disturbed areas. Board 71, Watershed planning in northwest Ohio:
A small-scale GIS application The use of a Geographic
Information System (GIS) is essential for contemporary watershed quality
management and monitoring. The Duck
and Otter Creek watershed, located within the Maumee River Area of Concern
near Toledo, Ohio, has suffered from decades of degradation by various point
and non-point pollutants. The Duck
and Otter Creeks Partnership, a volunteer-based group, was created to
identify threats to the watershed and develop methods to remediate damages through
non-regulatory action. The
partnership recognized that a GIS would be the most efficient way to examine
and interpret available spatial and temporal data. In the organization of the GIS, aerial photographs, National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System locations, landowner information, and
other essiential data were included.
The resulting GIS quickly and easily analyzes relationships between
various detrimental features that are located within the watershed. Additionally, public education was a high
priority throughout the project.
Thus, the creation of meaningful maps which are clean and simple,
combined with the ability to generate a mailing list of local landowners,
produce a powerful outreach tool.
After remediation has begun and regular sampling of environmental
quality indicators take place, users will be able to input the progress into
the GIS to be examined on a temporal scale.
Therefore, this GIS application functions as an excellent model for monitoring
the success of properly implemented conservation practices throughout an
entire watershed. Board 72, An evaluation of high intensity soil
surveys prepared for a site using different methods and field procedures,
Roger Windhorn, Steven Zwicker, Jim Doolittle, Dan Withers, and Bob
McLeese, USDA-NRCS Modern technologies are being used to assist high
intensity soil surveys. When
available, computers, global positioning systems (GPS), digital elevation
models (DEM), geographical information systems (GIS), and geophysical tools
can be used to augment data collected by traditional soil survey
methods. The use of these tools helps
to establish more accurate soil line placement, insure acceptable soil map
unit composition, and display data in more user-friendly formats. Order one and order two soil survey maps
and an apparent conductivity map of a site in northwestern Illinois are
compared. Series concepts have changed
over time and mapping procedures varied with each survey. Though soil line placement and the number
and complexity of units did vary, each survey captured most of the
small-scale variability in soils that were related to changes in soil depth
and topography (drainage). Slope
class data were draped over a plot of apparent conductivity to produce an
enhanced, high-intensity soil survey of the site. This map improved the interpretations of the factors
responsible for variations in apparent conductivity and the transfer of
meaningful soil information. Board 73, Physical and biological impacts of
changing land-use on surface water quality Changing land-uses often result in the degradation
of freshwater resources, primarily as a result of sedimentation. Specifically,
the transformation of forested and agricultural land to that of developed
(urban) land has proven to be the most severe to surface water quality. The
goal of this interdisciplinary research is to characterize biological water
quality and physical stream characteristics impacted by current and changing
land-uses, through the use of geo-spatial analysis, in Upper Piedmont
Watersheds of South Carolina. The study focuses on impacts common to
development including: sedimentation from construction sites, in-channel
erosion, decreases in riparian vegetation, aquatic habitat degradation and
alteration of discharge due to increased impervious surfaces. We found that
substrate particle size was reduced in “urban” or developing watersheds.
Stream cross-sectional areas enlarged and became increasing “unstable” in
watersheds with higher percentages of imperviousness. Continuing evaluations
of the impact of sedimentation and altered stream geomorphology on the
benthic macroinvertebrate community showed a negative response within the
developing watersheds largely due to impacts on in-stream habitat. Board 74, Using detailed land cover information
in a GIS for natural resource-based planning in Dakota County The ability to capture
detailed land cover information at a large scale is imperative for natural
resource based planning and management in rapidly developing areas. The Dakota County Soil and Water
Conservation District will present a procedure for identifying and ranking
natural areas with ecological indicators to prioritize local greenway
connections in Dakota County, Minnesota.
The Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCCS), developed by
the DNR, was used to create a detailed, countywide land cover inventory with
a minimum mapping unit of one acre.
Individual polygons were scored and ranked according to ecological
criteria such as habitat size, shape, connectivity, quality, adjacent land
use and the presence of rare species.
The resulting map of prioritized natural areas was used as a component
in the application selection process for the Dakota County Farmland and
Natural Areas Program (FNAP). The
FNAP is designed to preserve open space in Dakota County and was approved by
bond referendum in 2002.
Additionally, the land cover information was used to further identify
greenway corridor locations, barriers, and ownership of high-ranking priority
natural areas for the City of Eagan for parks planning and future potential
site acquisition. Board 75, Limitation on use of variable-rate
technology to improve nitrogen management for corn production Variable-rate technology (VRT) is regarded as a
promising tool for reducing environmental problems associated with
application of nitrogen (N) during corn production. N management guidelines
based on yield goals and credits have been widely used to prescribe VRT.
However, the reliability of such guidelines has been recently questioned. The
objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability of these and other
suggested guidelines for prescribing VRT applications of N for corn.
N-response trials were conducted in six 80-acre fields in central Iowa over 2
yr. Fertilizer was applied at 5 rates in 6-row strips going the length of
each field. The rates were grouped within blocks and replicated many times.
Corn in each strip was harvested by combines equipped with yield monitors and
global positioning system receivers. For yield analyses, the fields were
divided into test areas that included all rates to generate 300 to 500
response trials within each field. An optimal N rate was calculated for each
test area. Spatial distributions of optimal N rates within the fields were
classified by using yield levels at the highest N rate, soil map units,
electrical conductivity, and relative elevation. None of the classification
systems explained more than 3% variability in optimal N rates across the
fields. Analysis showed that year-to-year variability in optimal N rates was
much greater than spatial variability. Lack of methods for developing
reliable prescriptions should be considered a major barrier to use of VRT to
improve N management during corn production. Board 76, Using GPS and GIS in on-farm research
trials to assess crop yield responses to deep ripping in Iowa Deep ripping is tillage that can influence crop
yields and soil erosion. Although this tillage is done to increase crop
yields, existing studies have not shown this tillage has consistent effects
on crop yields in Iowa. A project was designed to assess the effects of deep
ripping on corn and soybean yields in replicated field trials conducted
across an organized network of farms. Over 70 replicated trials (about 25
acres each) were established in Iowa over a two-year period. GPS was used to
apply replicated strips with and without the tillage and to record the
location of data collected by yield monitors on combines. GIS was used to
analyze spatial variability in yield response within and among trials. For
the 20 sites where treatments were applied in 2002, no economic benefit was
observed either in the first or second crop season after deep ripping. In 2003,
some of the 54 fields benefited economically from deep ripping. The magnitude
of yield response to deep ripping varied spatially, and analyses are showing
where growers benefit from deep ripping tillage. The project is being
expanded in scale due to increasing grower interest. This project
demonstrates that growers can gain economic benefits if they use available
technologies to evaluate the performance of deep ripping on their own farms. Board 77, Using remote sensing, GPS, and yield
monitors to evaluate nitrogen management for corn The inaccuracies of generalized nitrogen (N)
recommendations have led many corn growers to adopt a performance-based
evaluation strategy. Growers with GPS receivers and yield monitors have
executed over 300 replicated field trials during 2001-2003. Most of these
trials were done with the growers comparing their current N rate to a rate
reduced by 50 lb N/a. To expand the participation to growers without yield
monitors, a remote sensing approach was devised in 2003. In the West Buttrick
Creek watershed of Central Iowa, fields were flown late in the season to
collect georeferenced imagery that was used in combination with the soil survey
to select sampling points for the late-season cornstalk nitrate samples. The
growers’ management practices were combined with the stalk nitrate
information to permit pooled analyses of management practices. Some
replicated strip trials identified specific opportunities in which growers
could profitably reduce their N rates below the recommended rates. Other
trials, especially ones that included the use of animal manure, identified
the need for N rates above those recommended. The remote sensing-based strategy
identified a range of opportunities for improvement beyond the
recommendations. Growers have the tools to generate actual performance data
relating to their N management, and these performance evaluations can be
enhanced by pooling data from many growers. Board 78, Geo-spatial modeling and field
validation of sediment loading: Mississinewa Watershed, Indiana The Mississinewa River watershed, located on the
heavy clay soil of the central till plain, ranks among the highest levels of
impact of agricultural runoff potential in the state of Indiana. Our goal in
this project is to determine the greatest areas of sediment loading within
the Mississinewa for priority setting and potential fund allocation of
conservation practices. To facilitate manipulation of the geo-spatial data of
the watershed, we developed and implemented an ArcView® Geographic
Information System (GIS) based sediment-yield computer model. The model has
been validated by in-stream sediment sampling from outlets of four
representative 14-digit Hydrologic-Unit-Code (HUC) watersheds during storm
events over two summers. Successfully validated, the model is being used to
prioritize nearly thirty 14-digit HUC watersheds within the Mississinewa.
Once prioritized, we will use public information meetings and field days to
inform stakeholders about appropriate best management practices (BMPs),
including sources of potential funding. This project is funded through an EPA
Section-319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Control grant administered by the
Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Board 79, Assessment of potential use of
precision conservation for groundwater quality Berry et al. (2002) published a recent paper in
the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation where they proposed the concept of
Precision Conservation and its potential for integrating precision farming
techniques with off-site factors. They proposed that Precision Conservation
will be a key in helping and contributing to sustain intensive agricultural
systems. Since nitrogen is the most mobile and dynamic element and its N use
efficiencies are reported to be at an average of fifty percent, there is need
to use new tools to increase N use efficiency and to minimize N losses to the
environment. We collected intensive spatial data to monitor the N status and
transport in soils, the N uptake by crops and yields in two center pivot
irrigated systems that were under a potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and malting
barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) rotation. These sites were monitored over two
years. Additionally, we collected remote sensing data, and “in situ”
measurements of the N status during the growing season. We conducted N
simulations of these cropping systems and assessed the potential for
precision conservation to reduce off-site NO3--N transport. Preliminary
simulations show that there is potential to use precision conservation to
improve N management practices, reduce NO3--N losses and conserve groundwater
quality in potato – barley systems. Board 80, Utilizing streamside management zones
to predict macroinvertebrate indicators of water quality South Carolina forestry BMP’s protect
macroinvertebrate habitat during both harvest and site preparation.
Streamside management zones are an important aspect of stream protection
implemented in the BMP’s. We explored the idea SMZ width specified for forest
operations would be a good predictor of water quality impacted by other
operations. Three and Twenty Creek in northwestern South Carolina is on the
State’s 303d. list of priority impaired waters, due to poor habitat as
defined by stream macroinvertebrate community. We mapped the SMZ, as defined
by SC Forestry BMP’s, on the 190 miles of stream in the Three and Twenty
watershed. Twenty sample points were then chosen throughout the watershed to
represent various land uses and to examine areas with intact and disturbed
SMZ’s. Macroinvetebrate habitat was determined by the North Carolina Biotic
Index and was compared to land uses and SMZ integrity. In all but two cases
macroinvertebrate habitat was well predicted by SMZ integrity scores. Generally,
where urban and agricultural land uses had SMZ’s that would comply with
Forestry BMP’s the macroinvertebrate community was healthy and where they did
not, it was impaired. Board 81, Geospatial and temporal trends in
farmland protection efforts in 4 Kentucky counties Four counties (Boyle, Mercer, Henry and Shelby) in
Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region have experienced a substantial growth in
enrollment in farmland protection efforts through the Agricultural Districts
Program (Division of Conservation) and the Purchase of Conservation Easements
Program (Department of Agriculture). Prime farmland data, extracted from SSURGO
2 data sets for these counties have been integrated with other GIS vector
data (e.g. U.S. Population Census) and raster data [e.g. Land Cover/Land Use
Data Set (1992, 2001)] to provide a tool to help decision makers prioritize
the allocation of farmland protection resources. Board 82, Resource conservation by remote
sensing: The Kentucky Landscape Snapshot Project Knowing how the working landscapes are changing is
an important factor when deciding how to make sound land management
decisions. The Kentucky Governor’s Office for Technology (GOT) is currently
engaged in the Kentucky Landscape Snapshot (KLS), a project funded with a
recently awarded $ 1.3 M grant by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA). The KLS team members are conducting a characterization
of the Commonwealth’s natural and man-made landscape as it is now by
finalizing the Kentucky Land Cover Data Set 2001 (KLCD01), an updated and
more accurate version of the 1992 National Land Cover Data Set (USGS). Data
products associated to KLCD01, under review and to be unveiled in early 2004
are an imperviousness layer, a canopy closure layer and the possibility to
conduct GIS analysis and modeling of how land is being used from one time
period to another – or change detection. Immediate and active stakeholders
that will benefit from the implementation of this decision support system are
the: Kentucky Governor’s Office for Technology, Kentucky Department for
Natural Resources, Kentucky Division of Forestry, Kentucky Division of
Conservation, the U.S. Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest, the U.S.
Geological Survey, and Space Imaging Services, Inc. Thirty-meter,
multispectral Landsat and 1-m IKONOS imagery is to be licensed by use at the
county/district level. Board 83, Integrating across the landscape:
Assessing watershed impacts of development in a classroom context Typical college liberal arts students usually have
a basic understanding that suburban development can degrade the water and
soil resources of an area, but do not have a detailed understanding of how
development effects are integrated across a watershed or the steps that can
be taken to minimize degradation. In the context of an environmental science
class, a paired watershed laboratory exercise was developed to introduce
students to watershed management topics and effective methods to assess and
prevent water quality degradation. Suburban development effects on watershed
soil and water quality were demonstrated through the use of soil and stream
quality measurements and GIS techniques. Simple hydrological models were used
to develop a watershed protection plan that could protect water quality. Other Topics Board 84, Online publication of soil
conservation photos from the Verle Kaiser collection Verle Kaiser, a long
time soil conservationist in the Pacific Northwest, donated his papers and
photographs to Washington State University's library before his death in
1982. These are contained in two separate collections (papers and photos)
housed in WSU's Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections (MASC), and are
available for public viewing at WSU's Holland Library (Pullman, WA). The
collection contains approximately 10,000 images stored in 435 file folders
using Kaiser's original folder headings. The folder headings have been
catalogued and can be viewed online through the WSU Library system. However,
prior to this project there had not yet been any cataloguing of the folder
contents. We have begun cataloging and digitizing photos from the Photo
Collection and posting them online in a searchable, educational online
database, available online at vkaiser.wsu.edu. Thus far we have
catalogued and scanned several hundred images out of nearly 10,000 soil
conservation-related images mainly from 1930-70's. Major topic areas include
soil erosion, erosion control practices, flooding, farm equipment, and people
of local interest in the PNW. There are also a number of photos from outside
the PNW and from other countries. © Soil and Water Conservation Society |
