Special Issue: Conservation Management of Legacy Sediment and Nutrients in Agricultural Watersheds
Submission Deadline: March 31, 2026
Issue Organizer: Lindsey Witthaus
Associate Editor, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
Research Hydrologist & Lead Scientist, National Sedimentation Laboratory
Email: lindsey.witthaus@usda.gov
Conservation science has made great advancements in strategies to improve nutrient management, reduce erosion, and enhance edge-of-field treatments to reduce downstream transport of nutrients and sediment. However, legacy sources of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment persist in the environment and delay conservation outcomes in watersheds. While conservation professionals understand that legacy nutrients and sediments challenge the successful restoration and management of downstream ecosystems, quantification and characterization of legacy pools and research into management solutions are still broadly needed.
This special issue of the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation will highlight research on the quantification of legacy nutrient and sediment sources as well as management strategies to address legacies and mitigate impacts for improved agronomic systems and regional water quality. Papers on the measurement of legacy sources, assessment of conservation practices, and modeling improvements to assess legacy contributions, among other topics, are welcome.
The Journal of Soil and Water Conservation is the multidisciplinary journal of natural resource conservation research, practice, policy, and perspectives of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, published in partnership with Taylor & Francis.
Issue Deadlines
- Submit for peer review by March 31, 2026
- Complete peer review by October 1, 2026
- Publish November/December 2026
(Papers accepted prior to October 1, 2026, may be published online in advance and later compiled in the special issue. Papers that are not accepted by the October 1 deadline may be considered for publication in a regular journal issue.)
Submission Instructions
Please submit through the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation’s online submission portal (or visit tandfonline.com/uswc). Select the “Legacy Sediment and Nutrients” section when submitting your paper to be considered for the special issue. Author instructions and additional information may be found on Taylor & Francis Online.