Grantee Research Project Results
2001 Progress Report: An Integrated Ecological and Socio-Economic Approach to Evaluating and Reducing Agricultural Impacts on Upper Mississippi River Watersheds
EPA Grant Number: R825761Title: An Integrated Ecological and Socio-Economic Approach to Evaluating and Reducing Agricultural Impacts on Upper Mississippi River Watersheds
Investigators: Gowda, Prasanna H. , Haro, Roger J. , Napier, Ted L. , Ward, Andy
Current Investigators: Gowda, Prasanna H. , Burgess, Andrew F. , Haro, Roger J. , Napier, Ted L. , Mendez, Aida , Ward, Andy , Dalzell, Brent , Mulla, David , Kollman, Fred , Tucker, Mark , Stombaugh, Susie
Institution: University of Wisconsin - La Crosse , The Ohio State University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: September 1, 1997 through August 30, 2000 (Extended to March 31, 2003)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2000 through August 30, 2001
Project Amount: $650,921
RFA: Water and Watersheds Research (1997) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Watersheds , Water
Objective:
The objectives of this research project are to: use a spatial-process model to predict agricultural discharges from two watersheds in the Upper Mississippi River Basin; use the model to evaluate potential water quality benefits associated with the adoption of alternative management strategies on these watersheds; develop regional-scale predictive models of ecosystem "health," biodiversity, and sustainability by relating information on biota and ecosystem functional processes to current and potential landscape composition and structure; and identify factors that affect adoption of conservation production systems among land owner-operators in the two watersheds. The Lower Minnesota River watershed in eastern Minnesota and the Maquoketa River watershed in northeastern Iowa are being studied. We recently extended our study to include Big Darby Creek watershed in central Ohio for a socioeconomic survey of farm owners-operators.Progress Summary:
We have completed the following tasks: (1) modeling and evaluation of a set of alternative agricultural management practices for the Lower Minnesota River watershed to determine their impacts on water quality; (2) calibration of the model and analysis of preliminary findings on water quality for the Maquoketa River watershed; (3) processing and taxonomic identification of samples collected from both Lower Minnesota and Maquoketa watersheds in 1999; (4) evaluation of relationships between biological conditions in first, second, and third order streams, stream habitat and agricultural management practices in the upland areas; (5) socioeconomic component; and (6) publication of many peer-reviewed research articles in journals and presentation of several research papers at water resources-related professional meetings.Calibration of the ADAPT model was done using the measured water quality data (1994-96) from six tributaries of the Lower Minnesota River watersheds. Statistical evaluation of the modeling results indicate that model performance is best for subwatersheds dominated by agricultural land use. Pollutant loadings from the remaining ungauged watersheds were estimated using the calibrated ADAPT model. For this purpose, subwatersheds in the Lower Minnesota River watershed were grouped into four regions: (1) southeastern, (2) western, (3) north-central, and (4) northeastern region.
Four alternative agricultural management practices were developed considering developments in the Lower Minnesota River watershed and in consultation with local experts: (1) increased adoption of conservation tillage; (2) conversion of crop land to pasture; (3) varying N-fertilizer application rates; and (4) increased subsurface tile drainage. Model simulations were conducted to evaluate the effects of alternative agricultural management practices. Of the simulated scenarios, greatest reductions in nitrate-N loads (up to 7 percent) were observed in southeastern and western regions of the watershed when N-fertilizer application rates were decreased by 20 percent. Crop land in these regions is typically poorly drained, and a major portion of the land is equipped with subsurface tile drainage systems. Model results indicate that a 75 percent increase in adoption of conservation tillage can reduce average annual sediment loads by up to an additional 57 percent. Increased adoption of conservation tillage is predicted also to increase nitrate-N losses. The impact of conservation tillage on nitrate-N losses offsets reduced losses of nitrate-N due to reductions in N fertilizer application rate. Two manuscripts were submitted to journals for publication
On the Maquoketa River watershed, the calibration of the ADAPT model is being done. Preliminary findings on this work were presented at recently held annual meetings of the American Water Resources Association and the American Institute of Hydrology. Development and evaluation of a set of alternative management practices will be followed by model calibration.
The ecological component of the project is competing data processing from the second year's benthological survey. Checks for quality assurance of these data have been undertaken throughout the project. We will integrate this data with water quality predictions for three different alternative management scenarios. This integration currently is limited to the Lower Minnesota River Basin. Manuscripts are being developed on the past work on the project (i.e., evaluation of relationships between landscape and stream habitat characteristics and benthic macroinvertebrate community composition in both study watersheds using macroinvertebrate data collected in 1998 and soil erosion potential was estimated for key landscape features using the University Soil Loss Equation).
All the objectives under the socioeconomic component of the project were completed, and research findings were published in several peer-reviewed journals. Major findings of this component are reported in the publications listed below.
Future Activities:
We will prepare and submit the final report for the grant. At present, we are calibrating the ADAPT model for predicting water quality in the Maquoketa River watershed. Upon completion, we will: (1) develop and evaluate a set of alternative agricultural management practices for the Maquoketa River watershed to evaluate their impact on water quality; (2) integrate macroinvertebrate data and water quality predictions for the Maquoketa River watershed; and (3) develop manuscripts on the water quality and ecological components of the project for publication.Journal Articles on this Report : 6 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 26 publications | 10 publications in selected types | All 9 journal articles |
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Type | Citation | ||
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Burgess A, Haro RJ, Gowda PH. The relationship among landscape characteristics, stream habitat and composition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in two Midwestern agricultural watersheds. Journal of Environmental Management. |
R825761 (2001) R825761 (Final) |
not available |
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Gowda PH, Mulla DJ, Dalzell BJ. Examining the targeting of conservation tillage practices to steep vs. flat landscapes in the Minnesota River Basin. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 2003;58(1):53-57 |
R825761 (1999) R825761 (2000) R825761 (2001) R825761 (Final) |
not available |
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Napier TL. Soil and water conservation policy approaches in North America, Europe, and Australia. Water Policy 2000;1(6):551-565. |
R825761 (1999) R825761 (2000) R825761 (2001) R825761 (Final) |
not available |
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Napier TL, Tucker M. Use of soil and water protection practices among farmers in three midwest watersheds. Environmental Management 2001;27(2):269-279. |
R825761 (1999) R825761 (2000) R825761 (2001) R825761 (Final) |
not available |
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Robinson JR, Napier TL. Adoption of nutrient management techniques to reduce hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Agricultural Systems 2002;72(3):197-213 |
R825761 (2001) R825761 (Final) |
not available |
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Tucker M, Napier TL. Determinants of perceived agricultural chemical risk in three watersheds in the Midwestern United States. Journal of Rural Studies 2001, Volume 17, Issue 2, April 2001, Pages 219-233. |
R825761 (1999) R825761 (2000) R825761 (2001) R825761 (Final) |
not available |
Supplemental Keywords:
watersheds, soil, sediment, chemical transport, indicators, aquatic, habitat, survey, preferences, socioeconomic, willingness-to-pay, compensation, conservation, hydrology, biology, modeling, satellite, landsat, remote sensing, Midwest, EPA Region 5, agriculture, MN, IA, OH., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Water, Geographic Area, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Water & Watershed, Nutrients, Hydrology, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Ecosystem Protection, Environmental Chemistry, State, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Wet Weather Flows, Agronomy, Watersheds, anthropogenic stress, agriculturally impacted watershed, aquatic ecosystem, environmental monitoring, fate and transport, hydrological stability, nutrient transport, risk assessment, spatially distributed hydaulic models, wastewater treatment, Minnesota, Iowa, MN, biodiversity, soil and water conservation, agricultural discharges, farming, watershed, agricultural watershed, runoff, downstream effects, anoxia/hypoxia, biological integrity, decision model, hypoxic zones, regional scale predictive model, aquatic ecosystems, nutrient cycling, GIS, non-point sources, water quality, IA, remotely sensed data, land useRelevant Websites:
http://www.soils.umn.edu/~pgowda/epa_project/index.html
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.