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Town Brook/Cannonsville Reservoir Town Brook/Cannonsville Reservoir Watersheds – Watersheds – A CEAP-WAS contribution A CEAP-WAS contribution

Bil Gburek and friendsBil Gburek and friendsPasture Systems and Watershed Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research UnitManagement Research Unit

USDA-ARSUSDA-ARSUniversity Park, PAUniversity Park, PA

CEAP-WAS WorkshopCEAP-WAS WorkshopIrving, TX; March 2005Irving, TX; March 2005

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New York City water supply New York City water supply watershedswatersheds

1,969 mi1,969 mi22

8 million people8 million people 1.3 billion gal daily1.3 billion gal daily 2 main reservoir systems2 main reservoir systems

• east of Hudson – east of Hudson – minimal ag problemsminimal ag problems

• west of Hudson –west of Hudson – forest and dairy forest and dairy

agricultureagriculture P-related problemsP-related problems manure use/”disposal”manure use/”disposal”

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West-of-Hudson watershedsWest-of-Hudson watersheds

Cannonsville Reservoir problems

• Phosphorus loss from dairy agriculture negatively impacts eutrophic status of reservoir

• Erosion from corn land use and related P transport, previously unaddressed in whole-farm planning process, becoming of concern

• Sustainability and economic viability of farm community affected by P management measures

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CEAP-WAS CEAP-WAS BMP implementation andevaluation typically at field scale...

while management is at whole-farm scale...

but water quantity and quality impacts are typicallyat watershed/basin scale

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Research objectives – pre-CEAP Research objectives – pre-CEAP originsorigins

Client-drivenClient-driven•WACWAC • Del Cty SWCD• Del Cty SWCD • • NRCSNRCS

•NYC-DEPNYC-DEP • NYS-DEC • NYS-DEC • EPA • EPA

Contributing research groupsContributing research groups•ARS (lead) • Cornell UniversityARS (lead) • Cornell University•USGS • NYC-DEPUSGS • NYC-DEP•NYS-DECNYS-DEC

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Research objectives – pre-CEAP Research objectives – pre-CEAP originsorigins

Quantify P loss from dairy agriculture Quantify P loss from dairy agriculture at field, farm, and watershed scalesat field, farm, and watershed scales

Evaluate efficacy of BMPs, Evaluate efficacy of BMPs, individually and in combinationindividually and in combination

Evaluate effectiveness of current Evaluate effectiveness of current BMP strategy in reducing P lossBMP strategy in reducing P loss

Develop new and/or improved Develop new and/or improved strategies for BMP selection and strategies for BMP selection and sitingsiting

Maintain sustainability and economic Maintain sustainability and economic viability of farmsviability of farms

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Monitoring data availableMonitoring data available

Cannonsville Watershed – 354 mi2

NYS-DEP since 1991 flow; lowflow and event-scale sediment and P species

Town Brook outlet – 14.3 mi2

USGS since 1997 flow; lowflow and event-scale sediment and P speciesforested sub-watershed

R-farm – first-order “watershed”with phased BMP implementation NYS-DEP since 1991 flow; lowflow and event-scale sediment and P species

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Research approachResearch approach Field Field landscape landscape farm farm small small

watershed – Town Brook Watershed focuswatershed – Town Brook Watershed focus•representative of Cannonsville conditionsrepresentative of Cannonsville conditions•evaluation of BMPs singly or in combinationevaluation of BMPs singly or in combination•farmers’ management decisions and BMPs farmers’ management decisions and BMPs

can be tied directly to P loss can be tied directly to P loss to the streamto the stream Modeling to extrapolate to Cannonsville Modeling to extrapolate to Cannonsville

scalescale•farm-scale modeling – IFSM (enterprise costs) farm-scale modeling – IFSM (enterprise costs) •watershed-scale modeling – SWAT watershed-scale modeling – SWAT

current levels of P losscurrent levels of P loss incorporate and evaluate effects of BMPsincorporate and evaluate effects of BMPs optimization for BMP selection & placementoptimization for BMP selection & placement

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Anticipated productsAnticipated products Documented effectiveness of individual Documented effectiveness of individual

BMPs in reducing P loss – Catskill BMPs in reducing P loss – Catskill appropriateappropriate

Watershed modeling incorporating impacts Watershed modeling incorporating impacts of BMPs considering source, transport, and of BMPs considering source, transport, and BMP intervention processes – BMP intervention processes – national applicability national applicability

Methodology for effective Methodology for effective and economic selection and economic selection and siting of BMPs – and siting of BMPs – national applicability national applicability

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ProgressProgress

BMP effectiveness quantified (w/ BMP effectiveness quantified (w/ pubs)pubs)•streambank fencingstreambank fencing•cover cropscover crops•grass filter strips/riparian buffersgrass filter strips/riparian buffers•P-sorbing materialsP-sorbing materials

P source investigations (w/ pubs)P source investigations (w/ pubs)•soil P-runoff P relationshipssoil P-runoff P relationships

P transport investigations (w/ P transport investigations (w/ pubs) pubs) •VSA characterization and impactVSA characterization and impact•potential for subsurface transportpotential for subsurface transport

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Crop rotation

Contour strip crop

Nutrient management plans

Riparian forest buffers

Streams

LEGEND

Progress (cont’d)Progress (cont’d) BMP tool developed (JSWC)BMP tool developed (JSWC) Optimized BMPs at farm scale (ASAE)Optimized BMPs at farm scale (ASAE) Optimized BMPs at watershed scale Optimized BMPs at watershed scale

(AWRA accepted)(AWRA accepted) Farm-scale BMPs – e.g., precision feeding Farm-scale BMPs – e.g., precision feeding

and improved forage utilization to reduce and improved forage utilization to reduce P imbalance; environmental and economic P imbalance; environmental and economic impactsimpacts

Improved manure P model subroutinesImproved manure P model subroutines Role of channel processes in watershed-Role of channel processes in watershed-

scale P transport dynamicsscale P transport dynamics