Efficient Development of Wetlands to Reduce Nonpoint Source Pollution

Background

Changes in land use management practices upstream can alter wetland ecosystem functions downstream. Emerging computer technologies including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, expert systems, distributed-parameter and mathematical modeling, can be used to analyze different components of a landscape and their interactions. Agricultural and wetland ecosystems can be evaluated as integral parts of the landscape rather than as isolated units with little or no connection to their surroundings. The upsurge of interest in watershed management and planning has increased the need for user-friendly, interactive methods that land planners and managers can use to evaluate the economic and environmental consequences of alternative land use and management practices.

Objectives

1. Evaluate the potential for reducing agricultural nonpoint source pollution through application of best management practices to cropland and the conversion of hydric cropland to wetlands
2. Develop an ecological-economic framework for assessing the role of wetlands in improving agricultural ecosystems.

Methods

• The study area was the 13,000-acre Bear Creek Watershed in Linn County, Missouri. Five layers or overlays, soils, land use, hydrology, hypsography and grid cells, were collected from various sources and compiled from 1:24,000-scale topographic quadrangle maps. Each layer contains attributes that are used to generate the input parameters for an environmental simulation model.
• A watershed management decision support system (WAMADSS) was developed to evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of applying best management practices to cropland and converting hydric cropland to wetlands. WAMADSS consists of three components: a distributed-parameter simulation model, a GIS, and an economic model. The three components are accessed through a graphical user interface in order to facilitate analyses. Specifically, the Agricultural NonPoint Source (AGNPS) pollution model and the economic models are linked to ARC/INFO GIS via the ARC/INFO programming language - ARC Macro Language (AML). The interface enables the decision maker to manipulate land use alternatives, run AGNPS, execute the economic models and view results within ARC/INFO.

Publications

Fulcher, Christopher, Christopher Barnett and Steven Vance. Decision Support System for Enhancing Water Quality in Agricultural Landscapes. Proceedings: 1994 ESRI User Conference, Palm Springs, CA, May 23-27, 1994.

Fulcher, Chris, Tony Prato, Chris Barnett and Steve Vance. The Role of Wetlands in Improving Agricultural Ecosystems: An Ecological-Economic Assessment. Proceedings: 30th Annual Conference of American Water Resources Association, National Symposium on Water Quality, Chicago, IL, Nov. 6-10, 1994.

Prato, Tony, Yun Wang, Tim Haithcoat, Chris Barnett and Chris Fulcher. Converting Hydric Cropland to Wetland in Missouri: A Geoeconomic Analysis. J. of Soil and Water Cons. 50:(1995)101-106.

Prato, Tony, Chris Fulcher, and Feng Xu. 1995. Decision Support System for Total Watershed Management. _Animal_Waste_and_the_Land-Water_Interface_, Kenneth Steele (ed.) (New York: Lewis Publishers), pp. 333-342.

Prato, Tony, Chris Fulcher and Feng Xu. Decision Support System for Total Watershed Management. Research Report No. 14, Center for Agricultural, Resource and Environmental Systems, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Missouri-Columbia, March 1995.

Presentations

Fulcher, Chris. Decision Support System for Enhancing Water Quality in an Agricultural Watershed. Fifth Annual Water Quality Conference, Center for Water Quality, University of Missouri-Columbia, MO, February 2-3, 1995.

Fulcher, Christopher. The Role of Wetlands in Improving Agricultural Ecosystems: An Ecological Economic Assessment. 30th Annual American Water Resources Association Conference, Chicago, IL, November 6-11, 1994.

Fulcher, Christopher. Decision Support System for Enhancing Water Quality in Agricultural Landscapes. ESRI User Conference, Palm Springs, CA, May 23-27, 1994.

Fulcher, Christopher, Christopher Barnett and Steven Vance. Decision Support System for Enhancing Water Quality in Agricultural Landscapes. Poster: ESRI User Conference, Palm Springs, CA, May 23-27, 1994.

Fulcher, Christopher. Enhanced Input Parameter Generation for the AGNPS Model. ASAE Mid-Central Conference, St. Joseph, MO, March 11-12, 1994.

Investigators: Tony Prato and Chris Fulcher

Funding Amount: $17,963

Funding Source: Missouri Water Resources Research Center

Project Duration: May 1993 - April 1994