Improving Water Quality Through Integrated Watershed Management

Background

Over the past ten years (1991-2000), a multidisciplinary research, outreach, and extension team consisting of scientists and specialists from the University of Missouri-Columbia, the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey has studied the impact of agrochemicals on surface and ground water in the 10-million acre Midwest claypan soil region as part of the Missouri Management Systems Evaluation Area (MSEA)/Agricultural Systems for Environmental Quality (ASEQ) project. The goal of the Missouri MSEA/ASEQ project is to develop innovative farming systems and promote an integrated watershed management approach to improving surface and ground water quality.

Watersheds are a logical way to divide landscapes and are ultimately the most appropriate analytical and management units for water quality improvement. While some watershed management efforts have been successful, others have failed. Several factors affect success of these efforts. First, for every natural watershed there is a “shadow” watershed defined by human and natural features that extend the decision-maker’s interest beyond the physical boundaries of a watershed. Previous watershed management efforts generally fail to reconcile the political, economic and social conditions with the ecological and biophysical aspects of an area and lack influential and voluntary participation of multiple local and nongovernmental interests. Second, watershed management is a decision process that is informed by a combination of biophysical sciences, socioeconomic information, and local knowledge. Most past watershed management efforts generally lack input by social scientists into the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and practices for achieving integrated watershed management. Third, most past watershed management efforts have not taken a collaborative problem-solving planning and management orientation.

Objectives

The project builds on the ten-year research, education and extension water quality program developed by the Missouri MSEA/ASEQ project and taps into the interdisciplinary team for that project. The overall goal of the proposed project is to develop an integrated watershed management (IWM) framework that integrates scientific knowledge/data and user-supplied information regarding the watershed-scale social, economic and environmental processes affecting water quality and implement that framework using a spatial decision support system (SDSS). This goal would be achieved by pursing two objectives:

1. Develop a IWM/SDSS framework that integrates biophysical simulation models, geographic information systems and economic/behavioral models, assesses water quality and economic impacts of alternative farming systems and best management practices in Missouri, and evaluates water quality management plans (WQMP) for improving water quality in impaired watersheds.
2. Implement a multi-tier extension/outreach program that assists watershed alliance groups in impaired Missouri watersheds to achieve significant improvements in water quality through application of the IWM/SDSS framework.

Methods

The project is conducted in Goodwater Creek, Vandalia and Monroe City watersheds. The following figure describes the general relationship between the project and the previous MSEA/ASEQ project and the relationships among the objectives.

The research activities related to the first objective include:

1. to develop HSPF/BASINS parameter values that characterize conventional and alternative farming systems, best management practices (BMP) for claypan soils in those watersheds.
2. to develop procedures and protocols for using HSPF/BASINS in water quality assessments in those watersheds.
3. to develop a SDSS that integrates economic models and HSPF/BASINS for soil and water quality protection and watershed management.

The research and extension activities related to the second objective include:

1. to establish and operate a local watershed/community alliance group for developing and implementing a WQMP.
2. to evaluate water quality and economic impacts of BMPs Using SDSS and to develop and implement WQMP.
3. to develop a multi-tier education/outreach program to disseminate project results
4. to determine baseline and evaluate changes in farming practices in watersheds.

Major Findings and Products

Principal Investigators:

Funding Source: USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service

Funding Amount: $493,595

Project Duration: October 1, 2001 - September 30, 2004.