The Relationship of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

Transcription

1 The Relationship of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Marcia Fox DNREC, Division of Watershed Stewardship, Nonpoint Source Program

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3 Delaware s Watersheds Piedmont Delaware Basin Chesapeake Basin Inland Bays

4 Sources of Water Pollution Point Source (PS) pollution is any single identifiable source from which pollutants are discharged Nonpoint Source (NPS) pollution is harder to trace as the possibility of sources of pollution are nearly endless and difficult to identify

5 Nearly all of Delaware s waterways are polluted: Industrial/manufacturing contamination, most toxics pre 1970 Wastewater & septic systems Runoff from housing, roads, parking lots Contributions from agriculture Degradation of natural systems that purify water and reduce flooding Delaware s Polluted Past

6 Impaired Waters Impaired waters are polluted waters Do not meet water quality standards for their designated uses (recreation, fishing, or drinking) Caused by excess nutrients, low dissolved oxygen, toxins, bacteria, heat, or any combination of these problems. Common causes are pathogens, such as bacteria, and nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus. Most impairments come from nonpoint sources, which are hard to control. More than 90 percent of Delaware's waterways are considered impaired.

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8 EPA sued TMDLs in Delaware TMDLs Established - The maximum amount of a pollutant that can enter surface waters and still meet water quality standards TMDL = WLA + LA + MOS WLA = waste load allocation (point sources) LA = load allocation (nonpoint sources) MOS = margin of safety Wide range of reductions required for point and nonpoint sources across the state. University of Delaware Cooperative Extension

9 Progress and Challenges Persist Many improvements over past 40 years: Many direct discharges eliminated in Delaware Elimination of tens of thousands of septic systems Improvements in agriculture nutrient management Upgrades at industrial facilities Yet clean water still many decades away under status quo Solution requires each of us to do our part (not just government!) EPA, Chesapeake Bay Program

10 Why Implement Natural BMPs? Delaware has lost 70% of its original forest cover. Grassland Loss even higher. Delaware has lost a higher percentage of its plant species than any other State. 236 of remaining animal species rare in Delaware Species decline due to habitat loss that is now primarily the result of urbanization. Cumulative effect of improved management at sites across the landscape can make a significant difference. The News Journal

11 Landowner Goals Soil and Water Quality Protection Habitat Restoration/Enhancement Wildlife! Recreational Opportunities Aesthetics Reduce costs of conventional management (tilling, mowing, irrigating)

12 Factors to consider when implementing BMPs Soil types Wetlands Floodplains Slopes Wildlife Resources Woodlands Farmland Historic & Cultural Resources Aesthetic Views Aquifer Recharge Areas

13 Best Management Practices (BMPs) to Consider Cover crops Manure sheds Composters Heavy use area protection Large animal mortality rendering Manure handling equipment Manure Transport Nutrient Management Planning Grassed waterways Meadows for wildlife Tree plantings Stream bank protection Vegetative filter strips Wetland establishment Floodplain reconnection Water control structures

14 Habitat Fragmentation Results from Large Contiguous Tracts of Habitat being Reduced in Size and Separated Source: Spirn. (1984). The Granite Garden.

15 Species Requirements Size & Type of Habitat Needed to Support Species Grasshopper Sparrow 30 Acres Eastern Meadowlark 15 Acres Vespar Sparrow 15 Acres Scarlet Tanager 29Acres Bobolink 5 Acres American Kestrel 10 Acres Kentucky Warbler 49 Meter Buffer

16 Meadows = Habitat Black eyed susan Purple coneflower Common milkweed Lance leaved coreopsis USDA NRCS Wild bergamot Partridge pea USDA NRCS

17 Delaware Coastal Programs Handbook (2004) Riparian Buffers Newly established area along a stream of either grass or trees Forest buffers prevent pollution from entering waterways, stabilize stream banks, provide food and habitat to wildlife and keep streams cool during hot weather Must be a minimum of 35 feet to have any water quality benefit

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19 Many landowners are doing the right thing not for water quality but for their own benefit Aesthetics Recreational Value Economics Cumulative impacts across the landscape can have additional environmental results. What does this all mean?

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21 Questions? Marcia Fox DNREC Nonpoint Source Program