2014 ANNUAL REPORT: ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF THE MRBI PROGRAM IN THE POINT REMOVE AND L ANGUILLE WATERSHEDS

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1 2014 ANNUAL REPORT: ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF THE MRBI PROGRAM IN THE POINT REMOVE AND L ANGUILLE WATERSHEDS

2 2014 ANNUAL REPORT ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF THE MRBI PROGRAM IN THE POINT REMOVE AND L ANGUILLE WATERSHEDS Agreement No PROJECT PURPOSE: The purposes of this agreement is to provide funding to the University for completion of a 3-year assessment project involving edge-of-field monitoring designed to determine the impacts of implementation of the Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI) Program on representative programenrolled farms in the Point Remove and L Anguille watersheds. PROJECT BENEFITS: The MRBI program offers a new, innovative voluntary approach to addressing regional water quality issues related to agricultural nonpoint source pollution. However, previous funding has not provided for monitoring to assess the actual impact of the program. Quantifying impact is a critical component to demonstrating the effectiveness of voluntary conservation efforts in terms of justifying continued expenditures and implementing future programs. THE UNIVERSITY WILL: 1. Establish one (1) Discovery Farm in the Point Remove Watershed and two (2) Discovery Farms in the L Anguille watershed. 2. Install and maintain, on the Discovery Farms, all sampling equipment necessary to monitor edge-offield water quality and water use. 3. Insure that all necessary samples are collected and monitored according to established scientific protocols. 4. Collaborate with the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct stream flow, nutrient, and sediment discharge at the 12-digit HUC scale that encompasses edge-of-field monitoring sites. 5. Utilize the previously-developed, calibrated SWAT model for the Point Remove and L Anguille Watersheds. 6. Insure that the project will achieve the following: Measured of reduction efficiencies at edge-of-field of selected MRBI-approved practices under real-world conditions, Quantified cause and effect relationships between selected practices and receiving water quality parameters, SWAT estimates of BMP implementation scenarios on nutrient loss reductions.

3 2014 ANNUAL SUMMARY L ANGUILLE SUMMARY Several field tours of the L Anguille runoff monitoring sites were conducted during Pictures from theses are presented in at the end of the document. Plant samples for nutrient analysis of the harvested crops were collected and are reported in Table 2. Water quality in the L Anguille River at two stations above and below the Clements and Woods farms were collected and are reported in Table 3. Attached is a figure from the modeling effort for the L Anguille showing model calibration results for total flow, surface flow and base flow.in Figure 1. Information/Education/Awareness Activity Description Event 5/20/14 to 5/22/14 Cherry Valley, AR 7/22/2013 Hot Springs, AR 9/8/2013 Little Rock, AR Task description Field tour of Discovery Farm with NRCS and EPA National Headquarter Staff demonstrating he ongoing conservation monitoring in Arkansas. The tour was attended by about 60 conservationists. Sustainable agricultural land management practices: Arkansas Discovery Farms Program, at the Arkansas Farm Bureau True North, Officers and Leaders Conference. Effects of agricultural land use, climate change, and watershed restoration on water quality and biological resources in the Mississippi River Basin: an Overview and case studies. Chen, Y., M. Daniels, M. Reba, A.N. Sharpley, J. Bouldin, T.G. Teague, C. Henry, P. Daniel, N. Mays, S. Shrestha, J. Farrelly, M. Eggleton, S. Lochmann, D. Frame, D. Busch, A. Radatz, E. Cooley, B. Haggard, J. Hendrix, and D. Miller American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, September 8-12, Little Rock, AR. 9/28/13 & 9/29/13 Cherry Valley, AR Field tour of Woods farm to inspect monitoring sites, which involved NRCS Chief Weller, NRCS staff from AR, ANRC, AACD, and other involved in conservation implementation in Arkansas. 10/3/2013 Bentonville, AR Update on the Arkansas Discovery Farms Program, at the Restoration of Our Rivers: Land Use Impacts Conference, Illinois River Watershed Partnership, Crystal Bridges.

4 10/12/2013 San Francisco, CA 1/14/14 Little Rock, AR Research publication A network for monitoring agricultural water quantity and water quality in Arkansas. Reba, M., M. Daniels, Y. Chen, A.N. Sharpley, T. Teague and J. Bouldin. American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA, December Meeting in Little Rock with all Discovery Farm Stakeholder Committee members to review progress in 2012 and develop and approve a plan of work for Reba, M.L., M. Daniels, Y. Chen, A.N. Sharpley, J. Bouldin, T.G. Teague, P Daniel, and C.G. Henry A statewide network for monitoring agricultural water quality and water quantity in Arkansas. J. Soil Water Conserv. 68( 2): 45A- 49A. 3/19 to 3/21/14 - Stavanger, Norway. Sharpley, A.N., and M. Daniels. Monitoring on-farm BMP effectiveness for outreach and compliance. At the Nordic Association of Agricultural Scientists. Agriculture and water quality: Future challenges to monitoring. POINT REMOVE SUMMARY For the point Remove-Lake Conway location we continued monitoring water quality at three edgeof-field sites on the Maus Farm. Annual summary data collected and analyzed to date are given in Table 4 for flow and concentration and in Table 5 for loads. At the moment, we do not see any major differences among the sites in terms of flow characteristics, nutrient concentrations, or edge-of-filed loads of P, N or sediment. This is to be expected given the short time of sample collection at this site and it is difficult and inappropriate to attempt to draw any conclusions from the data at this early stage of monitoring. We will continue monitoring into 2015 and evaluate the practices as decided and imposed by the farmer on these sites. Those practices will include the use of a cover crop and irrigation using a relift pump. Initial problems with ISCO sampler failures were corrected after three months of testing and by May, 2014 all sites were fully operational. At the moment, we do not foresee any data collection issues. An additional field has been land-leveled for more efficient irrigation water use and we will be to assess the impacts of this practice on water use, runoff timing and volume, nutrient loss. With farmer permission we plan to install another monitoring site on the last of the four fields that meet at our sampling collection points. In late October we experienced flooding, which meant runoff samples were not collected. This was due to an act of nature and not farmer or sampling inadequacies.

5 Photographs of the site are included for further information and clarity PROGRESS: L Anguille Watershed to : Installation of monitoring sites was completed at both the Woods and Clements Farms. This included installation of culvert gauges, flumes, and weirs to measure runoff water volumes, construction of stands to house the automatic water samplers, and bringing everything on-line. See photos below to : A total of 24 water runoff samples were collected from 9 storm flow events and have been analyzed for nutrient and sediment content to : A total of 6 water runoff samples were collected from 2 storm flow events and have been analyzed for nutrient and sediment content. Concentrations will not be reported until a sufficient number of events have been collected to ensure reliability of the results to : a. Work was conducted at monitoring sites to maintain all equipment in working order. This involved removing transducers to monitor flow during January, when the risk of freezing conditions destroying the transducers was too high. b. A total of 4 water runoff samples were collected from 1 storm flow event and have been analyzed for nutrient and sediment content to : a. A total of 26 water runoff samples have been collected since flume installation at the middle of last year. In 2012, a total of 5 samples have been collected and analyzed for nutrient and sediment content. b. To date, concentrations of all forms of phosphorus and nitrogen measured in runoff from both conventional and conservation sites monitored in the L Anguille sites have been extremely low. Averaging <0.050 mg/l dissolved P, <0.20 mg/l total P, < 0.10 mg/l nitrate, and <2.00 mg/l total N. c. Water sampling will continue to : a. Water sampling continued. b. Drought during this period has limited activity at these sites to mainly maintenance.

6 to : a. Water sampling continued. b. Data for 2011 and 2012 compiled and presented in Table 1. c. We are working with Dharmendra Saraswat to run the SWAT model on the L Anguille Watershed. Dr. Saraswat has completed some initial model calibration and will complete more detail simulations over the next several months to assess the relative effects of BMP implementation on nutrient and sediment runoff in the L Anguille Watershed to : a. Water sampling continued. b. Dharmendra Saraswat continues to populate the SWAT model for simulation of nutrient and sediment transport in the L Anguille Watershed, as a function of conservation management to : a. Water sampling continued. b. Dharmendra Saraswat continues to populate the SWAT model for simulation of nutrient and sediment transport in the Point Remove Watershed, as a function of conservation management. The plan of work for SWAT simulation of nutrient flows in the MRBI Point Remove Watershed, as developed by Dharmendra Saraswat and the BMPs available in the Watershed are given on page 8 and Table 2, respectively to : c. Water sampling continued. d. We contracted with Dharmendra Saraswat to hire a Graduate Student to conduct the SWAT modeling in the L Anguille Watershed, as a function of conservation management. The budget uses grant funds and is below.

7 MRBI Modeling Project (Revised Estimate, August 5, 2013) GRADUATE STUDENT BUDGET Item Graduate student $18,540/year (increase by 3% each year)- 1 student Year (Fall to summer) $18,540 Undergraduate 400 hrs $4,800 Tuition $368/credit hour/15 credit hours / year $5,520 Fringe benefits Graduate $784 Fringe benefits, $384 Travel ($1,000) $1,000 *As per the suggestion of Kris Rutherford, Pre-Award Grants Officer. He is open to discussion. $7,908 Total Cost $38,936 Graduate Stipend: One graduate student for year one. He shall be responsible for responsible for the entire plan of work as listed below. Tuition fee: Tuition fee is included as per the rates charged by the University of Arkansas. Fringe benefits: Fringe benefits are associated with graduate stipend as per the rates charged by the University of Arkansas. Travel: The budgeted amount will support Dr. Dharmendra Saraswat s trip to Fayetteville for student mentoring purposes to : a. Water sampling continued. b. We contracted with Dharmendra Saraswat to hire a Graduate Student to conduct the SWAT modeling in the L Anguille Watershed, as a function of conservation management to :

8 a. Water sampling continued on two Discovery Farms in L Anguille Watershed. b. Modelling work in L Anguille watershed initiated to : a. Water sampling continued on two Discovery Farms in L Anguille Watershed. A complete reporting of water quality will be included at the end of b. Modelling work in L Anguille watershed is continuing to : a. Water sampling continued on two Discovery Farms in L Anguille Watershed. A complete reporting of water quality will be included at the end of b. Modelling work in L Anguille watershed is continuing to : a. Water sampling continued on two Discovery Farms in L Anguille Watershed. A complete reporting of water quality will be included at the end of 2014, in the annual report. b. Modelling work in L Anguille watershed is continuing. Point Remove Watershed to : a. Construction of a second cattle crossing was completed, which was then used as the point of water flow monitoring into the wetland area. b. Installation of monitoring sites was completed at the Willow Bend Farm. See photos below to : a. A total of 7 water runoff samples were collected during 7 storm flow events and have been analyzed for nutrient and sediment content. b. A grid soil sampling protocol was established for Willow Bend Farm. This soil sampling will be conducted in October, to :

9 a. A total of 2 water runoff samples were collected from 2 storm flow events and have been analyzed for nutrient and sediment content. Concentrations will not be reported until a sufficient number of events have been collected to ensure reliability of the results. b. Grid soil sampling of the Willow Bend Farm was completed in conjunction with Ron Day, NRCS, Conway County, the MRBI, and EQIP. Soils are being analyzed for nutrients by the U of A Soil Testing Laboratory. c. Flow at both sites in the Point Remove Watershed is flowing into the wetland area. Thus, the second site will be moved to a new location in the Watershed to evaluate another pasture management BMP. This will be completed in the next quarter, in order that runoff samples can be collected during the wet spring period. d. On October 27 th, 2011 we sponsored an open meeting at the Willow Bend Farm to discuss MRBI-related progress followed by a Discovery Farm Committee meeting to discuss site selection, equipment installation and future plans. The meeting was attended by about 100 farmers, NRCS, ANRC, AACD, and Legislative Staff personnel to : a. Completed grid soil sampling at Willow Bend Farm, collated analyses and prepared report for land owner. b. Work was conducted at monitoring sites to maintain all equipment in working order. This involved removing transducers to monitor flow during January, when the risk of freezing conditions destroying the transducers was too high. c. A total of 3 water runoff samples were collected during 3 storm flow events and have been analyzed for nutrient and sediment content. d. We continued to look for additional sampling edge-of-field monitoring sites at the Willow Bend Farm and other locations in the Point Remove Watershed to : a. Compiled soil nutrient maps for the farm, which will be provided as soon as available. b. A total of 21 water runoff samples have been collected since flume installation at the middle of last year. In 2012, a total of 8 samples have been collected and analyzed for nutrient and sediment content. c. Water sampling will continue. d. With the help of Crash Caruthers and Alice Weeks, we located another farmer in the Point Remove Watershed who was willing to have us install monitoring equipment on three fields in

10 the Khun Bayou Watershed (HUC Pope County; Figure 1). The farmer is John Maus and he has completed a Discovery Farm application and plans to complete a Memorandum of Understanding with the Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas to proceed with monitoring. The initial plan is to monitor runoff from three fields with and without cover crops (an approved MRBI Conservation Practice in this watershed) to : a. Water sampling continued. b. We met at the Watershed Irrigation District Office to discuss progress and to develop a new farm on the watershed. c. Visited with J. Maus as to the potential of using his property to conduct a Discovery Farm assessment of water quality impacts of conservation. d. Maus agreed to be a Discovery Farm and a MOU signed to : a. Water sampling continued. b. Fields located for assessment of cover crop effects on nutrient and sediment runoff. c. Data for 2011 and 2012 compiled. d. Funding obtained from EPA Region VI to monitor nutrient and sediment concentrations in Khun Bayou, adjacent to the edge-of-field monitoring sites. A Quality Management Plan and Quality Assurance Plan of Procedures (QAPP) is being prepared for approval by EPA prior to any work being able to start. e. We are working with Dharmendra Saraswat to run the SWAT model on the Point Remove Watershed. Dr. Saraswat has completed some initial model calibration and will complete more detail simulations over the next several months to assess the relative effects of BMP implementation on nutrient and sediment runoff in the Point Remove Watershed to : a. Water sampling continued. b. Dharmendra Saraswat continues to populate the SWAT model for simulation of nutrient and sediment transport in the L Anguille Watershed, as a function of conservation management.

11 c. A QAPP was approved by EPA to allow in-stream monitoring along a reach of Lateral S to Joiner Lake. An approximate site location map is attached. d. The automatic flow and runoff sampling equipment was installed at the Maus Discovery Farm and is now operational and will look at the effects of cover crops on nutrient and sediment runoff. See map and photos of this site attached to : c. Water sampling continued. d. Dharmendra Saraswat continues to populate the SWAT model for simulation of nutrient and sediment transport in the Point Remove Watershed, as a function of conservation management to : a. Water sampling continued. b. We contracted with Dr. Mansoor Leh to conduct SWAT simulations of nutrient and sediment transport in the Point Remove Watershed, as a function of conservation management. The plan of work for SWAT simulation of nutrient flows in the MRBI Point Remove Watershed, as developed by Dr. Leh and the BMPs available in the Watershed is given below to : a. Water sampling continued on Maus Discovery Farm in Atkins was continued with three sites instrumented. b. Modelling work in Point Remove Watershed initiated to : a. Water sampling continued on two Discovery Farms in L Anguille Watershed. A complete reporting of water quality will be included at the end of b. Modelling work in L Anguille watershed is continuing to : a. Water sampling continued on two Discovery Farms in L Anguille Watershed. A complete reporting of water quality will be included at the end of b. Modelling work in L Anguille watershed is continuing.

12 c. Field tour of Discovery Farm with NRCS and EPA National Headquarter Staff demonstrating he ongoing conservation monitoring in Arkansas. The tour was attended by about 60 conservationists. 5/20/14 to 5/22/14 Cherry Valley, AR to : a. Water sampling continued on two Discovery Farms in L Anguille Watershed. A complete reporting of water quality will be included at the end of 2014, in the annual report. b. Modelling work in L Anguille watershed is continuing.

13 FIELD TOUR PHOTOS EPA visits the site. Mike Woods describing his operation on the L Anguille.

14 NRCS Chief White visits the L Anguille site. 13

15 Mike Daniels and farmer presenting information to the tour group. May, 21, Andrew Sharpley and farmer presenting information to the tour group. May, 21, 2014.

16 Little Rock High School students recognized for video they produced on nutrient runoff and Gulf hypoxia, along with farmer, Ann Mills, Deputy-Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, USDA- NRCS and Nancy Stoner, Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, US EPA. May, 21, 2014.

17 Table 1. Nutrient and sediment runoff from edge-of-field monitoring stations on the Clement and Wood Farms for 2011 through Site Mgt. Date Flow Diss. P Total P Nitrate- N Total N Total Solids Ortho P Total P Nitrate-N Total N Total Solids 26.7 ha 2011 m 3 mg L -1 g ha -1 kg ha -1 CVC1 Rice 10/11 8, CVC1 Rice 10/ CVC1 Rice 11/9 1, Avg Total 10, CVC1 Soybeans 3/22 7, CVC1 Soybeans 3/16 8, CVC1 Soybeans 8/5 7, CVC1 Soybeans 8/31 1, CVC1 Soybeans 12/4 2, Avg Total 32, ha 2011 CVC2 Rice 10/11 10, CVC2 Rice 10/ CVC2 Rice 11/9 2,

18 Site Mgt. Date Flow Diss. P Total P Nitrate- N Total N Total Solids Ortho P Total P Nitrate-N Total N Total Solids CVC2 Rice 11/9 10, CVC2 Rice 12/7 7, Avg Total CVC2 Soybeans 3/22 9, CVC2 Soybeans 7/11 10, CVC2 Soybeans 8/7 9, CVC2 Soybeans 8/9 1, CVC2 Soybeans 8/15 2, CVC2 Soybeans 8/31 9, CVC2 Soybeans 9/7 10, Avg Total 53, CVC - well / CVC-F 10/ CVC-WR 10/ Avg CVC-ER 8/

19 Site Mgt. Date Flow Diss. P Total P Nitrate- N Total N Total Solids Ortho P Total P Nitrate-N Total N Total Solids CVC-W 8/ CVC-ER 8/ CVC-W 8/ CVC-ER 10/ CVC-W 10/ Avg ha 2011 CVW1 Soybeans 10/15 1, CVW1 Soybeans 10/ CVW1 Soybeans 10/31 2, CVW1 Soybeans 11/7 16, Avg Total 19, CVW1 Soybeans 6/ Soybeans 7/ Soybeans 7/16 1, Soybeans 8/28 2, Soybeans 9/13 1, Soybeans 10/18 18, Avg

20 Site Mgt. Date Flow Diss. P Total P Nitrate- N Total N Total Solids Ortho P Total P Nitrate-N Total N Total Solids Total 25, ha 2012 CVW3 Soybeans 6/4 2, CVW3 Soybeans 6/24 3, CVW3 Soybeans 7/6 2, CVW3 Soybeans 7/16 6, CVW3 Soybeans 8/28 12, CVW3 Soybeans 9/13 9, CVW3 Soybeans 10/18 98, Avg Total 135, ha 2012 CVW4 Soybeans 6/ CVW4 Soybeans 6/ , CVW4 Soybeans 7/ CVW4 Soybeans 7/ CVW4 Soybeans 8/ CVW4 Soybeans 8/ CVW4 Soybeans 8/ CVW4 Soybeans 10/18 2,

21 Site Mgt. Date Flow Diss. P Total P Nitrate- N Total N Total Solids Ortho P Total P Nitrate-N Total N Total Solids Avg Total 143, CV Pump 10/ / / / / / / Avg / / / / / / / Avg

22 Table 2. Plant concentrations from edge-of-field monitoring stations on the Clement and Wood Farms for 2011 through Location Crop Year Area Plant P ha % g bushel -1 CVCI Rice Soybean Soybean CVC2 Rice Soybean Soybean CVW1 Rice Soybean Soybean CVW3 Rice Soybean Soybean CVW4 Rice Soybean Soybean

23 Table 3. Nutrient and sediment runoff from edge-of-field monitoring stations on the Clement and Wood Farms for 2011 through Collection Date Diss. P Total P NO3-N Total N TSS Turbidity ph Diss. O2 Temp. Cond. mg L -1 NTU mg L -1 C µs Highway 42 4/8/ /18/ /29/ /14/ /28/ /10/ /25/ /9/ /23/ /8/ /20/ /3/ /17/ /1/ /15/ /29/

24 11/12/ /26/ /12/ /23/ Highway 64 4/8/ /18/ /29/ /14/ /28/ /10/ /25/ /9/ /23/ /8/ /20/ /3/ /17/ /1/

25 10/15/ /29/ /12/ /26/ /12/ /23/

26 Figure 1. Flow calibration from the SWAT model application to the L Anguille Watershed. 25

27 Sampler ID Table 5. Annual summary flow and nutrient concentration data for Maus sites, Atkins, AR. Date collected Precip. (in) NRCS site AR Runoff (in) Peak discharge (gpm) Peak discharge (cfs) Total discharge (gal) Total runoff (cubic feet) DP (mg/l) TP (mg/l) NO 3 +NO 2 (mg/l) TN (mg/l) Atk1 3/3/ Atk1 4/28/ Atk1 6/9/ ND ND Atk1 6/14/ ND ND Atk1 7/8/ NRCS site AR Atk2 4/28/ Atk2 5/8/ Atk2 5/12/ Atk2 6/8/ Atk2 6/9/ TS (mg/l) Atk2 7/2/ Atk2 7/8/ NRCS site AR Atk3 5/8/ Atk3 5/12/ Atk3 5/17/ Atk3 6/8/ Atk3 6/9/

28 Atk3 7/2/ Atk3 7/8/

29 Maus Site Photographs 28

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32 Reba, M.L., M. Daniels, Y. Chen, A.N. Sharpley, J. Bouldin, T.G. Teague, P Daniel, and C.G. Henry A statewide network for monitoring agricultural water quality and water quantity in Arkansas. J. Soil Water Conserv. 68( 2): 45A- 49A. 31

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