A Summary of Efforts to Reduce Phosphorus in the Red Cedar River Basin

Transcription

1 A Summary of Efforts to Reduce Phosphorus in the Red Cedar River Basin

2 State Laws to Reduce Phosphorus 1970s - Restriction on phosphorus in laundry detergent Limits on point sources with significant phosphorus loads Nutrient management for turf areas over 5 acres Restriction on sales of phosphorus in lawn fertilizer and dish detergent

3 A new Wisconsin administrative rule went into effect in 1992 (NR 217) that required phosphorus limits on point sources with significant P loads. As a result of this rule, a 58% reduction (24,708 pounds) in phosphorus loading from point sources has been achieved in the Red Cedar River basin since Red Cedar River Basin Point Source Phosphorus Load pounds / year Load Ave Load

4 Stormwater performance standards and a permit program was established in WI in 1997 pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act. Permits are issued by DNR and WI Dept of Commerce. Establishes stormwater performance standards for large municipalities, industries and construction sites over 1 acre in size Requires permits In Red Cedar Basin, Menomonie and Rice Lake are the only municipalities large enough require a stormwater permit

5 WI established statewide minimum agricultural performance standards in Regulatory application of standards to date have been limited by state funding for cost sharing and initial belief that federal money could not be used. Use of federal money for cost share is now possible but lack of funding for state and county staff to deliver the program remains a problem. The statewide minimum standards may not be adequate in phosphorus sensitive areas like the Red Cedar Basin.

6 WI Agricultural performance standards Establishes statewide minimum standards for agricultural practices No permit program Used as targets when state $ fund voluntary management practices Once in compliance must stay there Can be mandated via joint effort by County and DNR if a 70% cost share is offered

7 DNR funds have been used in voluntary cost share programs for over 20 years in the Red Cedar Basin. In addition, funding of agricultural practices from other state and federal agencies exceeds that of DNR. Yellow River Hay River South Fork Hay River Lake Chetak Lake Desair Wilson Creek Menomonie Stormwater Plan Over $3.8 million of state funds, not counting funds that do not go through DNR

8 2007 statewide cost sharing $39.5 million TRM(DNR) While an estimate of non- DNR funds spent on agricultural practices in the Red Cedar Basin is not available, an understanding of the statewide distribution of funds helps put local funding in perspective. EQIP (Fed) UNPS(DNR) PWP(DNR) LWRM (DATCP) 319(Fed) CREP (Fed) CREP (DATCP)

9 Despite all the regulatory changes and money spent, lake observers report no improvements in lake appearance over the years. Scientific measurements support those observations.

10 Tainter Lake TSI Hypereutrophic Eutrophic Mesotrophic Oligotrophic Secchi TSI Phosphorous TSI Chlorophyll TSI Year Lake quality measures in Tainter Lake are not improving.

11 Lake Chetek TSI Graph , Site Hypereutrophic Eutrophic 60 Mesotrophic Oligotrophic Secchi TSI Phosphorus TSI Chlorophyll TSI Year Lake quality measures in Lake Chetek are not improving.

12 Total Phosphorus in the Red Cedar River at Menomonie /13/94 01/13/95 01/13/96 01/13/97 01/13/98 01/13/99 01/13/00 01/13/01 01/13/02 01/13/03 01/13/04 01/13/05 01/13/06 01/13/07 01/13/08 01/13/09 01/13/10 01/13/11 The amount of phosphorus in the Red Cedar River at Menomonie is not going down. (data from DNR WATERS system) mg/l

13 Potential Best Management Practice Lbs/yr P Reduced Reduced tillage on 40, ,000 acres (depends upon level of targeting) Phosphorus based nutrient management on highest delivery 1/3 of cropland Eliminate winter manure spreading on 6,500 acres by adding 50 manure storage structures 81,000 34,000 36,000 Remove winter manure application from 1800 critical acres 30,000 Waste treatment for 30% of existing milkhouses (13,200 cows) 16,000 Traditional conservation practices on 10% of cropland acres 12,000 Add runoff control to 1/3 of barnyards (270) 8,000 Install 113 miles of 25 wide stream buffer 3,100 25% voluntary control of urban stormwater P delivery 1, acres of wetland restoration 1,000 Replace all failing, critically located septic systems (440) 420 Control stormwater on all rural, riparian, residential properties (2200 lots ¼ acre in size) Total Reduction 223, Simonson & LaLiberte 2010

14 Points to remember: Cropland and residential property near lakes / streams in the basin have similar potential to reduce phosphorus by applying best management practices on an average per acre basis. The difference in the projected benefits is due primarily to acreage of each land use in the basin. Within each category there is a lot of variability in the amount of phosphorus delivered per acre due to differences at each site, such as slope. Correcting the worst sites of each will always maximize the effort invested.

15 County average soil loss from transect surveys tons/acre Statistical methods for estimating soil loss rates have changed over time but show no significant improvement. Here the old and new techniques are compared. (Dunn & Barron County LCD data) Barron old Dunn old Dunn new

16 The no-till method of planting can greatly reduce phosphorus delivery. This method is not as popular in Dunn & Barron counties as in other places in the US.

17 Soil Phosphorus Levels PPM Bray P Barron Dunn Crop Need S i 4 Estimates of phosphorus in agricultural soil have ceased increasing but often are well above that needed to grow crops.