DRAINAGE WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE ST. JOSEPH RIVER WATERSHED
National Soil Erosion Research Lab
2010 Annual Report
1a.Objectives (from AD-416)
Quantify fate and transport of agrochemicals from agricultural fields to drainage water via surface and subsurface flow paths. Identify and develop Best Management Practices to optimize crop production and minimize contaminant losses to water.
1b.Approach (from AD-416)
Monitor water quantity and quality at the Cedar Creek sub-watershed of the St. Joseph River Watershed in NE Indiana under different cropping and management practices. Laboratory studies are designed to further the understanding of basic contaminant transport processes. Field studies will be used to expand the findings of laboratory research to real world scenarios.
In FY10, local support was provided by the DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) for three critical portions of the project. These were: (1) installed and implemented blind inlets to replace tile risers in all the depressions in a small (~750 ac) monitored watershed; (2) collected information from local farmers about agricultural production practices applied to specific fields within the watershed; and (3) local support for the operation of a lab located within the watershed where water quality samples are processed prior to being sent back to the NSERL for analysis.
Activities of this project are monitored through annual reports, periodic meetings, phone calls and e-mails.