Lectenberg - Measuring Progress Toward HTF Goals
1 like376 views
The document outlines Iowa's efforts to measure progress towards water quality goals through its Nutrient Reduction Strategy. It discusses establishing baselines and tracking frameworks to quantify investments, changes in attitudes and land practices, and monitoring to document reductions in nutrient loads over time. This will be done by coordinating existing data sources, improving data collection, and distinguishing between technical and financial assistance to agriculture and other stakeholders.
Lectenberg - Measuring Progress Toward HTF Goals
- 1. Iowa Water Quality Initiative IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & LAND STEWARDSHIP Measuring Progress Towards HTF Goals 1
- 2. Iowa Water Quality Initiative IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & LAND STEWARDSHIP IOWA NUTRIENT REDUCTION STRATEGY BACKGROUND • NPS and PS communities working together for common goal • ~36M acres in Iowa ~90% in agricultural use, ~24M acres in row crops • 99 major municipalities and 31 industries • Feasibility studies, including monitoring. • How to track and document progress? • Collective effort of mgmt and practice installation • Measurement coordinator
- 3. Iowa Water Quality Initiative IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & LAND STEWARDSHIP IOWA NUTRIENT REDUCTION STRATEGY BACKGROUND Science Nonpoint Source Point Source NRS surveys measures science team WQ monitoring LGU SERA 46 baselines INRC extension education WQI HTF WIRB ‐319 field days partnerships funding education stormwater/onsi te WW outreach partnerships feasibility studies trading plant monitoring RCPP CRP‐EQIP
- 4. Iowa Water Quality Initiative IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & LAND STEWARDSHIP 4 Nitrogen moves primarily as nitrate-N with water Phosphorus moves primarily with eroded soil Nitrogen Practices Phosphorus Practices
- 5. Iowa Water Quality Initiative IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & LAND STEWARDSHIP Measuring Progress • First report beginning to transition to logic model – nutrientstrategy.iastate.edu/documents • Continue to advance data collection and reporting • Existing sources for data collection, potential for improvement, start from scratch
- 6. Iowa Water Quality Initiative IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & LAND STEWARDSHIP Inputs • Investments to influence change in attitudes, land use/practices, and water monitoring. – Resources for technical assistance – Financial assistance – Private/Public Sector • Over $100M in state/federal $ • Does not include ~$220M in CRP • Does not include landowner $ • Better distinguish FA vs. TA, etc. • Additional Examples: – NGOs – Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance – Iowa Nutrient Research & Education Council – Other industry/company led efforts
- 7. Iowa Water Quality Initiative IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & LAND STEWARDSHIP Human/Social Indicators • Investments from “Inputs” to document changes in human attitudes, perception and barriers to implementation/engagement – Track over time, improve responsiveness • Develop programming and actively engage in breaking down barriers • i.e. Cover crops: crop insurance, seeding methods, etc. • Other Examples below: Cover crops can reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses Source: 2010, 2014 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll There is rarely enough time between harvest and winter to justify the use of cover crops
- 8. Iowa Water Quality Initiative IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & LAND STEWARDSHIP Land Use/Practices • Measure the collective effort of practices and management regardless of source and change over time • Public database resources: FSA, NRCS, EPA, IDALS, DNR, etc. • Private sector partnerships, surveys, other data collection mechanisms • Example: NT/Conservation Tillage – NT from <800k acres in 1987 to over 5.6M acres in 2008, over 12.7M acres in NT or MT systems in Iowa. – What were the leading components to this shift? Conservation compliance, improved planter attachments, herbicide resistant crops, others.
- 9. Iowa Water Quality Initiative IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & LAND STEWARDSHIP Water Monitoring/Load Reductions • Basis of the Nutrient Reduction Strategy • Coordinated effort to identify and report monitoring efforts in Iowa • Various scales of monitoring • Calculated/measured load reductions • Progress over time
- 10. Iowa Water Quality Initiative IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & LAND STEWARDSHIP Summary – Develop new and expanded frameworks to track progress, beyond ambient water quality monitoring – Public/private template for gathering better baseline data and tracking load reductions resulting from conservation practice adoption – Track aggregate practice adoption levels – Report calculated/modeled load reductions from practice adoption