Location: Soil and Water Management Research
Project Number: 5062-12130-008-046-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: May 31, 2024
End Date: Mar 31, 2025
Objective:
1) The overall objective is to continue monitoring of Faribault County’s CD30 and CD62 watersheds in order to establish relationships of flow and nitrate-N concentrations/loads in preparation for testing conservation practices at watershed scale in subsequent years.
2) Operate and maintain the water quantity and quality monitoring stations at Faribault County’s CD30 and CD62 watersheds.
3) Communicate project goals and objectives to CD30 and CD62 landowners/operators.
4) Provide project results to the producers via in-person meetings and web-based data access.
Approach:
Two side-by-side watersheds – CD30 and CD62 –near Blue Earth, Minnesota, are being monitored for nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon, and chloride concentrations, as well as flow, turbidity, electroconductivity, and water temperature. The instruments are connected to dataloggers and cell modems. Automated samplers are in place. Water samples will be collected and stored by cooperator personnel and transported to the ARS lab for analysis. This coming year (2024) will be the fourth for comparing flow and nitrate-N concentrations and loads between the two watersheds.
This study will lead to further research and management of one of the watersheds (precision N management and cover crops) beginning in the fifth year (2025). A paired watershed analysis design will be used to evaluate the anticipated environmental benefits of the changes in management. The project is long-term in nature, and a few years (3+) of operation under the changed management practices will be necessary to complete the evaluation.
