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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Southeast Watershed Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #243727
Title: Conservation Effects Assessment on the Jobos Bay Puerto Rico Coastal Watershed

Author
item Bosch, David
item Potter, Thomas
item Lowrance, Robert
item Hubbard, Robert
item Strickland, Timothy
item MAS, EDWIN - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, USDA)
item DIEPPA, ANGEL - National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
item SOTOMAYOR, DAVID - University Of Puerto Rico
item EFFLAND, WILLIAM - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, USDA)
item Walbridge, Mark

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Watershed Technology Conference and Workshop, Improving Water Quality and the Environment
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2009
Publication Date: 2/21/2010
Citation: Bosch, D.D., Potter, T.L., Lowrance, R.R., Hubbard, R.K., Strickland, T.C., Mas, E., Dieppa, A., Sotomayor, D., Effland, W., Walbridge, M.R. 2010. Conservation Effects Assessment on the Jobos Bay Puerto Rico Coastal Watershed {abstract}. Proceedings of the Watershed Technology, Improving Water Quality and Environment. 21st Century Watershed Technology: Improving Water Quality and the Environment. Universidad February 21-24, 2010, Costa Rica.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) began in 2003 as a multi-agency effort to quantify the environmental benefits of conservation practices used by private landowners participating in selected U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs. The Jobos Bay Watershed in South-Central Puerto Rico was selected as the first tropical CEAP Special Emphasis Watershed, originating from an ongoing collaboration between USDA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. The Jobos Bay Watershed is a 10,210 ha watershed with a diversity of urban, agricultural, and industrial land uses, draining into the adjacent NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). The Watershed encompasses a chain of 15 tear shaped mangrove inlets and is home to the endangered brown pelican, peregrine falcon, hawksbill sea turtle, and West Indian manatee. Water conservation and water quality concerns predominate over the entire region. Current partners are the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, NOAA and the Government of Puerto Rico. The main objective of the Jobos Bay study is to determine the environmental effects that agricultural conservation practices implemented by farmers on the uplands may have on coastal waters and associated habitats in tropical ecosystems. An important study objective is to identify innovative conservation practices and irrigation management that maintain and/or enhance crop production and protect water quality in shallow groundwater and the NERR. As part of the overall Jobos CEAP project, the ARS is studying a 100 ha irrigated sorghum/corn field immediately adjacent to NERR. The impact of different conservation covers on surface and subsurface water quality are being examined in the field. Detailed climatic, groundwater, and soil data are being collected from the field. In addition, the impacts of a riparian buffer located between the irrigated field and NERR is being investigated.