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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » National Sedimentation Laboratory » Water Quality and Ecology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #248318
Title: Evaluation and Assessment of Conservation Management Practice Effects on Water Quality – AnnAGNPS Watershed Modeling Studies

Author
item Bingner, Ronald - Ron
item Locke, Martin

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/20/2009
Publication Date: 9/7/2009
Citation: Bingner, R.L., Locke, M.A. 2009. Evaluation and Assessment of Conservation Management Practice Effects on Water Quality – AnnAGNPS Watershed Modeling Studies. Water Quality Research to Evaluate the Effects of Agricultural Conservation Practices Utilized in the United States and India Workshop Proceedings. Allahabad Agricultural Institute–Deemed University, Allahabad, India. p. 8.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract Only - Interpretative Summary not required.

Technical Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)–Annualized Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollutant Loading model (AnnAGNPS) is a watershed scale, continuous simulation, daily time step, conservation management planning tool that is currently utilized in many field and watershed-scale locations around the world to evaluate the impact of best management practices on non-point source pollution and downstream water quality. The model has been utilized by action agencies in the U.S., such as the USDA–Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, state and local natural resource and environmental agencies for the development of plans that will reduce pollutant loads to downstream water bodies, such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and oceans. A Conservation Evaluation and Assessment Project (CEAP) was established for over 20 cropland watersheds throughout the U.S. with AnnAGNPS applied on many of these. The results from this effort demonstrated the impact agricultural practices can have on water, sediment and chemical loads produced within watersheds. Pollutant sources were identified and attributed to where they originated from, such as field, gullies, and channels. In addition to CEAP studies, AnnAGNPS has been utilized in watershed planning projects to assess the impact of: sheet and rill and gully erosion control practices; conservation tillage; subsurface drainage control practices; wetlands; aquaculture; and, nutrient and pesticide applications. Many of these watershed water quality modeling application studies in the U.S and internationally will be presented and described.