Short-Term Contribution of Conservation Practice Implementation to Water Quality Impairments in Small Streams
Audrey McCrary,
John P. Brooks,
Renotta K. Smith,
Leslie M. Burger,
Andrew Lucore,
John J. Ramirez-Avila,
Tim Schauwecker,
Joby M. Prince Czarnecki,
Loren Wes Burger,
Beth H. Baker
Affiliations
Audrey McCrary
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
John P. Brooks
U.S. Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Renotta K. Smith
U.S. Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Leslie M. Burger
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Andrew Lucore
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
John J. Ramirez-Avila
Watersheds and Water Quality Research Lab, Richard A. Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Tim Schauwecker
Department of Landscape Architecture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Joby M. Prince Czarnecki
Geosystems Research Institute, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39759, USA
Loren Wes Burger
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Beth H. Baker
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Voluntary conservation practice adoption is a key strategy to reduce the transport of non-point source pollutants from agricultural lands to downstream ecosystems. This study assessed the short-term (1 year) efficacy of conservation practices to reduce non-point source sediment, nutrient, and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) transport from working agricultural lands on the Mississippi State University campus, Mississippi State, MS, USA. Water quality was monitored at three treatment sites downstream of the critical resource areas, two of which had paired reference locations. All five sites were monitored for one year pre- and post-conservation practice implementation. Downstream treatment sites generally had higher nutrient and sediment concentrations than upstream reference sites. The results confirmed that the total nitrogen (TN) concentration was reduced post implementation at only the treatment site with the smallest catchment area (p E. coli levels following the conservation practice implementation during the winter period. The results of this study showed minimal improvements to TN transport, and in some cases declines in water quality evidenced by increases in FIB, one year after conservation practice implementation. The implementation of conservation practices did not improve the overall water quality to reference levels in the short-term, despite anticipated long-term benefits.