May 15, 2012
NIFA-CEAP Watershed Synthesis: Insights Gleaned from Agriculture Department's Project
Hey there! Let's chat about this partnership between the US EPA's Office of Water and the USDA NRCS's Resource Assessment Division, in collaboration with Professor Deanna Osmond from NC State University's Soil Science department. They're working on North Carolina State University-led watershed-scale research and extension projects, brought to life by the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). This amazing endeavor, known as the USDA's Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), aims to measure the impact of agricultural conservation practices on watershed health.
Now, why should we care? Well, CEAP addresses a critical need for the USDA to quantify the effects and benefits of these practices. The project evaluates not only the environmental benefits like reduced erosion, improved water quality, and enhanced wildlife habitat, but also social and economic factors that influence the implementation and maintenance of practices. This knowledge transfer to farmers, ranchers, community leaders, and other stakeholders is crucial in improving practice efficiency.
But that's not all! This CEAP research looks at how a mixture of conservation practices, their timing, and their distribution affect local water quality outcomes. Moreover, the findings from this study are often integrated with other conservation initiatives to improve water quality across various regions.
Interestingly, many of the 13 watersheds studied in the analysis are also linked to US EPA's Section 319 Nonpoint Source Program. This program aims to decrease nonpoint source pollution, a significant contributor to water quality issues in the U.S. The insights gained from CEAP can guide the allocation of Section 319 funds, prioritize areas for funding, and integrate efforts for optimal water quality improvement.
In other words, both CEAP and the US EPA's Section 319 share a common goal: improving water quality through targeted conservation and pollution reduction strategies. So, keep an eye out for more updates on this exciting collaboration!
Webcast Flyer (pdf) (163.68 KB) 📄
Presentation Slides (pdf) (2.91 MB, 5/15/2012) 📄
- The collaboration between the US EPA's Office of Water, the USDA NRCS's Resource Assessment Division, Professor Deanna Osmond from NC State University's Soil Science department, and the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), is focused on the environmental science aspect of land through the USDA's Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) at North Carolina State University-led watershed-scale research and extension projects.
- In addition to environmental benefits like reduced erosion, improved water quality, and enhanced wildlife habitat, CEAP also evaluates social and economic factors that influence the implementation and maintenance of practices, which could be favorable for the finance and energy sectors.
- The findings from this CEAP research are often integrated with other conservation initiatives to improve water quality across various regions, potentially benefitting the energy sector by reducing issues related to water supply and quality.
- Both CEAP and the US EPA's Section 319 Nonpoint Source Program aim to improve water quality through targeted conservation and pollution reduction strategies, demonstrating a connection between the science, industry, and the environment in addressing climate-change related water issues.
