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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #170808
Title: THE MARK TWAIN/SALT RIVER CONSERVATION EFFECTS ASSESSMENT PROJECT: MULTI-SCALE WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN A SURFACE RUNOFF DOMINATED BASIN

Author
item Lerch, Robert
item Sadler, Edward
item Alberts, Edward

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/28/2004
Publication Date: 10/1/2004
Citation: Lerch, R.N., Sadler, E.J., Alberts, E.E. 2004. The Mark Twain/Salt River conservation effects assessment project: multi-scale water quality assessment in a surface runoff dominated basin [abstract] [CD-ROM]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The goal of the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) is to assess the effects of selected conservation practices on water quality at the watershed scale. In Missouri, the chosen study area is the Salt River Basin (~6500 km2) in northeastern Missouri. The primary water management feature in the basin is Mark Twain Lake, a 7,500 ha reservoir that is the major public water supplier in the region. Soils within the basin were formed in clay-rich Wisconsin and Illinoian aged loess. Illuviation of the clay has resulted in the formation of argillic horizons containing 40-60% smectitic clays. Topography within the watershed is flat to gently rolling, with most areas having 0-3% slopes. Land use is predominately agricultural, with row-crop and forage production accounting for the majority of the land area. The naturally formed claypan soils that predominate within the basin create a barrier to percolation and promote surface runoff. This results in a high degree of vulnerability to surface water contamination. The Missouri CEAP will employ a multi-scale approach to assessing the effectiveness of conservation practices. Specific management practices will be evaluated at plot and field scales, and watershed-scale monitoring will be conducted at scales of about 70 km2 to 1200 km2. Monitoring data will be used to evaluate water quality in relation to land-uses and for calibrating and evaluating hydrologic models.