Author
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Boyer, Douglas |
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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 1/27/2003 Publication Date: 5/10/2003 Citation: BOYER, D.G. AGRICULTURAL WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS FOR CARBONATE AQUIFERS. CD ROM. MIDDLEBURG, VA: AMERICAN WATER RESOUCES ASSOCIATION 2003 SPRING SPECIALTY CONFERENCE ON AGRICULTURAL HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY. 2003. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Water quality of two karst basins in southeastern West Virginia was studied to determine the effects of grazing agriculture. One study area was the Greenbrier Hydrologic Unit (GHU) located in Greenbrier County, WV and the other encompassed the Little Levels Area (LLA) of southern Pocahontas County, WV. Both are tributaries of the Greenbrier River. The GHU received funding for best management practices under the President's Initiative for Water Quality and then under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The LLA received funding for best management practices under EQIP. Primarily grazed by beef cattle and sheep, both study areas experienced water quality degradation as a result of agricultural activities. After eleven years of study there was little evidence to suggest that water quality improved in the GHU. Three and a half years of study in the LLA appeared to show some evidence of water quality improvement under EQIP. However, similar water quality improvement was observed in upstream catchments draining pristine watersheds not covered by EQIP. Lack of water quality improvement at the catchment scale does not necessarily mean that the voluntary programs were failures. The heterogeneous character and under drained nature of karst areas make their hydrology difficult to understand. Practices that target smaller problem areas might be one way to improve water quality at catchment scales in karst basins. In one small, targeted sinkhole area water quality improvement was observed in one subterranean stream after dairy cattle were permanently eliminated from a sinkhole draining to that stream. |
