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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #224808
Title: CEAP - WATERSHED ASSESSMENT STUDY ON CROPLANDS - FINDINGS TO DATE AND PLANS

Author
item Sadler, Edward
item Walbridge, Mark

Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/26/2008
Publication Date: 7/26/2008
Citation: Sadler, E.J., Walbridge, M.R. 2008. Ceap - watershed assessment study on croplands - findings to date and plans [abstract]. Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference, July 26-30, 2008, Tucson Arizona.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The ARS-led Watershed Assessment Study for the Croplands CEAP project was charged with providing scientific support for the National Assessment. The study leveraged the long-term ARS research watershed infrastructure to accomplish five main objectives. 1) Develop and implement a data system to store and make public the ARS archive of watershed data (STEWARDS). 2) Measure effects of conservation practices in 14 watersheds. 3) Validate models and quantify uncertainty of model predictions for these same watersheds. 4) Develop policy-planning tools to optimize profits and program efficiency. 5) Develop regional watershed models that include modules necessary for the regional context. Progress in these areas has been significant. The STEWARDS database system is available to project cooperators and continues to be populated with data from the remaining watersheds. All watersheds have adapted instrumentation infrastructure to reflect the watershed scale appropriate to CEAP, and several have produced cross-location research findings toward the CEAP goals. In particular, contaminant sources and transport pathways have been identified and assessment tools built to support targeting of vulnerable areas with conservation practices. Most watersheds have performed calibration and validation of SWAT and/or AnnAGNPS. Economic models have been integrated with physical models to provide the profit optimization and program efficiency analyses. The Object Modeling System has captured legacy computer code and provided the necessary framework for the regionalized models. The CEAP-WAS has provided incentive to focus the ARS watershed effort into a highly relevant, integrated national program with significant benefits to NRCS-ARS cooperation.