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ARS Home » Plains Area » El Reno, Oklahoma » Oklahoma and Central Plains Agricultural Research Center » Agroclimate and Hydraulics Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #401448
Research Project: Towards Resilient Agricultural Systems to Enhance Water Availability, Quality, and Other Ecosystem Services under Changing Climate and Land Use

Location: Agroclimate and Hydraulics Research Unit

Title: Use of archived Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) data to monitor effects of conservation practices on water quality

Author
item Fortuna, Ann-Marie
item Starks, Patrick
item Moriasi, Daniel
item STEINER, JEAN - American Society Of Agronomy

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2023
Publication Date: 6/5/2023
Citation: Fortuna, A., Starks, P.J., Moriasi, D.N., Steiner, J. 2023. Use of archived Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) data to monitor effects of conservation practices on water quality. Abstract. The Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds (ICRW), Corvallis, OR, June 5-8,2023

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Relating soil and water resources is difficult due to differences in scale and the number of samples required to link soil health with watershed health. This study combined archived soil and water data, and landform elements to systematize the collection of soil and water data at variable scales within a single watershed, the Fort Cobb Reservoir Experimental Watershed (FCREW), a Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) and the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) site. The global objective of our research was to statistically assess linkages between historical FCREW soil and water datasets. Specifically, methods employed for this study were to use nonparametric Spearman rank-order correlations to identify SHI and WQI that varied within FCREW due to land use/management and inherent properties (soil texture, aspect, elevation, slope) and select soil health indicators (SHI) and water quality indicators (WQI) that represented the effects of land use/management on water quality (WQ) for the FCREW. Based on the statistical outcomes from the above objectives, the sustainability of previous land use/management on WQ for the purposes of maintaining and improving current and future management of the FCREW was determined. Correlations between SHI and WQI were significant across the watershed. The indicators, S:C, AWC, Mehlich III soil P, TDS, EC, and NO3-H2O were then used to evaluate the sustainability of previous land use and management on soil health and WQ. Adoption and continued application of conservation practices between 2003 and 2006 improved WQ. Specifically, all FCREW sub-watershed WQI met Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water standards. Future research should work toward integrating the current water quality sampling sites into an edge-of-field design that includes a more comprehensive but minimal number of sites representing all major management by soil series combinations. Additionally, there is a need to further develop and evaluate in-field, remote sensing techniques to provide timely, cost-effective, and accurate measurements of soil and water properties. Real-time continuous measurement of SHI and WQI coupled with historic soil and water data will enable researchers to link data with current monitoring efforts. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.