Implementation of Best Management Practices in the Little Arkansas River Watershed

The Little Arkansas River watershed, located in south-central Kansas, is an agricultural watershed. The most common pollutants for surface waters include fecal coliform bacteria, excess nutrients, atrazine herbicide, and total suspended solids. A watershed restoration and protection strategy was completed in November 2004 by a local stakeholders group. They determined that reducing atrazine herbicide concentrations in surface waters was their top priority for implementation. Three sub-watersheds in 2006, five in 2007 and six in 2008 were targeted for rapid implementation of atrazine herbicide best management practices (BMPs). In 2009, the program expanded to include vulnerable fields throughout the watershed. An education and demonstration program, surface water monitoring plan, and incentive program for atrazine BMP implementation were developed and delivered in the targeted watersheds. Incentive payments provided by the City of Wichita and the State Conservation Commission were based on the amount of pollutant reduction expected with practices the farmers were willing to implement. A KSU extension agronomist visited on-farm with farmers to get their commitment to implement atrazine BMPs. In four years, as a result of this program, 300 farmers implemented atrazine BMPs on more than 53,000 acres and received incentive payments totaling over $190,000. A paired watershed study was designed to determine water quality improvements with BMP implementation. An automated surface water monitoring system was installed in the streams at the base of the watersheds targeted for BMP implementation and also at the base of adjoining watersheds. The adjoining watersheds had no special programs for BMP implementation. This allows them to serve as a check to determine water quality improvements in the targeted watersheds. Water quality monitoring of treated and untreated watersheds found significantly lower atrazine concentrations each year in streams in targeted watersheds in which best management practices had been implemented. Category: Agricultural BMPs Type of Presentation: Poster Presentation