Flood and water quality management through targeted, temporary restoration of landscape functions: Paying upland farmers to control runoff

ABSTRACT:

Floods have caused billions of dollars in damage to populated areas associated with river systems in recent years. Runoff associated with floods has resulted in deterioration of downstream water quality. The threat of flooding may be known weeks if not months in advance. Such nonstructural means as temporary storage of runoff on agricultural lands in the upland areas of the watersheds during periods when flood risks are high, may provide ecological benefits through reduced sediment runoff, soil carbon loss, and loading of nutrients to surface waters, at the same time diminishing the threat of downstream flooding. Local or regional resource managers or insurance industry consortia could establish contracts with farmers to store runoff by the temporary plugging of ditches, drainage systems, and similar practices until the flood threat has passed. In return, farmers would be paid an amount covering the loss of potential net revenue and the opportunity cost from use of the land for the period of runoff storage. Highly detailed topographic maps would be used to estimate storage capacity on a farmer's fields and hydrographic data would be used to estimate the volume of water from a precipitation event that must be stored in order to avert downstream flooding. When meteorological data suggest that a flood is imminent or that an extreme precipitation event is likely, the contractual agreements would be initiated. Case studies in select watersheds in Iowa show how the policy might lessen the social and environmental cost of floods.