Improving water quality knowledge through a focus on partnership: A University of Wisconsin Discovery Farms case study

Excerpt

Agriculture accounts for 34% of land use in Wisconsin (USDA NASS 2012), and nonpoint source pollution plays a significant role in water quality impairment (WDNR 2016). Out of 2,400 water bodies assessed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1,294 were considered impaired, 74% of which were impaired by either phosphorus (P) or sediment, which are typically contributed by agricultural fields (WDNR 2016). In 2010, revisions to Wisconsin's Phosphorus Water Quality Standards created water quality standards for P in surface waters. To implement these standards, permit holders and agricultural producers were encouraged to work together through the compliance options called Water Quality Trading and Adaptive Management (WDNR 2012). These options allow point sources to offset their pollution load by taking credit for other P reductions in the watershed. The implementation of an enhanced regulatory package raises questions about the best way to engage with farmers in a watershed in order to document current practices and make improvements in water quality through installation of best management practices.

Farmers are the focal point of many water quality improvement projects and efforts (Woods et al. 2014). The focus on farms is in part because nonpoint source pollution from agriculture contributes a significant amount…