Developing Baselines for Prescribed Burning Smoke Management Plans and Best Management Practices

Restoration and enhancement of Lake Okeechobee and the Florida Everglades requires a comprehensive approach to manage agricultural runoff. The Florida Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Act of 1987 was promulgated to develop and implement plans for protecting Florida waters. The South Florida Water Management District was directed by Florida legislature to develop management plans for Lake Okeechobee (SWIM) and the Everglades ecosystem (Marjory Stoneman Douglas Everglades Protection Act of 1991). These plans require agriculture to implement best management practices (BMPs) to reduce runoff phosphorus (P) loads. The Lake Okeechobee SWIM plan established a P load reduction target for Lake Okeechobee and set P concentration limitations for runoff from non-point source agricultural sources. Agricultural water users in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) are required to develop farm management plans to reduce P loads from the basin by 25%. The Everglades Forever Act of 1994 additionally emphasized linkage of these landscapes and consequent protection and restoration of the Everglades. Agricultural BMPs are being developed and implemented to comply with water management, environmental, and regulatory standards. Although BMPs are improving runoff water quality, additional research is necessary to obtain the best combination of BMPs for individual farms. This paper summarizes the development of comprehensive water management in south Florida and the agricultural BMPs carried out to meet regulatory requirements for Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades.

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Comparison of RUSLE and MMF Soil Loss Models and Evaluation of Catchment Scale Best Management Practices for a Mountainous Watershed in India

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13010232 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 232

Author(s):

Susanta Das ◽

Proloy Deb ◽

Pradip Kumar Bora ◽

Prafull Katre

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Management Practices ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Catchment Scale ◽

Suitable Alternative ◽

Best Management ◽

Management Plans

Soil erosion from arable lands removes the top fertile soil layer (comprised of humus/organic matter) and therefore requires fertilizer application which affects the overall sustainability. Hence, determination of soil erosion from arable lands is crucial to planning conservation measures. A modeling approach is a suitable alternative to estimate soil loss in ungauged catchments. Soil erosion primarily depends on soil texture, structure, infiltration, topography, land uses, and other erosive forces like water and wind. By analyzing these parameters, coupled with geospatial tools, models can estimate storm wise and annual average soil losses. In this study, a hilly watershed called Nongpoh was considered with the objective of prioritizing critical erosion hazard areas within the micro-catchment based on average annual soil loss and land use and land cover and making appropriate management plans for the prioritized areas. Two soil erosion models namely Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and Modified Morgan–Morgan–Finney (MMF) models were used to estimate soil loss with the input parameters extracted from satellite information and automatic weather stations. The RUSLE and MMF models showed similar results in estimating soil loss, except the MMF model estimated 7.74% less soil loss than the RUSLE model from the watershed. The results also indicated that the study area is under severe erosion class, whereas agricultural land, open forest area, and scrubland were prioritized most erosion prone areas within the watershed. Based on prioritization, best management plans were developed at catchment scale for reducing soil loss. These findings and the methodology employed can be widely used in mountainous to hilly watersheds around the world for identifying best management practices (BMP).

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Implementation Monitoring of Forestry Best Management Practices for Site Preparation in South Carolina

Southern Journal of Applied Forestry ◽

10.1093/sjaf/22.2.74 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 74-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tim O. Adams

Keyword(s):

South Carolina ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Prescribed Burning ◽

Site Preparation ◽

Best Management ◽

Forestry Commission ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Close Proximity ◽

Site Water

Abstract One hundred seventy-seven tracts in South Carolina were evaluated for compliance with site preparation Best Management Practices (BMPs). South Carolina Forestry Commission foresters evaluated compliance with BMPs in each of four categories of site preparation: (1) mechanical treatments, (2) herbicide applications, (3) prescribed burning, and (4) minor drainage. In addition, each site was evaluated for overall BMP compliance, which was based on the level of BMP compliance and evidence of off-site water quality impacts. Overall BMP compliance was 86.4%. Compliance was highest for mechanical (92.0%) and herbicide (88.3%) site preparation treatments and lowest for minor drainage (76.9%) and prescribed burning (70.4%). Eleven variables were analyzed to determine their influence on BMP compliance. Four variables were found to be significantly related to BMP compliance: (1)physiographic region, (2)proximity to streams, (3)percent slope, and (4) terrain type. The four significant variables described the increased risk involved in site preparing land that is in close proximity to streams. Noncompliance with BMPs was clearly focused on the Piedmont physiographic region where 22 of the 24 inadequate sites were located. South. J. Appl. For. 22(2):74-80.

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Reducing diffuse pollution through implementation of agricultural best management practices: a case study

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1996.0504 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 33 (4-5) ◽

pp. 191-196 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

M. G. Cook ◽

P. G. Hunt ◽

K. C. Stone ◽

J. H. Canterberry

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Waste Management ◽

Ground Water ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Water Monitoring ◽

Swine Waste ◽

Best Management ◽

Agricultural Best Management Practices ◽

Management Plans

A system of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) was implemented on a 2,100 ha watershed in Duplin County, North Carolina, USA, for the purpose of improving water quality. The BMPs included: Nutrient, pest, and animal waste management; and soil conservation practices. Both surface and ground water were continually analyzed to assess the water quality impacts. Nutrient management plans have been developed for over 80% of the cropland. Pest management plans have been developed for over 60% of the cropland. Over one-half of all plans have been implemented. Poultry mortality composting and improved swine waste management have decreased the potential adverse effects of animal operations. A constructed wetland shows promise as a pre-treatment of swine waste prior to land application. Stream monitoring shows decreasing amounts of nitrate- and ammonium-nitrogen in the surface waters of the watershed. Ground water monitoring shows relatively high concentrations of nitrate in areas of intensive swine and poultry operations. Ground water monitoring of pesticides reveals low levels of alachlor, atrazine, and metolachlor even though large amounts of these chemicals are used on crops. The successful implementation of agricultural BMPs appears to be having a positive effect on water quality. Both stream and ground water monitoring will be continued for several years to assess more definitively the changes in water quality.

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