Cooperator: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin – Discovery Farms Program
Project Chief: Todd D. Stuntebeck
Location: Buffalo County, Lafayette County, Iowa County, Kewaunee County, Manitowoc County, Waukesha County
Project Number: BQY12
Period of Project: July 2001–Continuing
updated 2/20/07

Problem
Agricultural nonpoint pollution in the form of nutrients, sediment, and pesticides threatens many streams and lakes throughout the nation. Understanding how to reduce the concentrations and loading of selected constituents--while allowing producers to remain economically viable--is a great challenge.

Objective
Research projects will be conducted on numerous Discovery Farms throughout Wisconsin which represent diverse land characteristics, production schemes, and management styles. Information learned from these projects will then be shared with the agricultural community to allow them the tools to remain competitive in today’s market while taking environmentally sound approaches to farming.

Approach
Monitoring stations are installed throughout Wisconsin on selected Discovery Farms which represent diverse land characteristics, production schemes, and management styles. Monitoring stations are installed at sites in small headwater streams, edges of fields, and in subsurface tiles. All monitoring stations are designed to continuously measure runoff volume and to collect discrete water samples during storm-runoff periods, including snowmelt. The discrete samples collected are combined into a single sample such that the sample represents the average concentration over the duration of the storm. These composite samples are analyzed for total phosphorus, dissolved reactive phosphorus, suspended sediment, total dissolved solids, ammonium-N, nitrate + nitrite-N, Kjeldahl-N, and chloride. Storm loads are computed based on the discharge information and constituent concentrations.

One of the primary experimental approaches of the project is to conduct multiple paired-watershed analyses on each farm to determine the impacts of the current management practices. If the current production system is deemed to need modification, changes will be made to see if modification of these practices significantly reduces constituent yields. On-farm information including cropping rotations, residue checks, manure management, and financial records are collected to help understand the production system and the impacts of management changes. Studies are expected to last between 5 and 7 years on each farm.

In addition to the paired-watershed design, several other investigations will be conducted on various aspects of the farms. These studies may include, but not be limited to: comparing constituent yields from each farm to those in other regions of Wisconsin, comparing constituent yields from one type of management system to that of a different management system, comparisons of measured sediment losses versus loss estimates from various predictive indices, development, calibration, and verification of a phosphorus-loss risk index, and development, calibration, and verification of a hydrologic and chemical model (surface and ground water).

Gaging station at the Pagel Discovery Farm in Kewaunee County.

Samples from a rainfall-runoff event.

Progress (January 2006 to June 2006)

1. 21 water-quality monitoring stations are now operational on seven different farms in 6 counties.
• a. 4 in-stream stations
• b. 9 waterway stations (13-22 acres)
• c. 3 waterway stations (>200 acres)
• d. 5 tile stations
2. Meteorological stations are operational on 5 of these 7 farms.
3. Discharge, precipitation and water-quality data for 5 sites were published in the data report.
4. Presented 3 posters at USGS Ag Conference in Denver.
5. Presented 3 posters and sampling demonstration at Farm Tech Days. 6. Submitted an abstract for two national conferences (St. Louis and San Antonio).

Plans (July 2006 to December 2006)
Monitoring at all water-quality stations will continue. Data from the previous water year will be worked up and prepared for publication in the USGS Water Year 2005 Annual Data Report. Writing will continue on the two Open-File Reports.

Reports
USGS OFR: Establishment of a Paired-Watershed Prior to the Implementation of Agricultural Best Management Practices in West-Central Wisconsin by Hall, Stuntebeck, Komiskey, Frame, and Madison. Publication projected in June ’07.

USGS OFR: Methods of Data Collection, Sample Processing, and Data Analysis for Field, Stream, Tile, and Meteorological Sites at Discovery and Pioneer Farms in Wisconsin, by Stuntebeck, Owens, Komiskey, and Hall. Publication projected in Jan ‘07

Publish data for all sites annually in the USGS Annual Data Report.