70th SWCS International Annual Conference July 26-29, 2015 Greensboro, NC

1. Options to Address Nutrient PollutionOptions to Address Nutrient Pollution
from Agricultural Drainagefrom Agricultural Drainage
Jan Goldman-CarterJan Goldman-Carter
goldmancarterj@nwf.orggoldmancarterj@nwf.org
Presenter and contributorPresenter and contributor
Laura Bryant, lead authorLaura Bryant, lead author

2. ““Agricultural drainage plays a major role inAgricultural drainage plays a major role in
transporting nitrate from cropland to streams in thetransporting nitrate from cropland to streams in the
MRB.” USGSMRB.” USGS
The Problem: Tile and Ditch Drainage

4. ChallengesChallenges
• Nutrient pollution reduction solutions must drive significant,Nutrient pollution reduction solutions must drive significant,
measurable nutrient pollution reductions.measurable nutrient pollution reductions.
• While accomodating variable and complex conditions:While accomodating variable and complex conditions:
• Geography, climate, soils, slope; Cropping systems;Geography, climate, soils, slope; Cropping systems;
Farm ownership and operationsFarm ownership and operations
• Current strictly voluntary BMP frameworks -- withoutCurrent strictly voluntary BMP frameworks -- without
financial support or public accountability – are notfinancial support or public accountability – are not
sufficient to achieve needed WQ improvement.sufficient to achieve needed WQ improvement.
• Effective performance-based approaches require betterEffective performance-based approaches require better
information: drainage and conservation practices,information: drainage and conservation practices,
monitoring, measurement, and modeling tools.monitoring, measurement, and modeling tools.
• Producer costs, risk, acceptance; public BMPS, monitoringProducer costs, risk, acceptance; public BMPS, monitoring

5. Summer 2014 Roundtable and NWF White
Paper

6. Potential Solutions: Best Management PracticesPotential Solutions: Best Management Practices
-- A Few updates to caveats and updates:-- A Few updates to caveats and updates:

7. Potential Solutions: Best Management Practices
-- A Few updates to caveats and updates:
• Bioreactors: Bypass during high flow events
• Constructed Wetlands: Costs vary widely but
can be > $14.5 K /treated acre; FSA
reimbursements not keeping pace; restored
wetlands should be further evaluated.
• Nutrient Management: Nutrient reduction
effectiveness questioned.
• Saturated Buffers: Promising; 55% N
reductions (w/o bypass), low implementation
costs; producer acceptance.

8. Potential Solutions: Policy Approaches for BMP
Implementation
-- A few updates and additions:

9. Policy Approaches for BMP ImplementationPolicy Approaches for BMP Implementation
-- A few updates and additions:-- A few updates and additions:
MN AG WQ Certification: 5/15: 41 farms representing more
than 23,000 acres of land; more than 145 new WQ conservation
practices; goal to be statewide in 2016.
2015 MN Stream Buffer Law: @ 110,000 acres of MN land
for water quality buffer strips; new perennial vegetation buffers of
up to 50 feet along rivers, streams, and ditches to filter out
phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment; provides flexibility and
financial support for landowners to install and maintain buffers,
and boost compliance with buffer laws across Minnesota.
Des Moines Water Works Clean Water Act Lawsuit:
TBD

10. Policy Approaches for BMP ImplementationPolicy Approaches for BMP Implementation
-- A few updates and additions:-- A few updates and additions:
Lake Champlain Agricultural Pollution Tax: remove tax
exemption for high polluters
Western Lake Erie Nutrient Pollution Agreement: OH, MI,
Ontario to reduce nutrient pollution by 40% in 10 years, 20% by
2020. Responding to Toledo’s water crisis of last year, Gov. John
Kasich led the agreement. Goals but no road map for getting
there.
2015 Ohio Senate Bill 1 passes: increases regulation on
farm runoff, particularly fertilizers and manure — the major Lake
Erie pollutants.
Western Lake Erie TMDL -- TBD

11. Watershed Governance

12. Watershed Governance: Drainage Districts?
• Tile and surface drainage systems largely governed by drainage
districts – local boards authorized by state law
• Districts manage siting of tile drainage outlets on the land and
maintain district-wide surface drainage systems that collect flows
from tile drainage outlets.
Iowa Drainage Districts:
Authorization: A constitutional provision added to Iowa law in
1908; power to “construct and maintain levees, drains and ditches
and to keep in repair all drains, ditches and levees …”
Status: Over 3000 drainage districts in Iowa
Generation: Petition to the county Board of Supervisors
Funding: Paid for by property tax on land within the district
Management: Most districts managed by county board

13. Watershed Governance: Drainage Districts?
Drainage districts could be valuable partners in mitigating the
negative impacts of tile drainage, but it could be extremely difficult
to enlist their support.
• Little or no responsibilities for impacts of tile drainage on local
water quality, except perhaps for flood control.
• The Iowa Drainage District Association quoting state law:
“The Drainage of surface waters from agricultural lands and all
other lands or the protection of such lands from overflow shall be
presumed to be a public benefit and conducive to the public
health, convenience and welfare.”
The role of tile and surface drainage in nutrient pollution is not
acknowledged publicly.

14. Addressing Nutrient Pollution from Agricultural Drainage:Addressing Nutrient Pollution from Agricultural Drainage:
Key FindingsKey Findings
• More public info re status of conservation practices, extent,More public info re status of conservation practices, extent,
location of drainage, amt of N, P discharged from private drainslocation of drainage, amt of N, P discharged from private drains
to community drains and downstream in target watersheds.to community drains and downstream in target watersheds.
• Tools to assess P pathways and loss in tile systems; tools toTools to assess P pathways and loss in tile systems; tools to
model N, P reduction for each WQ BMP, including at the fieldmodel N, P reduction for each WQ BMP, including at the field
level. Encourage development and distribution by USDA,level. Encourage development and distribution by USDA,
USGS?USGS?
• Encourage implementation of performance based pilotEncourage implementation of performance based pilot
programs with monitoring that allows for measuring nutrientprograms with monitoring that allows for measuring nutrient
pollution reduction at a small watershed scale.pollution reduction at a small watershed scale.

15. Addressing Nutrient Pollution from Agricultural Drainage:Addressing Nutrient Pollution from Agricultural Drainage:
Key FindingsKey Findings
• Encourage research comparing performance-based, practice-Encourage research comparing performance-based, practice-
based policies in the MRB, paired watershed studies.based policies in the MRB, paired watershed studies.
• Nutrient reduction strategies should set a goal of installing atNutrient reduction strategies should set a goal of installing at
least one structural practice (WQ BMP) on every drainageleast one structural practice (WQ BMP) on every drainage
outlet reaching streams.outlet reaching streams.
• Expand financial, technical assistance, infrastructure toExpand financial, technical assistance, infrastructure to
encourage cover crops, diverse perennial crops; constructedencourage cover crops, diverse perennial crops; constructed
and restored wetlands; saturated buffers.and restored wetlands; saturated buffers.

16. Addressing Nutrient Pollution from Agricultural Drainage:Addressing Nutrient Pollution from Agricultural Drainage:
Key FindingsKey Findings
• Agricultural certification programs increase producer education,Agricultural certification programs increase producer education,
engagement, investment in WQ improvement conservationengagement, investment in WQ improvement conservation
practices; tie effective certification to sustainable food supplypractices; tie effective certification to sustainable food supply
chain to help finance WQ conservation practices.chain to help finance WQ conservation practices.
• Further develop policy approach setting quantitative nutrientFurther develop policy approach setting quantitative nutrient
reduction goals and binding water quality standards at largerreduction goals and binding water quality standards at larger
watershed scales in the MRB, but allow smaller watersheds,watershed scales in the MRB, but allow smaller watersheds,
ideally through smaller watershed governance, the flexibility toideally through smaller watershed governance, the flexibility to
find best approach to achieve those goals and standardsfind best approach to achieve those goals and standards
through a combination of regulations, performance-basedthrough a combination of regulations, performance-based
standards, and voluntary incentives.standards, and voluntary incentives.

17. Options to Address Nutrient PollutionOptions to Address Nutrient Pollution
from Agricultural Drainagefrom Agricultural Drainage
Jan Goldman-CarterJan Goldman-Carter
goldmancarterj@nwf.orggoldmancarterj@nwf.org
Presenter and contributorPresenter and contributor
Laura Bryant, lead authorLaura Bryant, lead author