Mullet River - Phosphorus and Wisconsin`s Water Quality

Wisconsin Phosphorus Summit
4/29/14
The Nature Conservancy
Projects across Wisconsin and beyond
Project Mullet River – Steve Richter
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Wisconsin Phosphorus Summit
4/29/14
Strategy:
WI P Index to prioritize high P loss areas
P Index estimates annual P delivery in runoff
from each field to surface water
Field
Stream
Inventoried 62 landowners
10 farms where selected for project focus based on fields
having PI’s greater than 6.
Project Mullet River – Steve Richter
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Wisconsin Phosphorus Summit
4/29/14
Phosphorus Index values
Find High P Fields:
Soil phosphorus & P
loss potential not
evenly distributed
across the landscape
P Index for Baseline inventoried agricultural acres in Pleasant Valley 3 or less Acres P Index Load (P Index x acres) Percent of inventoried P Index load Load reduc;on if all fields brought below this category 3448 (71%) 5480 34 4-­‐6 942 (19% 4399 27 41% Greater than 6 448 (9%) 6413 39 23% Project Mullet River – Steve Richter
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Wisconsin Phosphorus Summit
4/29/14
Otter Creek
P INDEX >6 3-­‐6 <3 AREA 2% 54% 44% ESTIMATED P LOAD 6% 68% 26% Change management on areas with
PI above 6 and then PI 3-6
•  Pasture practices: cattle
crossings – 14
•  Target 1,522 acres vs
what got done 3501 acres
•  NRCS funds! 6 week
sign up period
Project Mullet River – Steve Richter
Cropland practices:
• No-till – target acres
• Cover crops after silage
• Rotation change
• Nutrient management planning
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Wisconsin Phosphorus Summit
4/29/14
“Hard” practices (i.e. high cost practices)
Stream restoration –
erosion control and
habitat added (5+ miles,
done pre-project)
Barnyard runoff systems
(9 systems installed)
What is left of original target
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Project Mullet River – Steve Richter
80% of targeted fields
(PI >6) made change
CRP conversion, 800
more acres of crops, to
5000 acres of crop land
Keep tabs on entire
watershed, could go
backwards
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Wisconsin Phosphorus Summit
4/29/14
Stream Bank Restoration
Field-to-Stream Transport
-In-stream soft sediment: 7 years of
sediment stored in the channel
- Majority of sediment is from fields (13X)
versus from stream banks
Photo credits:; Dane County Land Conservation Division
Implemented practices changed P loads and concentrations
Ave. over 4 years on 1522 acres
45% lower P delivery on targeted farms
20% lower PI from baseline
12% lower PI with “new” acres
P [ ] is falling in test watershed
Project Mullet River – Steve Richter
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Wisconsin Phosphorus Summit
Project Mullet River – Steve Richter
4/29/14
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Wisconsin Phosphorus Summit
4/29/14
Timetable in the Mullet River
-Partnership forming – “loosely” in 2013 - 2016
-Stream monitoring of P by WWTP
-Talk to farmers, soil sample, find P Index
-Evaluate feasibility of water trading
-Implement practices on fields with PI >3
2013 - 2015
2014 - 2015
2014 - 2015
2015 - 2016
-City of Plymouth: ferric chloride experiment
-If trading works, seek OK from WDNR
-And, agreement with Sheboygan County
2014
2017
2017
County’s role: work with farmers for conservation
practice implementation and to track compliance
Project Mullet River – Steve Richter
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Wisconsin Phosphorus Summit
4/29/14
Mullet River phosphorus values
Plymouth WWTP : Pounds of P needed from farm
fields to comply with permit. Working with farmers, can
we find 2,000 pounds of P each year?
Project Mullet River – Steve Richter
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Wisconsin Phosphorus Summit
4/29/14
-Target screening
tool from WDNR
- Where are animals?
- P Index work (soil
samples, farm
inventory
810 fields above and
575 fields below
-  Paying for performance versus
paying for practice
-  On 3 farms $5 to $19/# of P
-  $4M upgrade for WWTP
-  $300,000/YR for 2,000#s
Project Mullet River – Steve Richter
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Wisconsin Phosphorus Summit
4/29/14
Trading Scenario
Questions answered by this “pilot”
-will we find enough P credit on farm fields? How many farmers,
what kind of practices will best fit into their farming operations?
Uncertainty, upstream/downstream components of a trade ratio
-will there be steps Plymouth can make to reduce P at the
WWTP and on city streets (leaf pick up?)
-what will the P Index values be for the Mullet River?
-what might an agreement look like btw Plymouth – County?
-what will be the $XX per pound of P for changing practices?
-will more cities in Sheboygan Co consider this approach?
-what are your questions?
Project Mullet River – Steve Richter
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