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Application of SWAT in the evaluation of salmon habitat remediation policy
Author(s) -
Whittaker Gerald
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.5615
Subject(s) - nonpoint source pollution , incentive , environmental science , natural resource economics , agriculture , business , environmental protection , environmental resource management , economics , ecology , biology , microeconomics
Agricultural non‐point source water pollutants such as sediment, pesticides and nutrients have been identified as contributing to the environmental distress of salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. Policies to control non‐point pollution from agricultural production can be classified as command and control or economic incentive policies. In application of a command and control policy, a regulator (usually a government agency) mandates a reduction in emissions or limits an agricultural production activity. Examples are a mandated reduction in nutrient application, or a reduction in emission of a nutrient to streams. Economic incentive policies are designed to achieve the same level of pollution control, while allowing some flexibility in maximizing profit. A tax on inputs is one frequently cited incentive measure. In this study, alternative policies to reduce non‐point emissions from agriculture on the Columbia Plateau of Washington, Oregon and Idaho are evaluated. The environmental efficiency and effects on profits by reduction of nitrogen from fertilizer under command and control regulation and tax incentives are compared. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.