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One size does not fit all: Toward regional conservation practice guidance to reduce phosphorus loss risk in the Lake Erie watershed
Author(s) -
Macrae Merrin,
Jarvie Helen,
Brouwer Roy,
Gunn Grant,
Reid Keith,
Joosse Pam,
King Kevin,
Kleinman Peter,
Smith Doug,
Williams Mark,
Zwonitzer Martha
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.1002/jeq2.20218
Subject(s) - watershed , watershed management , environmental science , soil conservation , best practice , eutrophication , water resource management , soil and water assessment tool , agriculture , environmental resource management , watershed area , environmental planning , hydrology (agriculture) , drainage basin , geography , ecology , streamflow , engineering , computer science , geotechnical engineering , machine learning , cartography , management , archaeology , nutrient , economics , biology
Agricultural phosphorus (P) losses to surface water bodies remain a global eutrophication concern, despite the application of conservation practices on farm fields. Although it is generally agreed upon that the use of multiple conservation practices (“stacking”) will lead to greater improvements to water quality, this may not be cost effective to farmers, reducing the likelihood of adoption. At present, wholesale recommendations of conservation practices are given; however, the application of specific conservation practices in certain environments (e.g., no‐till with surface application, cover crops) may not be effective and can even lead to unintended consequences. In this paper, we present the Lake Erie watershed as a case study. The Lake Erie watershed contains regions with unique physical geographies that include differences in climate, soil, topography, and land use, which have implications for both P transport from agricultural fields and the efficacy of conservation practices in mitigating P losses. We define major regions within the Lake Erie watershed where common strategies for conservation practice implementation are appropriate, and we propose a five‐step plan for bringing regionally tailored, adaptive, and cost‐conscious conservation practice into watershed planning. Although this paper is specific to the Lake Erie watershed, our framework can be transferred across broader geographic regions to provide guidance for watershed planning.