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SOIL CONSERVATION PRACTICES AND WATER QUALITY: IS EROSION CONTROL THE ANSWER? 1
Author(s) -
Crowder Bradley M.,
Young C. Edwin.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-1688.1987.tb02968.x
Subject(s) - surface runoff , environmental science , tillage , erosion control , soil conservation , water quality , conservation agriculture , agriculture , nonpoint source pollution , cover crop , business , water resource management , agricultural engineering , erosion , agroforestry , engineering , agronomy , ecology , biology , paleontology
This paper is a computer simulation analysis of an agricultural nonpoint pollution problem. Computer modeling is a universally applicable tool that can be used for establishing the linkages between and the quality of agricultural runoff in both surface and subsurface flow. The tradeoffs between the costs of soil conservation practices and water quality are reported, and the economic implications of such tradeoffs are discussed. Soil and nutrient losses resulting from crop production practices are analyzed using a field‐scale computer simulation model (CREAMS). No‐till planting, reduced tillage, and sod waterway systems are more cost effective than other practices for controlling soil and nutrient runoff losses. Nitrate leaching losses are increased slightly by most soil conservation practices. Terrace systems and permanent vegetative cover impose the greatest societal cost for water quality protection. Public cost sharing and tax incentives encourage farmers to adopt expensive structural practices, and policies are needed to get cost‐effective practices implemented on critical acreage. Extensive treatment of land is necessary for agricultural best management practices (BMPs) to significantly improve water quality in areas that are intensively farmed.