Agricultural BMPs Best Management Strategies That Sustain Our Estuary Galveston, Texas January 12, 2

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Agricultural BMPsBest Management Strategies That
Sustain Our EstuaryGalveston, TexasJanuary 12,
2009

• Brian Koch
• Regional Watershed Coordinator
• Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board

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Agency Authority

• The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation
  Board (TSSWCB) is the lead state agency for
  planning, implementing, and managing programs and
  practices for preventing and abating agricultural
  and silvicultural (forestry) nonpoint source
  (NPS) water pollution.

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Putting Ag BMPsOn-the-ground

• TSSWCB Water Quality Management Plan Program
  achieves the goals of planning and implementing
  agricultural BMPs to control agricultural NPS
  pollution on farm and ranch land
• Achieved through a partnership between TSSWCB,
  USDA-NRCS, and local soil and water conservation
  districts (SWCDs)

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What is a WQMP?

• water quality management plan (WQMP)
• a site-specific plan developed through and
  approved by SWCDs for agricultural or
  silvicultural lands
• includes appropriate land treatment practices,
  production practices, management measures,
  technologies or combinations thereof
• purpose is to achieve a level of pollution
  prevention or abatement determined by the TSSWCB,
  in consultation with local SWCDs, to be
  consistent with state water quality standards

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Extent ofWQMP Implementation

• 187 WQMPs in Galveston Bay counties (Brazoria,
  Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Liberty counties)
• 62,302 of acres under WQMPs in same counties
• 50,000 generally available each year as
  financial assistance to farmers and ranchers
  (through SWCDs in these counties)

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Watering Facility
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Watering Facility

• Used as alternative water source to limit amount
  of time livestock spend in or near the stream
• Supplies clean water to livestock, helps maintain
  good animal health
• Aids in rotational grazing, which benefits grass,
  range, and pasture health

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Watering Facility

• Various studies have shown that alternative water
  sources
• Reduced time cattle spent in the stream up to 90
  (Miner et. al 1992)
• Reduced time spent near the stream up to 75
  (Godwin and Miner 1996)
• When available cattle drank from troughs up to
  92 of the time (Sheffield et. al 1997)

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Alternative Water Shade Evaluationat 2S Ranch,
Lockhart, TX

• Conducted by Texas AM AgriLife researchers,
  funded with Clean Water Act 319(h) NPS grants
  from TSSWCB
• Preliminary Results Year 1 Pre-BMP
• July, October and April No alternative water
• January Alternative water provided for 2 weeks
• time near creek reduced 75 in January
• Consistent with published values

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Cross Fence
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Cross Fence

• Used as aid in rotational grazing
• Aids in maintaining critical grass heights
• Which helps
• Promote plant health and plant vigor
• Increase water infiltration in range and pasture
• Increase filtration of TSS, Nutrients, and
  Pathogens
• Conserve soil moisture

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Evaluation of Grazing Managementat Riesel
Experiment Station

• Conducted by USDA-ARS researchers funded with
  Clean Water Act 319(h) NPS grants from TSSWCB
• Flow weighted concentrations at Riesel
  (07/07-07/08)
• Ungrazed SW12 10,032 cfu/100 ml
• Mod. grazed SW17 22,815 cfu/100 ml
• Doran et al. (1981)
• Ungrazed 13,280 cfu/100 ml fecal coliform
• 8,366 cfu/100 ml E. coli
• Mod. grazed 113,700 cfu/100 ml fecal coliform
• 71,631 cfu/100 ml E. coli
• Robins et al. (1972)
• Ungrazed 10,000 cfu/100 ml fecal coliform
• 6,300 cfu/100 ml E. coli
• Mod. grazed 30,000 cfu/100 ml fecal coliform
• 18,900 cfu/100 ml E. coli

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Evaluation of Grazing Managementat Riesel
Experiment Station

• Significant Observations To Date
• Alternative water possible 75 reduction in the
  percent time cattle spend near creek
• E. coli levels in runoff from grazed pasture are
  significantly greater than levels in runoff from
  ungrazed native prairie
• E. coli levels in runoff from ungrazed native
  prairie are significantly greater (i.e. 2 orders
  of magnitude) than Texas Water Quality Standards

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Thanks! Any Questions?
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• Brian Koch
• Regional Watershed Coordinator
• Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
• Wharton Regional Office
• 1120 Hodges Ln
• Wharton, TX 77488
• 979-532-9496 v
• 979-532-8765 f
• bkoch_at_tsswcb.state.tx.us
• http//www.tsswcb.state.tx.us/
• http//www.tsswcb.state.tx.us/cwp
• Authorization for use or reproduction of any
  original material
• contained in this presentation is freely granted.
• TSSWCB would appreciate acknowledgement.