Annual Progress Report, TarPamlico Agriculture Rule and Request for Full Approval of Four Local Nitr

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Annual Progress Report, Tar-Pamlico Agriculture
Rule- and -Request for Full Approval of Four
Local Nitrogen Strategies
from Tar-Pamlico Basin Oversight Committee to
November 9, 2005 NC WQC
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Rule OverviewTar-Pamlico Agriculture Rule

• Effective September 2001
• Goals 30? N Loss vs. 1991 by Sept. 2006
• No ? P Loss
• EMC approved 14 local N plans Oct. 2003
  (8 of these were only conditionally approved)
• estimated 39 basinwide reduction 91 01
• PTAC formed in Summer 2004 to develop phosphorous
  management guidance

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Estimated N Loss Reductions

• County 1992-2003 1992-2004
• Beaufort 33 31
• Edgecombe 42 42
• Franklin 65 69
• Granville 55 48
• Halifax 53 53
• Hyde 64 55
• Martin 49 51
• Nash 47 50
• Person 50 50
• Pitt 50 59
• Vance 61 80
• Warren 57 50
• Washington 25 25
• Wilson 44 49
• Basin Total 47 47

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How Were Nitrogen LossReductions Achieved?

• 2003 2004
• N Rate Decreases 23.0 22.5
• Crop Shifts 11.6 11.8
• BMPs 5.1 6.5
• Crop Acreage Reduction 7.1 6.3
• Total N Loss Reduction 46.8 47.1

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N Fertilizer Rate Reductions
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Crop Shift and Total Acreage Reduction
2004 8 Reduction in Acreage From Baseline
(807K Acres)
(742K Acres)
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BMP Implementation
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PTAC REPORT

• Purpose
• Ag Rule requires the establishment of P
  accounting method for the basin
• To address No ? P Loss goal
• Phosphorous Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC)
  formed in 2004

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PTAC Committee Representation

• - NC Department of Agriculture
• - Division of Soil Water Conservation
• - USDA-NRCS
• - NC Farm Bureau
• - NC Environmental Defense
• - DWQ Planning
• - NC State University Soil Science Dept

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PTAC Findings

• County-scale accounting for Ag land P loss not
  currently feasible
• Reasons
• - Complexity of P behavior and transport
• - Inadequate data to estimate P movement
• - Insufficient baseline data

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PTAC Findings

• Examined all available basin P data
• P loss increase unlikely from 1991-2003
• - Crop Acres ?
• - Waste P small ?
• - Soil P ? then ?
• - BMPs large ?
• P losses should continue to improve

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P-Reducing BMPs Implemented
Tar-Pamlico Basin
358,889 Acres in 2003
(1)
(2)
(3)
(2)
(1)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
Sources (1) AgCensus (2)- LACs (3) - CTIC
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BOC Phosphorous Recommendations

• Qualitatively track P loss risk factors
• 9 specific annual parameters
• Monitor trends, advise EMC
• No new P management requirements on farmers

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BOC Phosphorous Recommendations

• Parameters to compile annually
• Agricultural Land (ac)
• Animal Waste P Produced (lbs P/yr)
• CRP / WRP (ac)
• Cropland Conversion (to forest or grassland)
• Conservation Tillage (ac)
• Vegetated Buffers (Affected Ac)
• Water Control Structures (Affected Ac)
• Scavenger Crop (ac)
• Soil Test P Median (Index)

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BOC Request forLocal Strategies

• Full Approval
• Granted 03-04
• Franklin
• Granville
• Nash
• Person
• Warren
• Wilson
• Pitt
• Vance
• Edgecombe

• Remaining
• Conditional Approvals
• (granted 10/03)
• Halifax

Full Approvals Requested Beaufort Hyde Martin Wash
ington
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Next Steps

• Work with Halifax LAC to complete quantification
  of BMPs
• Work with Washington LAC to achieve 30
• Continue adding BMPs, all counties
• Improve BMP long-term accounting
• Incorporate P loss factors into next annual report

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Acknowledgements

• Neuse Tar-Pamlico Technicians
• Producers
• Local SWCD Technicians
• NRCS District Conservationists
• Cooperative Extension Agents
• NLEW Scientific Support
• PTAC Committee