Watershed Management

November 13 & 14, 2012
The Chateau Hotel and Conference Center
Bloomington, Illinois

About the Workshop

The Nutrients & the Rural Landscape workshop focused on nonpoint source pollution, including the issue of nutrients. Rural land uses that can produce nonpoint source pollution include: agriculture, resource extraction, forestry and hydrologic modification.

The workshop began with an overview of trends in landuse, technology, and socio-economic issues and how those trends impact Illinois' rivers, lakes and groundwater resources.

Presentations highlighting best management practices for both production agriculture and other rural landuse included:

• Biomass Fuels
• Cover Crops
• Forestry
• Grazing/Feeding Operations
• Groundwater and Source Water Protection
• Livestock Facilities
• Nutrient Management
• Riparian Buffers
• Resource Extraction
• Streambank Stabilization – Two Stage Ditch Design
• Water Management

Presentations highlighting programs and practices that are being implemented at the watershed, county and state scales to improve and protect water quality followed the best management practice information.

The workshop ended with a general session with a panel of state and federal entities speaking about the programs available to implement many of the best management practices and programs discussed earlier in the workshop.

Program/Proceedings

Welcome

• Marcia Willhite – Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

Plenary Session One

• Nutrients and Nonpoint Source Pollution in Illinois Waters
  • Lowell Gentry – University of Illinois

Plenary Session Two

• The Role of Social Science in Best Management Practice Adoption and Watershed Planning
  • Joan Brehm, Ph.D. – Illinois State University

Plenary Session Three

• The Social and Economic Dimensions of the Rural Landscape: Results from the Illinois Rural Life Poll
  • Christopher Merrett, Ph.D. – Institute for Rural Affairs, Western Illinois University
• Surface Water Quality Associated with Mining – Best Management Practices
  • Mark Yingling, P.E. – Peabody Energy

Plenary Session Four

• Dairy Best Management Practices – the Realities, the Opportunities
  • Natalie Rector – Rector Consulting
• Agriculture Equipment Advancements Enabling Resource Conservation
  • Pauley Bradley – John Deere

Concurrent Sessions

Session 1A – Best Management Practices for Production Agriculture – 1

• Updates and Revisions to the NRCS Nutrient Management (590) Practice Standard
  • Brett Roberts – USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Cover Crops
  • Joel Gruver – Western Illinois University
• Nitrogen Reductions with Saturated Buffers
  • Steve Baker – Springfield Plastics Inc.
• Management of Drainage Water in Illinois
  • Ruth Book, Ph.D. – USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service

Session 1B – Best Management Practices for Rural Landscape – 1

• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Wetlands and other BMPs in Improving Water Quality in Tile-Drained Subwatersheds of the Mackinaw River
  • Krista Kirkham – The Nature Conservancy
• Two-Stage Ditch 101: A Guide to Site Selection, Costs, and Water Quality Benefits
  • Matt Williams – The Nature Conservancy in Indiana
• Surface Water Control Systems and the Coal Industry – Best Management Practices
  • Greg Arnett – Black Nugget, LLC

Session 2A – Best Management Practices for Production Agriculture – 2

• Grazing Systems
  • Matt Bunger – USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Manure Nutrient Management Plans; Regulations & Reality
  • Ted Funk, Ph.D. – Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois
• Forage and Biomass Production in Conservation Buffers
  • Steve John – Agricultural Watershed Institute
  • Doug Gucker, MS, CCA – Agricultural Watershed Institute

Session 2B – Best Management Practices for Rural Landscape 2

• Illinois Forestry Best Management Practices
  • Jay Hayek – University of Illinois Extension
• Well Head Protection for Community Water Supplies
  • Frank Dunmire – Illinois Rural Water Association
• Variable Width Riparian Buffers for Concentrated Flow Paths in Agricultural Watersheds
  • Karl Williard – Southern Illinois University

Lunch/Feature Presentation

• Meeting the Conservation Challenge on the Rural Landscape
  • Jon Scholl – American Farmland Trust

Session 3A – Implementation Projects for Agriculture Production Community

• Indian Creek Watershed: A Community Initiative to Protect Resources and Increase Farm Productivity
  • Karen Scanlon – Conservation Technology Information Center
  • Chad Watts – Conservation Technology Information Center
• Discovery Farm
  • Mike Plumer – Illinois Council on Best Management Practices
• Agriculture Nutrients: "Keeping it for the Crop"
  • Jean Payne – Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association

Session 3B – Implementation Projects for Rural Community

• Cache River Reforestation: The Science Behind the Plans
  • Laura Keefer – Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute – University of Illinois
• The Illinois Wildlife Action Plan: Defining a Vision of Conservation Success
  • Jeff Walk, Ph.D. – The Nature Conservancy
• Bloomington's Green Infrastructure Approach Reduces Nitrate in Agricultural Ditch Flow and in Floodplain Wetlands
  • Don Roseboom – USGS, Illinois Water Science Center

Plenary Session Five

• Technical and Financial Assistance Panel – State and federal agency representatives share vision and guidance on financial and technical assistance programs and best management practices.
  • Amy Walkenbach – Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
  • Alan Gulso – Illinois Department of Agriculture
  • Wade Louis – Illinois Department of Natural Resources
  • Janette Marsh – United States Environmental Protection Agency
  • Gwen Kolb – United States Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Ruth Book – USDA – Natural Resources Conservation

Service Closing Comments & Adjourn

• Presenter Biographies
• Attendee List

The Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association hosted a tour of the new Asmark Institute AgriCenter for the workshop attendees. Participants were able to explore the 20,000 square foot training complex that was designed to offer innovative anhydrous ammonia training courses, an advanced ammonia technician course, a grain safety and maintenance course, and courses on nurse tank testing, as well as house the Professional Applicator Training course taught by Dr. Bob Wolf.

Rural Landscape Workshop Planning Committee

Planning Committee members included:

• Dick Breckenridge, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
• Christine Davis, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
• Kerry Goodrich, USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Alan Gulso, Illinois Department of Agriculture
• Ann Holtrop, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
• Rich Nichols, Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts
• Trevor Sample, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
• Dan Schaefer, Keep It for the Crops 2025
• Amy Walkenbach, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
• Shawn Wilcockson, Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Additional planning assistance was provided by:

• Dan Bounds, Illinois Water Environment Association
• Wade Louis, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
• Sarah Seelbach, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

Questions?

Questions about the workshop should be directed to:

Christine Davis
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
(217) 782-3362