ing to establish the relationship between
demonstrated that winter storage of manure (instead
practices, best management practices,
of winter spreading) was an effective nutrient
cal niches to groundwater contamination.
management strategy.
Explanatory variables, which should be
Land treatment information for high- and
monitored in the high-level projects, can include
medium-level projects should be reported and linked
changes, the seasons, stream dis-
other
directly to the water quality monitoring data, For ex-
charge, precipitation, groundwater table depth, im-
ample, each observation should be paired hydrologi-
pervious land surface area, and others. In Alabama,
cally to a water quality monitoring station on an
technicians were unable to determine the cause of a
annual or seasonal basis. All significant land use
sudden increase in fecal coliform levels in a par-
changes and other
and point source control
stream until they determined that beavers
efforts should be documented. The monitoring
had built a dam upstream of the sampling site. The
design should include multiyear monitoring of both
Florida RCWP project confirmed that the changes in
land treatment or use and water quality before and
cow numbers and water table depth affected the
after BMP implementation.
water quality monitoring results and that documenta-
Several RCWP projects had strong water quality
tion and adjustment for these changes allowed valid
monitoring programs emphasizing pre- and
conclusions to be made regarding changes in water
BMP monitoring and above and below site testing in
quality.
combination with a large land treatment effort.
These projects were able to document substantial
Evaluation and Reporting
water quality improvements. In the Utah RCWP
project, animal waste management systems reduced
Regular review of progress helps ensure that the
phosphorus concentrations leaving the watershed by
project is working toward its goals and that its ac-
75 percent and reduced nitrogen and fecal coliform
tivities are on track. As part of the evaluation
by 40 to 90 percent. In the Florida RCWP project,
process, regular meetings must be held by the local
fencing, water management, and animal waste
coordinating committee to keep the project team in-
management systems reduced phosphorus con-
formed and to coordinate activities. In addition,
centrations in water entering Lake Okeechobee by
quarterly meetings of technical groups can help
45 percent.
guide the project to water quality improvements.
In the Oregon RCWP project, animal waste
Both the South Dakota and the Vermont RCWP
management systems installed on dairies reduced
projects used frequent meetings of technical staff to
bacterial contamination of oyster beds by about 40 to
identify needs and document progress.
50 percent. Sites in the bay restricted to shellfishing
Annual progress reports on the projects create
based on Food and Drug Administration classifica-
an opportunity to compile and analyze findings; an-
tion decreased from 12 in 1979-80 to 1 in 1985-86. In
nual progress reviews by the national coordinating
the Idaho RCWP project, water management and
committee and the national technical support group
reduced sediment loads in
sediment control
can help projects meet their goals.
return flows from irrigated land by 70 percent. Trout
fishing has been partially restored to this coldwater
Feedback Loop
trout stream.
Regular meetings are a must for project staff, if water
Likewise, the Idaho and Nebraska RCWP
and land treatment monitoring are to be used
projects realize that a substantial effort would have
to make mid-project adjustments. The project
been saved if they had established clear protocols in
manager can facilitate communication by scheduling
the beginning for documenting water quality and
local coordinating committee meetings on a quarter-
land treatment on a
and annual basis such
ly basis. The State and local coordinating commit-
that the two databases could be linked hydrological-
tees should meet jointly at least once each year.
ly and temporally. Both projects have taken the initia-
tive to reconstruct and link the two databases. For
Regional workshops should be scheduled to pro-
these projects, the land treatment databases were
vide information transfers between projects with
the most difficult to reconstruct.
similar hydrology and agriculture. National work-
shops are helpful and especially beneficial if all
The Vermont project used extensive monitoring
projects are represented. Some of the most impor-
of BMP implementation and agricultural activities to
tant RCWP lessons were learned from projects that
establish a link between cows under
manure
were seldom represented at national
management and bacteria levels in streams. The
workshops
Minnesota
project used vadose zone monitor-
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