One of the most effective ways to improve the quality of water in the USA is to prevent the loss of soil via erosional processes on the landscape. Soil that is removed from the landscape often ends up in surface waters including streams and lakes. The suspended soil particles in water bodies can: (1) reduce the clarity of water, (2) add nutrients to water that may promote eutrophication, or (3) settle in the steam-bed which results in clogged waterways and reservoirs. Every year billions of taxpayer dollars are spent on dredging to keep shipping channels open. Many of these water quality problems can be reduced by simply implementing programs that keep soil where it belongs – on the landscape.   In last month’s PNWWWATER UPDATE (#109) we started to present survey data collected from 425+ farmers in the 15 to 30 inch annual precipitation zone of northern Idaho and eastern Washington. This survey was undertaken as part of a USDA-Conservation Effectiveness Assessment Program (CEAP) grant received by a team of University of Idaho researchers led by Dr. Jan Boll. Last month we presented data about grower perceptions of soil erosion, water quality, and associated conservation activities.   This UPDATE presents some of the early survey findings about the importance of various factors contributing to on-farm conservation decisions. Eighty-five percent of the growers responding to this survey said that the costs of conservation practices were very important (37 percent) or important (48 percent) in their decision-making process for implementation. After initiating practices to protect soil and water, the costs of maintaining the conservation practices were considered important (47 percent) or very important (34 percent) by the vast majority of respondents.   Growers listed both soil quality and water quality stewardship as important factors that led to the establishment and maintenance of conservation practices. Ninety-six percent of survey respondents consider the potential loss of soil quality an important (31 percent) or very important (65 percent) consideration in the implementation of conservation practices. From the results of this survey it is apparent that growers in dryland areas of the Inland Pacific Northwest consider conservation practices key to maintaining soil quality.   Water quality stewardship was also an important factor that affected a grower’s willingness to implement conservation practices. Seventy-eight percent of survey respondents rated water quality stewardship important (50 percent) or very important (28 percent) when considering the implementation of conservation practices.

Levels of importance in conservation decisions

Pacific Northwest Regional Water Quality Coordination Project Partners Land Grant Universities Alaska Cooperative Extension Service Contact Fred Sorensen: 907-786-6311 http://www.uaf.edu/ces/water/ University Publications: http://www.alaska.edu/uaf/ces/publications/ Idaho University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System Contact Bob Mahler: 208-885-7025 http://www.uidaho.edu/wq/wqhome.html University Publications: http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Catalog/catalog.html Oregon Oregon State University Extension Service Contact Mike Gamroth: 541-737-3316 http://extension.oregonstate.edu/ University Publications: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ Washington Washington State University WSU Extension Contact Bob Simmons: 360-427-9670 ext. 690 http://wawater.wsu.edu/ University Publications: http://pubs.wsu.edu/ Northwest Indian College Contact Charlotte Clausing: 360-392-4319 cclausing@nwic.edu or http://www.nwic.edu/ Water Resource Research Institutes Water and Environmental Research Center (Alaska) http://www.uaf.edu/water/ Idaho Water Resources Research Institute http://www.boise.uidaho.edu/ Institute for Water and Watersheds (Oregon) http://water.oregonstate.edu/ State of Washington Water Research Center http://www.swwrc.wsu.edu/ Environmental Protection Agency EPA, Region 10 The Pacific Northwest http://www.epa.gov/r10earth/ Office of Research and Development, Corvallis Laboratory http://www.epa.gov/wed/ For more information contact Jan Seago at 206-553-0038 or seago.jan@epa.gov
	The Project Land Grant Universities, Water Research Institutes and EPA Region 10 have formed a partnership to provide research and education to communities about protecting or restoring the quality of water resources. This partnership is being supported in part by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Our Goal and Approach The goal of this Project is to provide leadership for water resources research, education and outreach to help people, industry and governments to prevent and solve current and emerging water quality and quantity problems. The approach to achieving this goal is for the Partners to develop a coordinated regional water quality effort based on, and strengthening, individual state programs. Our Strengths The Project promotes regional collaboration by acknowledging existing programs and successful efforts; assessing program gaps; identifying potential issues for cross-agency and private sector collaboration; and developing a clearinghouse of expertise and programs. In addition, the Project establishes or enhances partnerships with federal, state and local environmental and water resource management agencies, such as by placing a University Liaison within the offices of EPA Region 10.
	It is not surprising that the two most important natural resources on the farm – soil and water are highly regarded. Consequently, growers in the rain-fed areas of eastern Washington and northern Idaho have willingly implemented conservation practices to protect these resources. This idea of resource stewardship is deeply ingrained as almost 70 percent of the surveyed growers hope to have their children and future generations continue their farming operations. In the 1970s many growers in eastern Washington and northern Idaho believed that conservation tillage operations were good for soil and water resources; however, grain yields were often depressed using conservation operations. Today however, over three quarters of survey respondents believe that conservation tillage does not result in reduced cereal yields compared to traditional conventional tillage operations. In fact, many believe that no-till (direct seed) results in crop yields that are at least equal to those achieved with conservation and conventional tillage operations.
	National Water Quality Program Areas The four land grant universities in the Pacific Northwest have aligned our water resource extension and research efforts with eight themes of the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Animal Waste Management Drinking Water and Human Health Environmental Restoration Nutrient and Pesticide Management Pollution Assessment and Prevention Watershed Management Water Conservation and Agricultural Water Management Water Policy and Economics
	This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No 2008-51130-4734.

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HOME | About | Calendar | Contacts | Links | PNW Water Updates | Sitemap NIFA National Water Quality Program This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2008-51130-04734. all external sites will open in a new browser window page last modified on June 30, 2007