Increasing the Adoption of the Management of Ag Drainage Water for Conservation Benefits “Into the Future” by Paul J. Sweeney Senior Project Leader Regional Conservationist Staff Bismarck, ND

Topics: Ag. Water Management Team (AGWAM) AGWAM Action Plan Summit’s Purpose Systems Approach What Future Products from the Team “Into the Future”

Team’s Charge –Team Action Plan –National Summit –Innovation and Creativity –Performance and Outcomes –“Adaptive Management” NRCS Agriculture Water Management Team (AGWAM)

Team’s Action Plan: Draft completed June 2011 Public comment thru August 2011 National Summit input Dynamic document - changing NRCS Agriculture Water Management Team (AGWAM)

AGWAM Team Action Plan Seven Key Components: 1.COMMUNICATION 2.TECHNOLOGY 3.TRAINING 4.POLICY 5.PROGRAMS 6.WILDLIFE HABITAT 7.OUTCOMES

Key Component: 1. COMMUNICATION A. Agency action plan B. Partner Forums C. Evaluate the Phase 1 D. Website E. Communications and Outreach F. Attitudes towards drainage water mgt G. ADMS Task Force H. Integrate the ADMS Task Force AGWAM Team Action Plan

Key Component: 2. TECHNOLOGY A. Repository and links to research B. Complete technical reviews C. Identify and collect the knowledge D. Where DWM (CPS 554) feasible AGWAM Team Action Plan

Key Component: 3. TRAINING A. Internal training B. External training C. Technical Service Providers AGWAM Team Action Plan

Key Component: 4. POLICY A. National policy B. State policy C. Technical Service Provider policy AGWAM Team Action Plan

Key Component: 5. PROGRAMS A. Programmatic barriers B. Track progress C. New Programs/Opportunities AGWAM Team Action Plan

Key Component: 6. WILDLIFE HABITAT A. Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative B. Open dialogue AGWAM Team Action Plan

Key Component: 7. OUTCOMES A. Estimates of outcomes B. Report outcomes AGWAM Team Action Plan

Managing Water. Harvesting Results. America’s Ag. Water Management National Summit Purpose: increase nation-wide adoption of drainage water management (DWM) as part of a conservation system, through the understanding of past history, current situation, performance, incentives and future opportunities.

Increasing the Adoption of the Management of Ag Drainage Water for Conservation Benefits Systems Approach Addressing nutrient loads from the when the nutrients are being applied (4 R’s) to the field, to the last opportunity - when subsurface water leaves the field.

What is Drainage Water Management? Its a combination of conservation practices, identified during the development of a farm conservation plan and generally used in conjunction with a nutrient management system, to manage the timing and amount of both surface and subsurface drainage leaving a field to address producer identified resource concerns….

What is Drainage Water Management? Resource Concern Examples: Water Quality Water Quantity  Water availability  Flooding  Irrigation Wildlife Habitat Other

Nitrogen Balance

Agronomic Practices % Cover Crops % Drainage Management % Bioreactors % Bioreactors w/ Drainage Mgt % Wetlands % Minimize drainage intensity % (for replacement systems) Why a systems approach?

“Into the Future” Team’s Future Products: Training Opportunities Outreach materials Maps and tools

“Into the Future”

Hold position for Fact Sheet

Soil Web Survey mock up product for planning purposes

Comments and Questions

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