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For more: http://www.extension.org/67638 Many states conduct water quality monitoring projects and within the past decade, sub-watershed and whole farm water quality monitoring has gained more traction as a preferred method to understand runoff and nutrient loading behavior. The one aspect of these projects that has evolved is the level of partnering. Partnering not just with technical and academic groups but fully partnering and involving the landowner or resource manager. The Discovery Farms model is a great example of a fully partnered, adaptive management water quality monitoring project that began in Wisconsin and has grown to formally include North Dakota, Minnesota and Arkansas. The main objective of the Discovery Farms projects is to fully engage producers in the identification and if necessary the reduction of nutrient and sediment losses from a variety of agriculture farming systems by collecting runoff data from real, working farms. The program is founded on the belief that farmers who are engaged, educated and empowered with actual on-farm information will use the data to address water quality concerns. The concept has demonstrated successes and is gaining interest around the country from producers and their commodity organizations.
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What I Am Learning and Implementing Based on
Data Collected on My FarmDoyle Johannes
ND Discovery Farms Core Farm OperatorUnderwood, ND
History of Involvement
•Started investigating feedlot runoff issues in 2005
•Looked to the future of sustaining the farming operation for the next generation
Why I Got Involved in DF’s
Doyle Johannes, Underwood400-600 custom fed & backgroundingEdge of feedlot monitoring
What I am Learning
Table 1. Total Nitrogen Load and Runoff Flow at the Edge of a Feedlot (G1) and 1/2 (G3) mile down-landscape from the feedlot during the snowmelt period of 2009, 2010 and 2011.
G1 G3
Total Nitrogen Load (lbs) 11793 5441
Total Flow (cu ft/sec) 14 70
Nutrient Loading from Feedlot
What I am Learning
•Biggest loss of nutrients from feedlot area is during snowmelt.
•Over a three year period, summer rainfall events rarely triggered collection at station 3.
My Response
•Need to decrease risk of snowmelt runoff leaving feedlot area
•Installed clean water diversion around feedlot
Diversion
New Feed Bunks
Diversion
Updated Bunk
Unexpected Learning Opportunities
•Several visits from EPA officials
Questions?
Other Discovery Farm sites in ND
•Tile drainage monitoring near Embden, ND
•Edge of field/Out-wintered cattle runoff monitoring near Dazey, ND
Kent & Keith Bartholomay, Embden300 cows & backgroundingTile and surface drainage monitoring
Tile OutletTile Outlet
Surface Drainage
Kim and Denise Amann, Dazey200 cows & backgroundingEdge of Feedlot monitoring
Baldhill Creek
Next Steps
•Need to characterize runoff behavior•Soil sample down-landscape area below
feedlot and tile drain•Funded partially by ND Corn Council
Questions?Doyle Johannes701.442.3526
Ron WiederholtCarrington Research Extension Center
