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PIMA in Goose Branch Microwatershed
PIMA: An Alternative Approach to Watershed Management, Through the support of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research (TIAER) has developed a watershed management program capable of meeting water quality challenges. This program, known as the Planned Intervention Microwatershed Approach (PIMA), divides watersheds into small microwatersheds, which allows government agencies and agricultural producers to better manage water quality complexities. PIMA also affords an opportunity to achieve CWA objectives through producer-friendly programs, while providing predictable backup to deal with bad actors.
Evaluating Phosphorus Control Practices in the Goose Branch Microwatershed, The purpose of this report is to present an evaluation of soil and water quality monitoring data from the Goose Branch microwatershed and relate this information to implemented management practices. Soil sampling was conducted annually on a field-by-field basis for five years, and customized maps showing extractable P concentrations in the soil were developed for each operation to help plan the annual distribution of manure and fertilizer. Continued field assessments and surface water quality monitoring over a five-year period were used it evaluate the success of new management practices in improving soil and water quality.
Phosphorus Control Practices for Dairy Waste Application Fields Using a Phosphorus Risk Index, Phosphorus is recognized as a water quality problem due to its role in accelerating algal growth when supplied in abundance. Dairy operations in north central Texas are potential sources of phosphorus, with transport occurring from waste application fields to water bodies during rainfall runoff events. A risk assessment tool was developed as an aid in targeting fields with a high potential for phosphorus movement. The Phosphorus Risk Index was developed for use on dairies in north-central Texas and uses site characteristics such as erosion rate, runoff potential, soil test phosphorus levels, distance to water body, waste application method, rates and timing of waste application, vegetation, and grazing intensity to define a sites vulnerability to phosphorus movement.
Livestock and the Environment: A National Pilot Project; The Planned Intervention/Microwatershed Approach (PIMA) in TMDLs: Reducing Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollutants, Widespread pollution from nonpoint sources threatens many of our nations waters. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), states, and citizens groups are looking to the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program of the Clean Water Act as a framework for addressing impairment from nonpoint and other sources; however, neither the TMDL program nor the Clean Water Act (CWA) itself possesses an enforceable nonpoint source abatement provision. Fortunately, alternative programs for addressing nonpoint source pollution exist, including a flexible state approach that can be applied within the TMDL program. This report presents such an approach, called Planned Intervention/Microwatershed Approach (PIMA). This approach parallels legislation currently in effect in Texas, but provides ways to address watershed complexity, while allowing the community to lead the way in a performance-driven and assessment-based framework. PIMA serves as a way to implement a TMDL successfully.
Dimensions of Planned Intervention, Most agricultural operations, including small and medium CAFOs, have largely escaped command-and-control regulation. Heavy reliance on voluntary approaches to agricultural NPS pollution abatement is not simply preferred, but may ultimately prove imperative, given the difficulty and cost inherent in identifying and controlling myriad diffuse pollution sources on millions of acres of private land with dwindling regulatory resources.
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