Quantifying Agricultural Contributions to Surface Water Quality Impairment in the Lower Wisconsin River Watershed

Color poster with text, charts, diagrams, and maps.Fertilizers, sediments, and animal wastes from agricultural activities causes a host of problems for aquatic ecosystems across space and time. Due to the severe threat posed by agricultural activities to our water bodies and the biodiversity in our aquatic ecosystems, it becomes prudent to monitor the extent of water quality impairment caused by farm and livestock operations especially in watersheds that are characterized by heavy agricultural operation. This study utilized geospatial technologies of remote sensing, geographic information system (GIS), and spatial hydrologic water quality modeling to quantify the extent of agricultural footprint on nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment loading within the Lower Wisconsin River watershed. Results of the study demonstrated that total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment loads in the watershed reduced between 2000 and 2020 due to land management practices implemented over the study period.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program