USGS School Branch Edge of Field Collaboration Grant

The U.S. Geological Survey Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center requests award of a noncompetitive cooperative agreement to the Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI), Center for Environmental Science, for work on the School Branch Edge-of Field study near Indianapolis, Indiana. This work builds upon some ongoing assessment of Best Management Practices (cover crops and conservation tillage) in School Branch watershed will help assess the benefits on water quality from the implementation of these BMPs. Recipient will provide a similar Edge of Field study on traditionally tilled and managed fields being monitored in the same small watershed as the fields with BMPs. Additionally, the USGS has two Nutrient Super Gages monitoring nutrients above and below the BMPs, which is unprecedented and will help document changes. Recipiant will: 1) Produce quality assured nutrient and sediment data from an overland flow and tile drain site on a field within the School Branch watershed; 2) Analyze the nutrient and sediment samples at the IUPUI lab which has recently been approved by the USGS; and 3) Work in conjunction with the USGS, USDA-NRCS on assessing the differences in runoff between the traditionally farmed fields with the nearby fields that have BMPs implemented.