Conestoga Headwaters Project, Pennsylvania : Rural Clean Water Program : 10-year report, 1981-1991

342 Pages·1992·25.7 MB·English

by  Pennsylvania State RCWP Coordinating Committee

Historic, Archive Document
Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

Reserve
aTD224
.P4C66
1992
CONESTOGA
HEADWATERS
PROJECT
PENNSYLVANIA
10-YEAR REPORT
1981-1991
RURAL
CLEAN
WATER
PROGRAM
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AGRICULTURAL STABILIZATION AND CONSERVATION SERVICE
United States
Department of
Agriculture
A
National Agricultural Library
CONESTOGA HEADWATERS PROJECT
Pennsylvania
Rural Clean Water Program
10-Year Report
1981 - 1991
Acknowledgment
This project received a tremendous amount of support from the various Federal, State and local
agenciesinvolved.Manythankstothefarmerswhoparticipatedintheprogramandotherindividualswho
madetheprojecta successwiththeircontributions. Valuablelessonswerelearned asaresultoftheproject.
A
gencies Involved:
AgriculturalStabilizationand ConservationService-USDA
USDA
Soil ConservationService-
U.S. GeologicalSurvey-USDI
Pennsylvania DepartmentofEnvironmentalResources
Environmental Protection Agency
Pennsylvania State University
Penn. StateExtensionService
LancasterCounty Conservation District
EasternLancasterCountySchoolDistrict
Economic ResearchService- USDA m
Pennsylvania DepartmentofAgriculture
PAStateAssociationofConservation Districts
Report Prepared by:
Pennsylvania State RCWPCoordinatingCommittee
ConestogaHeadwaters Local RCWPCoordinatingCommittee
Comprehensive Monitoringand EvaluationCommittee
Donald Unangst, Chairman
StateRCWP CoordinatingCommittee
CONTENTS
Page
ExecutiveSummary-Conestoga HeadwatersRCWP Project 1
Authority 1
Background 1
ProjectStrategy 1
Critical Area 1
Project Accomplishments 1
WaterQualityResults 2
1.0 ProjectFindingsand Recommendations 3
2.0 Introduction/Project Background 4
2.1 Overview oftheRural CleanWaterProgram 4
22 ProjectBackground 5
22.1 WaterQuality Problemsand ImpairedWaterUses 5
2.2.2 OverviewofProject 5
2.2.3 Population,Cliniate, Physical Setting 6
2.2.4 Land Use and Existing AgriculturalPractices 7
2.2.5 ProjectJustification 7
2.3 ProjectGoalsand Objectives 8
2.3.1 Findingsand Recommendations 8
2.3.2 WaterQualityGoalsand Objectives 8
2.3.3 Goalsand Objectives forImplementation 9
2.3.4 Informationand EducationGoalsand Objectives 10
2.3.5 Economic EvaluationGoalsand Objectives 11
2.3.6WaterQuality MonitoringGoalsand Objectives 11
2.4 Project Development 12
2.4.1 HighlightsofProject Development 12
2.42 StunmaryofAnnual Achievements 13
2.5 Changes in Land UsePatternsand WaterResourceManagement throughout the
ProjectPeriod 13
2.5.1 Impactand EffectofFederal Programs 13
2.5.2 ImpactofCroppingand Chemical Use Changes 13
2.5.3 Review ofCh^gesinPopulation, Construction, and OtherFactors 13
2.5*4inrtpactand EffectofRCWP 13
3.0 ImplementationResults 14
3.1 Findingsand Recommendations 14
32 CriticalArea^e^tment 14
^Ԥ2.1 DenhifionofCritical Area 14
3.22 Accomplishments 15
3.3 BestManagement Practice Implementation 15
3.3.1 Description ofEachBest Management Practiceand the Problem It
Addressed 15
3.32 AcresServed byEach BMPand BMP UnitsInstalled or Implemented
UnderRCWP 15
3.3.3 Numberand Proportion ofProject Area Producers Implementing Each
BMP
15
3.3.4 Discontinued Best Management Practices 15
3.3.5 Changes in Best Management Practice Emphasis 15
3.4 Contract Modificationsand Violations 16
3.4.1 Total NumberofContracts 16
3.4.2 Contract Cancellationsand Modifications 17
3.4.3 ContractViolations. 20
CONTENTS RCWP 10-Year Report 1981-1991
II
Page
3.5 ImpactsofOtherFederalPrograms 20
3.6ImpactsofState and Local Programs/Regulations 20
3.7Technical Assistance 21
RCWP
3.7.1 Overall AssistanceProvided to ProducerParticipants 21
3.72 Types andAmountofAssistanceProvided toProducersImplementing
Each BMP 21
3.7.3 Lessons Learned 21
4.0 ProjectInformationand EducationActivities 22
4.1 Findingsand Recommendations 22
42 CooperativeExtensionServices Activities 22
4.3 ASCS Activities 25
4.4 Soil ConservationService Activities 25
4.5WaterQualityAgenciesActivities 26
4.6 Local CoordinatingCommittees/State CoordinatingCommittee Activities 26
4.7Inter-AgencyActivities 26
4.8 Pubhc Involvement 27
4.9 ListofPublished General InformationMaterial 27
5.0 InstitutionalRelationshipsand Economics 28
5.1 Findingsand Recommendations 28
52 Institutional Arrangements 28
52.1 Conestoga HeadwatersProject Administration 29
52.2 LCC/SCC Coordination 30
5.2.3 BMP Maintenance Tracking 30
5.2.4 AssessmentofAssistanceProvided byFederalAgencies 30
5.3 Economic Evaluation 31
5.3.1 InstallationCostsofEachBMP and theProportion Cost-Sharedby
RCWP
31
5.32 Total Cost-ShareAssistance 32
RCWP
5.3.3 Total ProjectExpenditures 32
5.3.4 InsightsorObservations 32
5.3.5 and5.3.6ImpactsoftheBMPsonProducers' Costsand Returnsand Off-
RCWP
SiteBenefitsof 34
Economic Evaluation 1986 35
6.0 MonitoringDesignand Strategy 48
6.1 Findingsand Recommendations 48
6.1.1 Experimental Design 48
6.1.2 Site Selection 49
6.1.3 Data Collectionand Analysis 49
6.1.4 Farmerand InteragencyCooperation 49
62 GeneralStrategy 50
6.3 DataCollection 50
6.3.1 Precipitation 50
6.3.2 Manure 52
6.3.3 Agricultural Activities 52
6.3.4 Soils 52
6.3.5 WaterQuantityandQuality 52
6.4 Analyses 53
6.4.1 Chemical 53
6.4.2 Statistical 54
6.5 Quality Assurance 54
RCWP 10-Year Report 1981-1991 CONTENTS
iii
CONTENTS
-•Continued
Page
6.6 Data Management 54
6.7Regional Study Area 54
6.7.1 Location 54
6.7.2 General Strategy 55
6.7.3 Land Use 55
6.7.4 Geology 56
6.7.5 Soils 56
6.7.6 Data Collection 56
6.7.7Data Analysis 61
6.8 Sn\all Watershed Study Area 61
6.8.1 Locationand Description 61
6.82 General Strategy 61
6.8.3 Land Use 62
6.8.4 Geology 62
6.8.5 Soils 63
6.8.6 Data Collection 64
6.8.7 Data Analysis 69
6.9 Field-Site 1 70
6.9.1 Locationand Description 70
6.92 General Strategy 73
6.9.3 Land Use 74
6.9.4 Geology 74
6.9.5 Soils 75
6.9.6 Data Collection 75
7.0
7.1 6.9.7 Data Analysis 78
6.10Field-Site2 80
6.10.1 Locationand Description 80
6.10.2 General Strategy 82
6.10.3 Und Use 83
6.10.4 Geology and Hydrogeology 83
6.10.5 Soils 83
72.4
6.10.6 DataCollection 84
67.21.06.7Data Analysis 86
ReferencesC7i.t2e.d5 90
Evaluation ofBest-Management-Practice/Water-QualityStudies 92
Findingsand Recommendations 92
72 Regional Study Area 97
7.2.1 Regional Precipitation 97
722 Regional Agricultural Activities 97
7.2.3 Regional SurfaceWaterQuantity and Quality 99
Regional Ground WaterQuantityand Quality 99
Regional Fish Ill
Regional Benthic Macroinvertebrates Ill
7.3 Small Watershed 127
7.3.1 Small Watershed Precipitation 127
7.3.2 Small Watershed Agricultural Activities 127
7.3.3 Small Watershed Soils 133
7.3.4 Small Watershed Surface-Water Quantityand Quality 137
7.3.5 Small Watershed Ground-WaterQuality 162
7.3.6 Small Watershed Benthic Macroinvertebrates 164
CONTENTS iv RCWP 10-Year Report 1981-1991
7.4
Page
Field-Site 1 167
7.4.1 Field-Site 1 Precipitation 167
7A2 Field-Site 1 AgriculturalActivities 170
7.4.3 Field-Site 1 Soils 177
7.4.4 Field-Site 1 Surface-RunoffQuantityand Quality 179
7A3 Field-Site 1 Ground-WaterQuantityand Quality 210
7.4.6 Field-Site 1 Hydrologic andNitrogenBudgets 247
75 Field-Site2 252
75.1 Field-Site2 Precipitation 252
732 Field-Site2 AgriculturalActivities 252
75.3 Field-Site2 Soils 260
7.5.4 Field-Site2 Surface-RunoffQuantityAnd Quality 262
7.5.5 Field-Site2 Ground-WaterQuantityand Quality 277
75.6 Field-Site2HydrologicBudgetandNitrogenAdditionandRemoval 295
ReferencesCited 308
A
Appendix 311
AppendixB 313
AppendixC 314
AppendixD 323
AppendixE 325
AppendixF 329
RCWP 10-YearReport1981-1991 V CONTENTS
i
CONESTOGA HEADWATERS PROJECT AREA
LANCASTER
CO., PA.