Cost-Effective, Performance-Based Environmental Management

Iowa has over 19,000 miles of interior rivers and streams, numerous lakes and other natural resources and considerable agricultural production capacity. With such an extensive network of water bodies running through the state it is no surprise that experts have estimated that 90% of Iowa water quality issues are attributed to agricultural land and related activities. This nonpoint source contamination often results from long term actions and will take a long time for measurable outcomes

Performance-Based Management to Improve Water Quality

In recent years water quality assessments and the science of water quality management have progressed much more rapidly than delivery of this information and implementation of strategies for performance-based water quality improvement. Nonpoint source water quality improvements and solutions on the broad landscape need new approaches that lead to a majority of producers in a watershed community working to manage nonpoint source contaminants and jointly developing locally acceptable environmental stewardship goals

Erosion in northeastern Iowa

Over the last 2 years, the northeastern part of the state has been devastated by gully washers and torrential rains. The result has been significant storm damage and erosion. To make matters worse, areas that escaped hard rainfall last year were hit this year. Severe rill and sheet erosion is present in most producers\u27 fields and seems especially severe in fields with Kenyon and Fayette and Downs soils. It is a characteristic of the Fayette and Downs soils to have short slopes; however, the intensity of rainfall has lead to the severe damage in these fields

Erosion in northeastern Iowa

Over the last 2 years, the northeastern part of the state has been devastated by gully washers and torrential rains. The result has been significant storm damage and erosion. To make matters worse, areas that escaped hard rainfall last year were hit this year. Severe rill and sheet erosion is present in most producers' fields and seems especially severe in fields with Kenyon and Fayette and Downs soils. It is a characteristic of the Fayette and Downs soils to have short slopes; however, the intensity of rainfall has lead to the severe damage in these fields.</p

Performance-Based Management to Improve Water Quality

In recent years water quality assessments and the science of water quality management have progressed much more rapidly than delivery of this information and implementation of strategies for performance-based water quality improvement. Nonpoint source water quality improvements and solutions on the broad landscape need new approaches that lead to a majority of producers in a watershed community working to manage nonpoint source contaminants and jointly developing locally acceptable environmental stewardship goals.</p

Cost-Effective, Performance-Based Environmental Management

Iowa has over 19,000 miles of interior rivers and streams, numerous lakes and other natural resources and considerable agricultural production capacity. With such an extensive network of water bodies running through the state it is no surprise that experts have estimated that 90% of Iowa water quality issues are attributed to agricultural land and related activities. This nonpoint source contamination often results from long term actions and will take a long time for measurable outcomes.</p

Fate and Transport of Nutrients in an Iowa Agricultural Watershed

Transport of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in various forms to water resources can cause water quality concerns relative to drinking water and aquatic life that has to live in those waters receiving agricultural drainage. Of particular concern is the fate of nutrients applied as fertilizer and/or animal manures, and their potential transport with runoff water, eroded soil/sediment, and leaching water. In order to reduce or control nutrient transport/losses, an understanding of the factors that affect losses (chemical, hydrologic, and management) is needed. An ongoing monitoring study of the Upper Maquoketa River in northeast Iowa is providing watershed-scale information on nutrient fate and transport and is the basis for this paper.</p

A study of alternative fuel impacts to navy fueling infrastructure

Energy reform in the United States Department of the Navy is currently a leading priority. Supporting reform efforts, the Honorable Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy, set a goal to sail a "Green Strike Group" composed of ships powered by alternative fuels by 2016. This report details considerations for implementing an alternative fuel for the Green Strike Group. This is accomplished by developing the requirements for an alternative fuel, analyzing several potential candidates, and recommending a preferred alternative (Fischer-Tropsch S-5). Additionally, this report describes the existing infrastructure supporting fuel distribution to Navy ships and explores options for changes necessary to support the selected alternative fuel. A notional mission profile is depicted, showing the Green Strike Group's progress from Norfolk, Virginia to the Arabian Sea and back again over the course of a 180-day deployment. A deterministic fuel estimation model and the succeeding, higher fidelity stochastic model are described, leading to the prediction of alternative fuel amount requirements and necessary geographic placement. Finally, this report concludes with the assertion that while sailing the Green Strike Group is technologically possible, significant and immediate economic investments are needed in order to realize the Secretary of the Navy's goal by 2016.http://archive.org/details/astudyoflternati109456953Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited