Improving the Transport Component of the P-index for Nutrient Management Plans in the Northeast

Cornell University will work to improve the effectiveness of the phosphorus (P)-indices used in the Northeastern US. Cornell will do this by developing a tool that identifies areas in the landscape with the highest risks of hydrological connection to streams, and rivers, i.e., hydrologically sensitive areas (HSA). The proposed tool is the culmination of a decade of basic research to understand and model regional runoff mechanisms and their role in water quality. In short, the tool will identify locations in the landscape based on their quantifiable risk of generating runoff and, thus, transporting P to streams. Furthermore, we will engineer our tool such that it is accessible via the Internet for ready access by planners and producers. We envision a user-friendly, point-and-click "mapping-tool" that allows planners to. zoom-in and overlay maps of runoff-risk on aerial photos that clearly show field boundaries. This project will also involve monitoring circa 4 EQIP-eligible producer properties in central NY to evaluate the effectiveness of our new HSA-identification tool; at least 1 will be a CAFO. This monitoring will primarily include measuring phosphorus concentration in receiving flows in or near the studied farms (to be determined as part of the project). These data will be supplemented by an additional 2 dairy farms in the Catskill Mountains where we have been monitoring P for the past 5 to 10 years.