WASHINGTON — Researches at the U.S. Geological Survey and the USDA have published a new study that demonstrates that agricultural conservation practices in the Upper Mississippi River watershed can reduce nitrogen inputs to area streams and rivers by as much as 34 percent.
The study combined USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) data with the USGS SPARROW watershed model to measure the potential effects of voluntary conservation practices, which historically have been difficult to do in large river systems, because different nutrient sources can have overlapping influences on downstream water quality.
“These results provide new insights on the benefits. . .

