Agricultural hydrology, water quality the focus of AWRA's second agriculture conference

March 26, 2013
The American Water Resources Association is discussing agricultural hydrology and water quality at their annual agriculture conference.

MIDDLEBURG, VA, March 26, 2013 -- Once again, the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) -- the premiere multidisciplinary association for water resource managers, scholars and students -- is bringing the questions and answers surrounding agricultural hydrology and water quality to America’s Heartland: Missouri. The organization's second Agricultural Hydrology and Water Quality conference is being held on the heels of World Water Day, from March 25-27, 2013, at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark.

As our world continues to demand less impact and more food, agricultural sustainability has become a vital topic. Nowhere is that more evident than in America's Heartland where, in addition to a record and ongoing drought, the agricultural community is increasingly faced with meeting the food and energy demands of a growing world population, while trying to minimize their environmental footprint. Since May 2003, when AWRA hosted its inaugural agricultural hydrology and water quality conference in Kansas City, MO, significant research and policy accomplishments have addressed the impacts of management on hydrology and water quality in agricultural watersheds. This conference brings together researchers, policy makers and practitioners from around the world to discuss these accomplishments and suggest solutions to the remaining challenges.

The Opening Plenary speaker Dr. Cathy Kling, an agricultural economist from Iowa State University, kicked off the conference on Monday, March 25th with a discussion of economic and policy options for water quality issues in agricultural watersheds. Following her discussion are three days of concurrent sessions on topics such as legacy phosphorus management, climate change impacts on agriculture, biofuels and bioenergy crops, the two-stage ditch, irrigation, artificial drainage, watershed modeling, nutrient trading, emerging contaminants, and more. Deputy Chief for Science and Technology for the USDA NRCS Wayne Honeycutt will present some potential solutions for the water quality and hydrology challenges faced by U.S. agriculture as our luncheon speaker on the final day of the conference.

Following the conference, several sessions will be available for online viewing. Contact [email protected] for a list of sessions and availability. Information from this conference may also be used in an upcoming report on flood and drought policy being produced by AWRA’s Policy Committee who, earlier this year, produced a seminal collection of regional and state case studies on integrated water resources management and recommended a national move to the practice of IWRM. You may download the document or view the schedule for an upcoming webinar series based on the case studies at http://www.awra.org.

Since 1964, American Water Resources Association has been dedicated to the advancement of water resources management, research and education, as well as a balanced approach toward solving water resources challenges. AWRA’s membership is comprised of professionals who share a common interest in working and learning across a wide range of disciplines focused on water resources policy, practice and education. For more information visit AWRA at http://www.awra.org.

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