Demonstration of Rangeland and Vegetated Buffers for Reducing NPS Pathogens, Nutrients, and Organic Carbon into the Tributaries of the Fresno

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Reducing non-point source (NPS) pollution such as pathogens, nutrients and organic carbon of California's streams and rivers from beef cattle grazing is a challenge for ranchers throughout the foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada Successfully reducing this pollutant load remains technically difficult given the fact that water quality impacts from cattle grazing often occur as NPS types of pollution. The aim of this project is to better address NPS pollution problems occuring in the foothill regions of the southern Sierra Nevada.

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APPROACH: 1) Install a demonstration project at the San Joaquin Experimental Range, Madera County, comprised of 48 different vegetated buffers on a working beef cattle operation. We will demonstrate across two rainfall seasons how buffers of differing width, slope, and amount of residual dry matter (RDM) remove the waterborne protozoa, Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia intestinalis and the bacterial indicators, E. coli and Enterococcus, from rangeland runoff during the rainfall season. We will also monitor VBS efficiency for the additional CALFED DWQP pollutants of concern: TOC, DOC, nitrate and ortho-phosphate. 2. Based on the data we generate during Objective 1, develop a training manual for VBS design and implementation for local landowners, regulatory agency personnel, tribal members and water quality conservation groups. 3) Provide technical assistance, public education and outreach for stakeholders such as local ranchers, agency personnel, water quality conservation groups and Indian tribes throughout Madera, Fresno and Tulare county on how to install and maintain VBS for NPS pollution reduction.

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PROGRESS: 2007/01 TO 2007/12<BR>
OUTPUTS: We have been extending the preliminary findings of this project and also our previous work on vegetated buffers to a variety of private, agricultural, and regulatory stakeholders involved in the issue of microbial water quality. The following talks, seminars, and workshops were given in 2007. 1.Atwill, E.R. Addressing water and food safety issues from pathogenic E. coli in livestock. SLO/SB Counties Agricultural Watershed Coalition. Guadalupe, California. January 30. 2. Atwill, E.R. Addressing water and food safety issues from pathogenic E. coli in livestock. SLO/SB Counties Agricultural Watershed Coalition. Morro Bay, California. January 30. 3. Atwill, E.R. Beef cattle, rangeland water quality, and pathogenic E. coli. Monterey Cattleman's Association. King City, California. February 9. 4. Atwill, E.R. Invited Speaker. Pathogens: background, standards, and what is tested. Rangeland Water Quality Meeting. Willows, California. March 5. 5. Atwill, E.R. Wildlife and livestock, rangeland water quality, and pathogenic E. coli. Regional Growers and Processors. Salinas, California. March 13. 6. Atwill, E.R. Addressing water and food safety issues from pathogenic E. coli. Natural Resource Coordinating Conference. Monterey, California. March 15. 7. Atwill, E.R. Minimizing environmental dissemination of E. coli from animal agriculture and free ranging wildlife in California. Sacramento Valley Livestock-Crop Interface and Food-borne Illness Prevention Meeting. Woodland, California. April 18. 8. Tate, K.W. and E.R. Atwill. Vegetative buffers and wetlands to filter E. coli and other pollutants in runoff from pasture and rangelands. Beef and Range Field Day. Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center. Browns Valley, California. April 19. 9. Atwill, E.R. Buffer strips for pathogen removal. Veterinary Perspectives on Pathogen Control in Animal Manure. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. May 8. 10. Atwill, E.R. Invited Speaker. Role of vegetated buffers in improving microbial water quality. President Dynes tour. Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, California. September 21. 11. E.R. Invited Speaker. Research, training, and outreach update. California Farm Bureau Federation. Sacramento, California. November 14. 12. Atwill, E.R. Food safety and the environment: Popeye versus Bambi. California Water Policy Conference. Los Angeles, California. November 15. <BR> PARTICIPANTS: Neil K. McDougald, Coarsegold Resource Conservation District. Edward R. Atwill, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis. Kenneth W. Tate, Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis. Xunde Li, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis. Lingling Hou, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis. Lissa Dunbar, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis. Dennis Dudley, Natural Resource Conservation Service, USDA. This project partnered with the Coarsegold Resource Conservation District, University of California Cooperative Extension, the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service, USDA. <BR> TARGET AUDIENCES: We have targeted our outreach efforts to a wide variety of stakeholders involved in promoting microbial water quality on rangeland watersheds. Audience targets include the lay public, ranchers and farmers, resource agencies such as the NRCS and RCD's, regulatory agencies such as the California Regional Water Quality Control Boards, UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisors, university and USDA scientists, and animal agricultural commodity organizations such as the California Cattlemen's Association.
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IMPACT: 2007/01 TO 2007/12<BR>
The preliminary results of this project, which build upon a decade of work on how vegetative buffers improve microbial water quality for grazed systems, has been extended to a wide range of animal agricultural groups and water quality regulators. The intended outcome of this outreach and extension is to elevate the knowledge base of key stakeholders and to allow private landowners to better manage their surface water resources. In addition, this project is helping land owners to reduce the concentration of microbial contaminants in pasture or rangeland runoff. Although we cannot accurately calculate what percentage of humans are becoming ill from waterborne pathogens of animal agricultural origin, it is prudent that we strive to equip land owners with the best possible management tools for minimizing microbial contamination of surface water resources. We are in process of achieving such goals: science-based development of good agricultural practices and land owner education.