Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Committee members were active in researching TMDL planning and assessment tools and processes, as evidenced by numerous publications, workshops, and research projects detailed below. One of the most important results of this committee is a collection of papers that was developed on the topic of tools used in the assessment and implementation of TMDLs. These seven papers were published as a collection in a regular issue of the Transactions of ASABE. These papers encompass a collective effort of a multidisciplinary panel of experts to evaluate the current status of TMDL modeling technology available for the most common waterbody impairment factors, along with issues of proper model use, uncertainty of modeling results, and economic tools to optimize the selection and application of these tools for TMDL development. Each of these topics is developed in individual papers within this collection. The review indicates that the status of TMDL modeling tools for the most common stream impairments is inconsistent. Research must continue to advance our understanding of many of the processes leading to stream impairment, and to address many of the existing model limitations. Reviews of case studies within this collection of papers show that users must be better trained to improve the application of TMDL models. In some cases, lack of adequate data sets limits model development and application. Existing computer models are considered capable of simulating sediment and nutrients, lacking for dissolved oxygen, and grossly insufficient for biological indicators. Quantification of modeling uncertainty and communication to end users as well as economic optimization of the results are suggested as indispensable components to improve the success of the TMDL program. Often, multi-state research committees are nothing more than a collection of researchers working on individual projects in their own state. The S-1004 committee offers an alternative to this status quo by working together and sharing knowledge that can help move us forward as a country in addressing critical water quality issues. The seven papers were written by a group of 42 authors (scientists, engineers, economists, regulators/managers, consultants) from 18 institutions (University, State and Federal Agencies, Industry) located in 16 states (VA, MO, KS, MD, GA, IL, TX, MN, AL, NJ, AK, IN, DC, OK, CA, FL). These papers will provide a foundation for new research efforts and multi-state collaboration. The annual meeting was held in Minneapolis MN on September 27-28, 2006. The emphasis of the meeting was on the activities of the state representatives, the requirement of individuals to present impacts of their work and a proposal by the group to synthesize the Conservation Effects Assessment Projects (CEAP) for a National Facilitation 406 Project. The meeting provided researchers to share ideas and discuss opportunities to collaboration on new research projects. An additional focus of the meeting was the need to better document the impact of our work. This discussion included the committee sharing ideas on how better to integrate research, education and extension activities. The Web page for the S-1004 committee at http://www3.bae.ncsu.edu/s1004/includes meeting minutes, annual reports, and links to the s1004 listserver, which is the committees primary communication method ( http://www3.bae.ncsu.edu/s1004/members/listserv-info.html). Individual State reports are included below. Texas: The S1004 activities in Texas include several projects that addressed TMDLs for contaminants such as atrazine, e. coli, N and P. To date, 64 TMDLs on 35 waterbodies have been adopted and 61 on 34 waterbodies have been approved. Included in the body of work is a EPA Success Story. This was a project that addressed problems in a drinking water reservoir. Aquilla Reservoir is an important source of drinking water and recreation but was found to have excessive levels of the herbicide atrazine beginning in 1997. Project partners initiated efforts to reduce agricultural atrazine sourcesand to a lesser extent, urban sourcesin the watershed. As a result of technical assistance to corn and sorghum producers, using agricultural best management practices (BMPs), and educating urban residents, atrazine concentrations in Aquilla Reservoir declined by 60 percent. The waterbody now meets atrazine concentration standards, and in 2004 the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) recommended that Aquilla Reservoir be removed from the state's 303(d) list of impaired waters for 2004. Virginia: (Submitted by Brian Benham): The Center for TMDL and Watershed Studies at Virginia Tech (http://tmdl.bse.vt.edu) continued its commitment to improve the quality and effectiveness of watershed planning processes, including TMDLs. Although the Centers TMDL development and implementation activities to date have focused on Virginias needs, the body of knowledge produced has been used in TMDLs developed across the nation including California, Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, and Iowa. During the current reporting period, the Center conducted investigations that compared a more time-efficient, digital-based method (digital elevation models coupled with regional hydraulic geometry curves) with a traditional field-based topographic survey method to generate stream channel geometries needed as inputs to watershed-scale water quality models (Staley et al., 2006). Results showed that the more efficient digital-based method is capable of accurately predicting simulated hydrology (discharge). In another investigation, we developed an automated calibration procedure for watershed-scale water quality models (Kim et al., 2006). Results showed that, with respect to common goodness-of-fit measures, software-assisted multi-objective function calibration procedures out-performed traditional trial-and-error manual calibration methods. The procedures developed here and refined with subsequent research will lead to more efficient and objective model calibration methods and more accurate TMDLs for watersheds in Virginia and the nation. The goal of the research reported here is to develop techniques and approaches that will improve the efficiency of TMDL development and implementation. The watershed-scale models often used to develop TMDLs and TMDL implementation plans require estimates of stream channel geometry to accurately predict pollutant loads. Research results showed that when comparing daily average instream flow, using more efficient digital-based methods to generate stream channel geometries is as accurate as more time-intensive field-based methods. Results further showed that, with respect to common goodness-of-fit measures, automated calibration procedures out-performed traditional trial-and-error manual calibration methods. The magnitude of benefits of these research results to watershed management depends on the complexity of the watershed being modeled. Conservative estimates place the time savings that could accrue from several person-days to person-weeks depending on watershed complexity. For TMDL projects that typically take less than a year, savings of days to weeks is significant. Virginia Tech faculty and graduate students were lead authors on six (6) refereed journal articles and coauthor on two (2) others. In cooperation with the Virginia Departments of Conservation and Recreation and Environmental Quality, the Center completed three (3) TMDL implementation plans addressing eleven TMDLs. The Center worked on several TMDL studies during the reporting period. These studies investigated biological (aquatic life and bacterial) impairments in several water bodies throughout Virginia. The faculty, students and staff at the Center for TMDL and Watershed Studies have been actively disseminating the results of the various research efforts at several professional meetings. In addition to the TMDL studies, the Center for TMDL and Watershed Studies, under an agreement with the EPA, reviewed some 40 TMDL implementation efforts from around the country. The product of this effort was a report focusing what the successes and challenges faced when implementing TMDLs to improve water quality. The Center for TMDL and Watershed Studies is the leader in the development and Implementation of TMDLs for the state of Virginia, as a result personnel from the center are active in outreach. Several presentations have bee made to clientele throughout the state. The Center for TMDL and Watershed Studies is active in promoting student research. Currently two (2) students are actively pursuing their degrees by conducting research on TMDL related topics. Michigan: (Submitted by Jon Bartholic) Over the past year, MSU has been conducting several activities to develop the High Impact Targeting (HIT) system over the past year. It is a system created to address sediment loading. Sediment loadings continue to pose a major threat to water quality throughout the nations waterways, and in particular the Great Lakes region. With a new system developed by the MSU Institute of Water Research (IWR) high-risk sediment loading areas may now be targeted down to the field level. The new web-accessible system HIT, estimates sediment loadings to Great Lakes Basin rivers and streams based on estimates of erosion and sediment transport from agricultural lands. HIT utilizes sophisticated geospatial models to estimate sediment loadings with a high degree of resolution. The Institutes approach can be used on 8 and 12 digit watersheds in the Great Lakes Basin, and then zoomed down to the field level for precise identification of high-risk areas. IWR can freely provide this information over the web through the HIT system, providing useful tools and data to anyone concerned with sediment-based threats to water quality. Users could easily access HIT and target high-risk areas to focus conservation efforts on fields that yield the greatest environmental benefits. Users could also use the HIT system to rank sub-watersheds according to sediment delivery rates and compare the effects of BMPs between sub-watersheds (as illustrated below). This information could be used by soil conservation district managers to reduce pollution of nearby streams or by Army Corps of Engineers staff wanting to reduce the cost of dredging operations. In Michigan, county drain commissioners could use this information to avoid costly clogging of drains. Case Study: Using the HIT Approach in the Lower Maumee River Watershed to Target Highest-Risk Areas for Maximum Environmental Benefit IWR recently implemented the HIT approach to estimate sediment loadings for sub-watersheds in the Lower Maumee River Watershed in northern Ohio. In comparing the impact of conservation tillage practices in the Garret Creek sub-watershed (labeled 7 in the map above) with the Wolf River sub-watershed (labeled 39 above), it is clear that focusing on the Garret with its higher rate of sediment delivery will have a greater positive environmental impact. In the Garret Creek watershed, if no till is implemented on the worst 10% of contributing areas, HIT estimates that sediment loadings will reduce by 368 tons compared to 84 tons in the Wolf Creek watershed. This type of data can empower a conservation district manager, the Army Corps of Engineers, or a drain commissioner to truly focus for effect. HIT Challenges and Future System Development Although the HIT system is limited by lack of resolution in the inputs to the system the IWR continues to move forward with support efforts to reduce sediment loadings across the Great Lakes Basin. The Institute works closely with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and state agencies (principally the Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Quality) in this important work to restore and protect water quality. Georgia: (Submitted by David Bosch): The University of Georgia (UGA) has worked on several TMDL related projects in the past year among these are investigations into the feasibility of a phosphorus trading project, and an investigation of uncertainty related to parameter estimation in the SWAT model. In order to determine the feasibility of a phosphorus trading program for the watershed draining the Allatoona Lake Watershed UGA has been actively conducting research into phosphorus loadings to Allatoona Lake, and in the watershed. Extensive research was conducted to determine runoff from cattle and poultry production, and various methods for mitigation of the loads from these sources. This research gave insight into the intensity of loadings from the various sources in the watershed and a framework for a future trading project. In order to investigate the uncertainty of parameter estimation for the SWAT watershed model, the model was tested using data collected on the Little River Watershed K, a 16.9 km2 tributary of the Little River Experimental Watershed. These comparisons help to provide credibility to many TMDL plans being developed within many states throughout the Southeastern Coastal Plain region. Arkansas (Submitted by Indrajeet Chaubey, University of Arkansas): The Univesity of Arkansas has conducted research, obtained external funding, published journal articles, and made presentations related to TMDLs over the past year. One research project that was particularly successful was the development of a decision support system for three watersheds in Arkansas: Beaver Lake, Eucha-Spavinaw, and LAnguille River watershed. The Beaver lake is a multi-use reservoir and supplies drinking water to more than 300,000 residents in northwest Arkansas. The DSS is being used by the Beaver Water District and the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to make watershed management decisions to protect long term quality of the lake while ensuring economic development in the watershed. Similarly, stakeholders in other watersheds are using the DSS for making sound environmental decisions. The water conservation technology developed in the LAnguille River watershed has been disseminated to at least 300 farmer and country extension agents through a series of demonstrations and farm meetings. These technologies are increasingly being used in the watershed and are expected to result in a 25% reduction in groundwater withdrawal in this area. The University of Arkansas also helped the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission perform watershed modeling for identifying hot spots for flow, sediment, nutrients and pesticides in priority watersheds. The ANRC is using the modeling results to target implementation of BMPs in the watershed. In addition, the ANRC has also used the modeling results to identify priority watersheds for 2004-2008. Three training sessions for using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model have been organized by Dr. Chaubeys team. These training sessions have been attended by various state and local agencies in Arkansas. More than 50 people have attended these workshops. Florida (submitted by R. Muñoz-Carpena, University of Florida) The State of Florida is very pro-active in the development and implementation of modeling tools to support the TMDL/BMP process. This support extends not only to the development and testing of existing and new models but in efforts to catalog available data and tools to support not only the model development, but also ultimately the allocation of resources to the BMP program. The University of Florida (UF) has been involved in many such efforts pertaining the S-1004 project during the last reporting period. · Evaluation of TMDL models. In cooperation with Drs. Shirmohammadi (U. of Maryland) and Vellidis (U. of Georgia), we have helped to lead a collection of papers to evaluate the current status of TMDL models. This collection, as presented elsewhere in this report has recently been published in a special section of Transactions of ASABE, 49(4). · A multidisciplinary team of researchers is currently working on the application of object-oriented modeling to water quality problems that could ultimately lead into a new generation of models for use not only in Florida but elsewhere. Several in-house models (ACRU-2000, QnD, VFSmod) and external models (South Florida Water Management Districts RSM/WQ, and USGS FTLOADDS) are being evaluated to add the new water quality components. Phosphorus transport in wetland/lowland conditions is being used to test this approach. · In a parallel effort ecological components (tress, grasses, fish, alligators, palms, etc.) are being added to these models to enhance their use to evaluate biological TMDLs and other environmental restoration scenarios. · One of the most widely accepted watershed models in Florida for TMDL evaluation, WAM, is being extended to incorporate vegetation/crop components through the incorporation of DSSAT, as well as new hydrological scenarios like plastic mulched bedded horticultural crops. · New optimization techniques to improve model calibration are being applied to existing models. A global multi-coordinate-search (MCS) algorithm combined with a refinement Nelder-Simplex step is being added to VFSmod to provide automatic model calibration against measured field data. · Climate variability (ENSO) models are being combined with hydrological and water quality models to refine model predictions over longer time frames. · A number of hydrological/water quality data collection efforts are under way in at the University of Florida to support and evaluate water quality and TMDL tools. These efforts expand the different dominant agro-ecological scenarios of Florida (subtropical flatlands, P enriched wetlands, tidal floodplains, etc.). · The UF is participating in a statewide effort to define minimum dataset requirements for BMP evaluation. Tennessee: In the past year researchers at Tennessee aided the USDA-NRCS with completed implementation of the RUSLE2 soil erosion model in its 2500+ field offices throughout the U.S. and its territories and protectorates. This model is being used an estimated 4000-7000 times a day in these field offices for conservation planning as well as for planning under the Conservation Security Program, which links federal assistance to efforts made to improve soil quality. RUSLE2 has also been modified for use by the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources and others involved with regulating erosion and sediment control on construction sites. This included several new approaches, including a thorough analysis of the available literature on erosion and sediment control on construction sites, and better representations within RUSLE2 of erosion-control practices. These enhancements will allow RULSE2 to be used for on-site planning and regulation, as well as for inclusion in TMDL plan development for affected watersheds. In addition, RUSLE2 is now available as a stand-alone dll, or program that can be called by other programs. It is currently being used in this way by University of Wisconsin researchers and Extension personnel working with the SNAP nutrient management model, as well as by the Manure Management Planner model developed at Purdue. These models make use of erosion estimates provided by RUSLE2, as well as the access RUSLE2 has to the extensive management database developed by USDA-NRCS, which contains some 10,000 management, field operation, and vegetation descriptions. The intention of USDA-NRCS and USDA-ARS is to use RUSLE2 in this way in the next version of AnnAGNPS, which would be used on a watershed basis. Alabama (Submitted by Puneet Srivastava, Auburn University): During the past year researchers at Auburn University have been conducting TMDL related projects in Alabama. Two of these projects are described herein. The first project involves identifying hydrologically-active areas (HAA) in a cattle-grazing pasture in the Sand Mountain Region of north Alabama. With this project we hope to address phosphorus and pathogen related problems associated with land-applied poultry litter to the pasture field. The goal is to minimize the water quality impacts from land application of poultry litter. The second project involves development of a comprehensive best management practice (BMP) database for Alabama and implementation of this database as an add-on tool for the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model. Once fully developed, the add-on tool can be used to evaluate the effect of various BMPs on streams of Alabama and other southern states. The work that has been done at Auburn associated with the S-1004 project has yielded several impacts. First, the runoff-contributing area project will help minimize water quality impact of land-applied poultry litter in the Sand Mountain region of Alabama. Second, the BMP database and the add-on tool will help model reduction in pollutant loads from various BMPs and will help optimize BMPs implementation in Alabama and other southern states. Finally, the members of the S-1004 project served in lead roles in several national and international organizations and presented the findings in many regional, national, and international conferences. Kansas (Submitted by Philip Barnes): Researchers from Kansas State University have completed three years monitoring for our USDA Sources and Abatement of Fecal Bacteria in a High Priority TMDL Watershed (KS9797) Project during the past year. Fecal coliform bacteria stream quality was evaluated (Berryton data) using SWAT/Microbial sub-model for land application of manure in different management conditions (manure application date/rate, field-edge filter condition, and pasture condition). The model was calibrated (Auburn data) and validated (Rock Creek data) using measured daily flow and bacteria concentration data. Results showed satisfactory coefficient of determination and model efficiency (2004 data). Fecal coliform concentration at the watershed outlet was dependent upon several factors, including animal units in feedlots, pasture stocking rate, and daily rainfall amount that contributed to surface runoff. Frequency curves showed bacteria concentrations exceeded secondary contact limit (2135 cfu/100mL) in less than 10% of events for Auburn and no events for Rock Creek. Methods and required databases to model source-specific bacteria (human, livestock, and wildlife) have been created. Livestock producers in Upper Wakarusa watershed were engaged through meetings, presentations, posters/demos, media articles, and farm visits. Implemented BMP demonstrations were placed on 3 farmer-cooperators sites. Management of additional feeding sites was initiated during 2006 so that this watershed could be considered for TMDL delisting in the near future. In addition to these Kansas extension activities this bacterial modeling work was presented in a new Environmental Engineering Seminar Series at KSU. Impact: This projects activities have increased the awareness of bacteria issues within the Upper Wakarusa watershed through meetings related to watershed restoration and protection strategies (WRAPS) implementation, presentations targeted to livestock producers, posters/demos targeted to livestock producers, media articles targeted to livestock producers, and farm visits with livestock producers. Implemented BMP demonstrations were placed on 3 farmer-cooperators sites. Missouri (Submitted by Claire Baffaut): There were several S-1004 related activities carried out over the past year at the University of Missouri. Two of these studies are described below. A study funded by both the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and USEPA led to the development of a bacteria TMDL for Little Sac River in Missouri. The final TMDL report can be found at www.fapri.missouri.edu. As part of a project funded by the Missouri Department of Natural resources, a database of weather files formatted for the SWAT model was developed. It includes one station per county. The stations were selected based on the duration of the available data, the amount of missing data, and the location of the station. We are communicating with the SWAT developers in Texas to make this available to all. As part of the same project, a database of management scenarios is being developed. While some scenarios are available for Swat2000, most of them will be formatted for swat2005. Louisiana (Submitted by Richard Bengtson): The S-1004 related activities conducted in Louisiana this focus primarily on one study. This study was funded in part by the State of Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ). The objective was to quantify measures for implementation of best management practices (BMPs) that reduce in-stream total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) into Bayou Wikoff sub-watershed. Bayou Wikoff sub-watershed is located in St. Landry and Acadia Parishes and comprises a total area of 4.70 square miles and elevation between 114 ft and 177 ft. The sub-watershed is representative of the type of soil, land use and land morphology that exists within the upper portion of the Bayou Plaquemine Brule watershed. The reach of Bayou Wikoff is approximately 4.9 miles in length and the flow is from northeast to southwest. The sites selected for the study included a pristine site, two pastures sites, and two sugarcane sites. The so-called pristine site is approximately 5-acres of a minimum input tree nursery and serves as a control area. A 14-acre tract was selected as standard practice of sugarcane burning prior to harvest and an adjacent area was selected for implementation of a mulch treatment or no-burn BMP. For both treatments; burn and no-burn, a combine harvester was used. The first pasture site was an 11-acre site which is best regarded as minimum input and involved continuous grazing at high stocking rates, supplemental feeding and minimum tillage. The second site was a 10-acre corrugated pasture consisting of a deferred rotational grazing system wherein duration, intensity, and frequency of grazing was managed to enhance nutrient cycling. This management system facilitates uniform manure distribution and rate of decomposition, restricts fertilizer inputs, minimizes soil compaction, and maintains vegetative cover. Forages in these treatment areas consisted of perennial summer grasses and winter over seeded ryegrass. All sites were equipped with ISCO auto-water samplers and solar panels. Water flow was measured using H-type flumes and rain gauges were installed at several of the sites. Effluent sampling was triggered by rainfall amounts that produced runoff events. Based on two years of experimental data, an average reduction of the concentration of the total solids in the effluent of 40% was achieved in the rotational grazing system rather than the continuous high stocking rate system. The DEQ goal of 30% reduction in TMDL should be achievable if rotational grazing, with appropriate stocking rates and fertility management, is adopted. Furthermore, based on data from the pristine site and the pasture sites, there is strong evidence that the presence of soil surface with grass cover throughout the year minimized sediment losses and erosion. For sugarcane, we found strong evidence that reduction in total and suspended solids from the edge of field of the fallow and first year sugarcane would significantly reduce in-stream concentrations and thus achieve TMDL goals. Finally, the use of AnnAGNPS model to predict suspended solids, P and N effluent concentrations at edge of field from our pristine site is recommended provided that the appropriate parameter for the curve number (SCS-CN) is selected. The model was least successful in describing P concentrations in the effluent. Minnesota: During the past year researchers at the University of Minnesota have been conducting TMDL related projects. These projects have focused on 1) assessment of stream health via measurable, localized characteristics and 2) the geomorphic characteristics of drainage ditches in Southern Minnesota, 3) UMs Watershed Assessment Tool for Environmental Modelling (WATER), and 4) UMs Weather Inputs for Nonpoint Data Simulations (WINDS) Model. The first project is based on the hypothesis that Site-specific relationships will collapse to single dimensionless curve when normalized by reference reach values and prediction intervals will allow classification for TMDL assessment of these reaches. The characterization included such parameters as location, landowner information, weather conditions, stream morphology, watershed features, channel features, sediment sources, bank stability measurements, and longitudinal profiles. This work is ongoing and results are preliminary. The second project is investigating the geomorphic characteristics of drainage ditches in Southern Minnesota. There are approximately 27,000 miles of drainage ditches in Minnesota and the health and maintenance of these channels represent a challenge to the agricultural community of the state. This effort is investigating the potential for erosion and channel degradation and remedies for these. UM is actively working to improve both their WATER and WINDS models both of which are tools that can be used by watershed modelers to improve their own modeling efforts. Iowa: Researchers at Iowa State University have been actively conducting research related to the S-1004 project over the past year and have created two products that will aid the TMDL community. These products include a document that provides an assessment, calibration, and evaluation of water quality models for estimating urban and agricultural pollutant discharge from Iowa watersheds. The second project created watershed portals and web-based decision support systems for watershed planning and the TMDL program. This was done via web-enabled SWAT modeling capabilities. It is anticipated that this product will improve knowledge and decision making ability of local and state resource officials in terms of environmental issues; increase awareness of watershed modeling and management techniques that enhance the ability of local and state officials to effect environmental change; increase the number of waterbodies that are restored through development of TMDLs and restoration plans; and increase the use of databases and web-based tools for developing effective solutions to W Q problems. New Jersey (submitted by Chris Obropta): TMDL development and implementation has been a focus area for Dr. Christopher Obropta and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program for the last few years. Dr. Obropta chairs a state-wide TMDL Advisory Panel. The Panel functions at the Rutgers EcoComplex and provides technical assistance to support the NJDEP in the development of TMDLs. Although the Panel is hosted by Rutgers University, this multidisciplinary panel has included scientists and engineers from Rutgers University, Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rowan University and Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. The Panel reviews both technical approaches submitted by NJDEP and proposals solicited by the Department for related research, and offers formal recommendations to the Department. The Panel works closely with the NJDEP to provide them latest advances in TMDL development and implementation. During this past year (October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006), the Panel reviewed and formally commented on seven different technical approaches for various nutrient and fecal coliform TMDL studies. In addition, the Panel reviewed and commented on thirteen proposals for Lake Characterization Plan grants. These Lake Characterization Plans are to be completed for specific eutrophic lakes in New Jersey for which a TMDL has been approved by the USEPA. Rutgers University is also focusing on research in water quality trading as a TMDL implementation tool. Rutgers University is the recipient of funding from the USEPA Targeted Watershed Grant Program to develop a water quality trading program to implement the phosphorus TMDL for the non-tidal Passaic River watershed. Successful water quality trading in the non-tidal Passaic River watershed will meet and exceed water quality goals faster and more cost-effectively than the traditional regulatory approach. The potential for point to point trading of phosphorus between WWTPs will be investigated, in addition to opportunities for trading with municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s). Rutgers University and Cornell University faculty, with expertise in water quality modeling, wastewater treatment, environmental policy, and environmental economics, will work together with USEPA, NJDEP, the Passaic River Basin Alliance, local municipalities, and environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to design, implement, and evaluate a phosphorus trading program for the non-tidal Passaic River basin. The project design phase has been running since September 2005, and the implementation and evaluation phases will extend through August 2008. The potential beneficiaries of the Passaic trading project extend beyond local stakeholders and residents who will enjoy improved water quality at lower costs. All of New Jersey stands to gain from this project because this is the first trading project in the State that will implement a TMDL. Thus, a successful trading program will serve as a model for other watersheds subject to TMDL constraints. In addition, the Passaic trading project is unique in that a university team is spearheading the design. The Rutgers/Cornell team is a neutral party working to develop a solution that will be based on solid data and research and will provide benefits to all the stakeholders. Furthermore, Rutgers has received an EPA People, Prosperity and Planet (P3) grant for an undergraduate student team to design a point-to-nonpoint source water quality trading program for phosphorus. A combination of Bioresource Engineering students and industrial engineering students are currently working closely on this effort. The end result is expected to be a water quality trading program that will provide opportunities for the municipal wastewater treatment plant to purchase phosphorus credits from local farms to come into compliance with water quality standards. This has been a great opportunity to integrate research, education and extension.

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