New publication highlights studies that benefit landowners and water supplies

Edge-of-field monitoring station collecting runoff data in Navarro County, Texas.

Many people realize that rainfall acts differently on concrete than it does on natural areas.  What is not obvious, however, is how different grass species or farming practices can influence rainfall once it hits the earth.  Watershed monitoring studies are useful for comparing these different scenarios and determining which agricultural practices provide the greatest benefit for forage production, crop yield, and water quality protection.

Understanding what management practices increase infiltration and reduce runoff and erosion are essential for improving agricultural productivity on farms and ranches in Texas.  These studies are not only important for agriculture, but for protecting the quality of the state's drinking water sources.  This is important, especially since water quality issues continue to plague Texas, even in rural areas.  Watershed Protection Plans (WPPs) are being implemented around the state to combat these water quality problems and to benefit the residents and ecosystems of those watersheds.  Watershed monitoring studies are a necessary component of WPPs, but are expensive and time consuming, so choosing the right study type is crucial to the success of WPPs. 

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and Research personnel have released a new publication which provides basic descriptions of different study types and designs for these monitoring studies.  The publication, which can be viewed and downloaded below, was designed for stakeholders who live in a watershed where a WPP has been or may be implemented in the future for greater understanding of these studies.  However, landowners and water providers around the state will benefit from this knowledge that can ensure abundant, clean water for Texas for years to come.

Watershed Monitoring Benefits Private Lands and Public Water Supplies EWF-012 by Jim Cathey