WQIag - A Tool of Multiple Applications
Webinar Details
When:
Aug 3, 2016 2:00 pm US/Eastern
Length: 01:00 (hh:mm)
Advance Registration NOT required.
View now on-demand.
Presenter(s):
- Harbans Lal, Environmental Engineer, National Water Quality and Quantity Team, USDA NRCS West National Technology Support Center, Portland, OR
- Steven G. Hefner, Water Quality Conservationist, Field Technical Services Staff, USDA NRCS Missouri, Columbia, MO
- James Klang, P.E., Senior Project Engineer, Environmental Science & Engineering, Kieser & Associates, LLC, Kalamazoo, MI
CEU Credits/Certificate Offered:
- Certificate of Participation
- Conservation Planner (CP) - 1 hour Conservation Planning Credit
Virtual Event Format:
Group Viewing Available:
Participants will learn about WQIag and its application by different state and federal agencies.
Conceptualized and developed by the USDA NRCS National Water Quality and Quantity Team, WQIag - Water Quality Index for Runoff from Agricultural Fields is a qualitative, multivariate metric that ranks the combined impact of soil and site characteristics, climate, and management practices on the quality of surface runoff leaving agricultural fields. The tool incorporates the impact of six components (Field Physical Sensitivity Factors, Nutrient Management Factors, Tillage Management Factors, Pest Management Factors, Irrigation/Tile Drainage Management, and Conservation Practices) in arriving at the overall index value. The tool provides a quick assessment of agricultural runoff water quality (ranking of 1 to 10; 10 being the best) that incorporates professional knowledge and local preferences through weighting factors. Because it was designed to assess the water quality of agricultural runoff by establishing trends over time, the tool was mandated for use in the NRCS National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) program. For NWQI, it is used for establishing a pre-contracting baseline and then to evaluate the impact of conservation practices on runoff water quality resulting from the post contract conservation implementation. Because of its simple design and ease of use, the WQIag has been adopted for multiple applications around the nation.
This webinar is presented by USDA NRCS Science and Technology.
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