The Louisiana broiler production region is located in North Central and Northwestern Louisiana. The region consists of twelve parishes in Northwestern and North Central Louisiana. The broiler production region is a significant contributor of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution to nearby waterways. This pollution is a consequence of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus runoff caused by agricultural production. NPS pollution is difficult to mitigate due to uncertainties in its point of origin as well as a host of other factors ranging from rainfall to topographical parameters. Best Management Practices (BMPS) have been shown to be a reliable method for reducing nonpoint source pollution emanating from agricultural production. To reduce pollutants, several BMPs have been recommended, specific to crops and regions, by the Natural Resource Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, (NRCS/USDA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Successful implementation of best management practices for water quality improvement requires careful study of both nonpoint pollution sources and their effectiveness in a given spatial situation. These assessments are being conducted for several watersheds throughout the United States; however, many watersheds in Louisiana remain unexamined. This study focuses on two watersheds in the broiler production region of Louisiana and utilizes a GIS based simulation program to determine the best least cost solution for the application of BMPs in the study region. Analyses were conducted under alternative climate change and BMP effectiveness scenarios. Results indicate that it is cost-effective to implement nutrient management to reduce phosphorus pollution.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-11122013-153210 |
| Date | 19 November 2013 |
| Creators | Gottshall, Bryan |
| Contributors | Westra, John V., Paudel, Krishna P., Gillespie, Jeffery M. |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-11122013-153210/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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