Resources for “Monitoring Results”

Rock County Monitoring Report

In 2014, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension Discovery Farms began a multi-year monitoring study on two farms (four basins) within Rock County to determine how different cropping systems and management practices impact surface water quality.

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Sampling station for surface runoff monitoring

Here is an illustration of the pieces of a Discovery Farms monitoring station for surface runoff. 

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Climate change and the impacts to edge-of-field runoff

There is an ever-increasing focus on climate change and corresponding changes to rainfall and weather patterns. Increasing numbers of extreme rainfall events and warming temperatures have been recently documented in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

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At-grade stabilization structure impact on surface water quality monitoring on an agricultural watershed

Use of an at-grade stabilization structure (AGSS) as an additional conservation practice to contour strip cropping and no-tillage, proved to be successful in reducing organic and sediment-bound N and P within an agricultural watershed located in the DA.

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An at-grade stabilization structure impact on runoff and suspended sediment

We evaluated the ability of an at-grade stabilization structure (AGSS), designed as a conservation practice to reduce the amount of overland runoff and suspended sediment transported to the surface waters of an agricultural watershed.

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Soil moisture and rainfall intensity thresholds for runoff generation in southwest Wisconsin agricultural watersheds

The goal of this study was to improve understanding of the factors that influence runoff generation during non-frozen ground periods in small agricultural watersheds in southwestern Wisconsin where the landscapes are controlled by dolostone bedrock in order to provide agricultural producers with a manure management tool.

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Silage storage runoff characterization: Annual nutrient loading rate and first flush analysis of bunker silos

This research evaluated the runoff characteristics from six horizontal bunker facilities at dairy farms to determine runoff water quality and nutrient loading throughout a storm and annual nutrient losses.

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Precipitation-runoff relations and water quality characteristics at edge-of-field stations Discovery Farms and Pioneer Farms

A cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Wisconsin (UW)–Madison Discovery Farms program (Discovery Farms), and the UW–Platteville Pioneer Farm program (Pioneer Farm). Click here to read

Nutrients and sediment in frozen ground runoff from no-till fields receiving liquid daiy and solid beef manures

The data collected as part of this study add to the limited information on the quantity and quality of frozen-ground runoff at field edges, and the results highlight the importance of manure management decisions during frozen-ground periods to minimize nutrients lost in surface runoff.

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Methods of data collection, sample processing, and data analysis for edge-of-field, stream gaging, subsurface, and meteorlogical stations at Discovery Farms and Pioneer Farms

Equipment used; station maintenance; sample handling and processing procedures; water-quantity, water quality, and precipitation data analyses; and procedures for determining estimated constituent concentrations for unsampled runoff events.

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