Water Quality Effects of Multifunctional Working Buffers for Seasonally Wet Farmland

Progress report for SW22-937

Project Type: Research and Education
Funds awarded in 2022: $336,119.00
Projected End Date: 07/31/2025
Host Institution Award ID: G121-23-W9209
Grant Recipient: Snohomish Conservation District
Region: Western
State: Washington
Principal Investigator:
Carrie Brausieck
Snohomish Conservation District
Co-Investigators:
Gwendolyn Hannam
Whidbey Island Conservation District
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Project Information

Summary:

Changing climate, development, and the need for habitat protection is increasing pressure on US farmland. Climate-related changes in precipitation and drainage challenges are leading to areas of formerly productive agricultural lands becoming increasingly saturated, and regulations restrict the addition of new drainage. Meanwhile, the decreasing availability and rising cost of agricultural land is driving new farmers to purchase marginal land that often suffers from hydrologic issues. These factors especially impact socially and economically disadvantaged farmers, limiting their access to well-drained land.

Farming seasonally wet fields presents problems for annual crops and can have negative impacts on nearby water quality, but farmers must maximize land resources to remain economically viable. This makes it difficult to set aside land for conservation or restoration without sufficient financial incentives, yet existing incentive payments are often not large enough to offset production losses.

“Working buffers”–a perennial agroforestry cropping system that can be used on seasonally wet farmland–are a promising approach for farmers to both protect water and soil resources and generate income on marginal areas. To increase working buffer adoption, more research is needed to understand their economic feasibility and their effects on water quality and soil health in the Pacific Northwest.

This proposal is for Snohomish Conservation District (SCD), Skagit Conservation District (Skagit CD), Whidbey Island Conservation District (WICD), Snohomish County, and Washington State University (WSU) Extension to study the water quality effects of working buffers and conduct outreach to producers and agency staff. Our SARE research team aims to attain a picture of the viability of working buffers as a regional BMP by understanding effects on water quality and soil health. It will coincide with a recently awarded Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Specialty Crops Block Grant (SCBG) that will establish a second set of trial sites and investigate the economic viability of working buffer systems.

The Conservation Districts (CDs) will work with three producers to establish on-farm working buffer trial sites—one in each CD service area—and conduct research on their effects on water quality. Given the extended timeline to establish perennial plantings, further research will be necessary to understand the full impacts of working buffers. This grant will implement trial sites for long-term research and education in the region and provide initial impressions of their effectiveness.

We will offer hands-on learning for stakeholders, including volunteer participation in site planting and establishment, and workshops across western Washington to present our results. Outreach will also include farm tours facilitated by our farmer-partners demonstrating how sites were established and how they function. Lastly, we will develop educational materials, including a training guide and a 5-minute video. By increasing producers’ understanding of working buffers and training agency, CD, and extension staff to provide technical support, we will develop a foundation for producers to draw from as they expand adoption of the practice in our region.

Project Objectives:

Research Objectives

Objective 1: Measure water quality effects of three newly established working buffer trial plantings.

Objective 2: Identify possible benefits/limitations of young working buffer systems to improve water quality

Objective 3: Identify what changes are observable within the timeline of this grant and where further research is needed.

Education Objectives

Objective 1: Engage agricultural specialists, planners, and professionals who provide technical assistance and guidance to farmers in participatory research on the effects of working buffers on seasonally wet marginal farmland.

Objective 2: Create a farmer friendly guide to aid farmers in designing and establishing working buffer practices on marginal farm lands, and foster peer-to-peer networking and education between farmers.

Objective 3: Create a public outreach campaign providing education opportunities for farmers and consumers in the region on the unique and innovative nature of working buffers to address environmental and production challenges, and to promote specialty crops grown in these buffers as a new and evolving market unto themselves.

Timeline:

This project will take place over three years, from April 2022 to March 2025.

Trial Site Establishment

Our team will establish trial sites in spring of 2023. Establishment of sites, led by producers, with the assistance of planting crews and with involvement from producers and extension/agency staff, should take no more than 2 weeks per site with the possibility for sites to be established simultaneo

This project will take place over three years, from August 2022 to July 2025.

Trial Site Establishment

Our team will establish trial sites in November/December of 2023. Establishment of sites, led by producers, with the assistance of planting crews and with involvement from producers and extension/agency staff, should take no more than 2 weeks per site with the possibility for sites to be established simultaneously. Farmers will be expected to maintain the sites.

Research Timeline

Our team will conduct research throughout the grant. Before beginning research, we will conduct desktop review. We will collect baseline data for one year after desktop review and continue to collect a similar data set until February of 2025.

Water level loggers will run year-round. Soil and Water Laboratory Testing will include periodic and ongoing sampling.

Outreach Timeline

Opportunities for participatory engagement with agency staff and the producer community will continue throughout the life of the grant.

Our team will lead a participatory approach, involving interested stakeholders in site plantings in November/December of 2023. Other outreach efforts to involve the broader community and promote results will begin June 2024.

See attached Gantt Chart for more details

Cooperators

Click linked name(s) to expand/collapse or show everyone's info
  • Melissa Correia - Technical Advisor - Producer (Researcher)
  • Kelsi Mottet - Technical Advisor (Educator and Researcher)
  • Natalie Nelson (Educator)
  • Karisa Reinhard - Technical Advisor - Producer (Researcher)
  • Allison Rinard (Educator)
  • Patrick Shults - Technical Advisor (Researcher)
  • Jake Stewart - Technical Advisor - Producer (Researcher)
  • Ryan Gelwicks - Technical Advisor (Educator and Researcher)
  • Sarah Stewart - Technical Advisor (Educator)

Research

Materials and methods:

QAPP The use of private land for agricultural production includes regulations governing specified distances from watercourses, waterbodies, wetlands, or tidal shorelines. Most states and localities adopted these practices in the 1960s, calling these specified distances “setbacks” or “buffers”, serving to protect critical areas from pollution, for preservation of habitat, and the protection of structures from flooding or erosion. These buffers are intended to separate waterbodies from potentially polluting activities. For commercial agricultural lands, these distances are typically lesser distances for the purposes of production.

While buffers are quite common in regulations across the United States, very little research has been done regarding the effectiveness of these setbacks in preventing contamination from non-point source pollution.

Measurements of soil and water resources in their existing condition, or quality, are typically collected within the top six inches of soils. These top six inches are the most important indicators for non-point source pollution runoff, where surface waters mix with soil. Runoff becomes more important relative to the nutrient load within seasonally-wet areas and other critical areas, where nutrient loading may be significant for aquifer recharge, transport via subsurface drainage, and/or downstream discharge into waterways.

The scientific efficacy of working buffers is largely unknown due to a lack of scientific research providing soil- and water-quality data. It is the intention of this research to lay the foundation for obtaining the necessary metrics for both policy decision-makers and producers, to find a win-win situation between buffer regulation and production for farmers.

During this three-year grant, we intend to utilize three pilot sites, one within each of the Skagit, Snohomish, and Whidbey Island Conservation Districts’ boundaries. In approximately the first six months of the grant, we will perform literature and desktop reviews to establish optimal location placement and equipment type for each individual pilot site, based upon hydrogeography and soil type, to maximize the efficiency of soil- and water-quality data collection. Prior to any field alterations we will install all research-related equipment, take appropriate samples, and collect a year of baseline data. Immediately following we will install agroforestry orchards within known seasonally-wet buffers on the commercial agricultural pilot sites, collect a year’s worth of data downstream of the installed working buffer and continue collecting baseline data upstream of the altered area, as a control. In the last six months of the grant, with the first-ever data set collected, we will begin compiling data for future analysis at a later stage of research. Our long-term goal is to provide sufficient research in a multi-phased project, to obtain sufficient data and information over many years, to illicit local policy change for the benefit of both the environment and the producers.

Objective 1: Strategy identification

The intention of this objective is to complete an analysis of the conditions of each of the three pilot sites, to ensure that the selection of equipment, sampling locations, quality assurance, and a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) are thoroughly examined. A hypothesis and null hypothesis will be identified for each location, as each site will be treated as independent pilot sites.

  • We have selected three fields for this experiment based on the following criteria: 1) landowner willingness; 2) presence of wet areas; 3) geographic distribution for visibility across all conservation districts. We will conduct a desktop review to establish watershed characteristics including topography, drainage patterns, climate data, water table, and available geohydrology data. We will analyze pre-existing soil and/or water quality impairments for each site and highlight noted impairments in relation to current regional standards.
  • Through desktop review and on-site visits, we will determine the appropriate data collection equipment for purchase and installation at each pilot location. We intend to use both automated samplers and manual sampling for more comprehensive data collection and to keep costs down. The strategy identification is intended to clarify:
    • Hydrogeology
    • Climate data
    • Drainage flow
    • Water table
    • Watershed boundaries
    • Soil type
    • Anticipated equipment includes water-level loggers and in-situ nutrient collection for water-quality; shovels, containers, and personal protective equipment for soil-quality sampling.
  • Field personnel will be trained on soil- and water-quality QA/QC methodology, equipment operation, basic hydrology, and safety considerations. Field personnel will make monthly trips to the sites to collect data and retrieve soil and water samples.
    • We will follow USGS runoff methodology and sampling protocol. 
  • QAPP
    • USGS methodologies will be followed for each individual pilot site.

Objective 2: Establishing baseline data through the installation of water quality monitoring equipment prior to the installation of working buffers

The intention of this objective is to obtain data upstream and downstream of each buffer prior to any alterations, to provide relative analysis of the impacts of the installation of the working buffer on soil and water resources. The installation of in-situ temperature and water-loggers, nutrient collection, and ongoing soil and water testing prior to the installation of the working buffer will allow for relative analysis of the potential benefits of a working buffer and the existing buffer

  • We will establish a twelve-month baseline dataset for each site prior to installation of working buffers.
  • We will support the Education Team in their video production showcasing the process.

Objective 3: Working buffer installation

The intention of this objective is to install an agroforestry orchard within each working buffer, as the parameter of change to be measured.

  • Based upon information obtained in the previous objective, an agroforestry orchard will be installed within the buffer of the seasonally wet areas at all three trial sites.
  • A desktop review will be conducted to ensure that plant selection is suitable for soil and water conditions. Components identified include:
    • Best implementation period to suit producer needs, while considering environmental sensitivities, such as the wet-season
    • Density of plantings
    • Number of plantings
    • Types of grafting, if necessary, for suitability in saturated soils
    • Mulch and amended soils for increased planting success
  • The location of the plantings will be carefully considered, to include areas that leave upstream soil- and water-quality sampling locations, that will continue to serve as the hypothesis control throughout the grant.
  • Success of plantings will be identified as a percentage of plants established vs. failed, within the working buffer of each pilot location.
  • We will collaborate with the Education Team to tie in opportunities for producer and volunteer participation.
  • We will continue to support the Education Team in their video production showcasing the process.

Objective 4: Measure soil- and water-quality effects of a working buffer at each of the three newly established trial sites 

The intention of this objective is to measure soil- and water-quality changes downstream of the installed working buffer, to examine the hypothesis.

  • We will collect samples in waterways, drainage pathways, or points of concentrated flow, with at least two (2) temperature and water-logger stations, one upstream and one downstream, and at least ten (10) soil sampling locations, at each pilot site. Soil-quality sampling stations will be located in-field or at drainage outlets, depending on the topography, as assessed in the desktop review. Each of these pilot sites are intended to be easily accessible to allow for year-round sampling, and to include at least one storm-event sampling at each pilot site, as well as meteorological data from the nearest WSU weather station.
    • Periodic soil sampling (January, April, July, and October) will include: percent solids, percent water, total phosphorus, Fe-bound phosphorus, Fe-iron, nitrate plus nitrite-N, ammonium-N.
    • Soil sampling will occur monthly and will include total phosphorus, total nitrogen, total potassium, pH, and alkalinity. 
    • Water sampling (January, April, July and October) will include: total solids, total suspended solids, suspended sediment, dissolved reactive phosphorus, total dissolved phosphorus, total dissolved solids, nitrate plus nitrite-N, ammonium-N, total phosphorus, and specific conductance. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen will be measured monthly from October through April, and once in July. 
    • Ongoing water sampling will occur monthly and include: total phosphorus, total nitrogen, total potassium, pH, and alkalinity. 
    • Total working buffer sampling is anticipated to be ~12-18 months’ worth of data for initial analysis.
  • We will support the Education Team for farm walks.
  • We will continue to support the Education Team in their video production showcasing the process.

Objective 5: Compile the data

The intention of this objective is to collate and synthesize the data collected into written and visual representation for initial data collection, during the first phase of research attempting to address the hypotheses and null hypotheses identified during Objective 1, for each individual pilot site

  • Through data analysis, we will identify unexpected results or data gaps that future research may need to address.
  • Maps, charts, and a summary of the initial impacts after the installation of each working buffer will be developed.
  • Success of the research will be identified at this stage–e.g, were we able to successfully capture data in soil- and/or water-quality, as a direct result of the working buffer AND were the results repeatable at all three pilot sites.
  • Peer review by policy, agency, stakeholders, and volunteer scientists

Objective 6: Identify what changes are observable within the timeline of this grant and where further research is needed

The intention of this objective is to review the data to identify what changes are necessary in the next phase of the project, to ensure future success in identifying whether or not working buffers can sustain or improve soil- and water-quality while also increasing production margins for farmers; a check and balance to ensure that the research design is capable of meeting the objectives identified in this grant.

  • Data analysis may begin to show challenges or successes of new in-field buffer systems, but are unlikely to be conclusive.
  • The above analysis will begin to show us a comparison of newly established in-field working buffer systems and initial effects of the first year, on soil- and water-quality.
  • Further data collection to observe soil- and water-quality data on agroforestry working buffers as they age, to include more established systems with larger root volumes, will be necessary for a comprehensive look at these systems.
  • As the first step in a multi-phased project, no conclusions will be identified as a result of one annum data set.
  • We will submit our findings for peer review by policy, agency, stakeholders, and volunteer scientists.
  • We will continue to provide support to the Education Team to promote public awareness,

Objective 7: Identify “Lessons Learned” with possible benefits/limitations of working buffer systems to improve water-quality

The intention of this objective is to reflect upon the first phase of this multi-phase project to ensure that “lessons learned” are shared and identified throughout its duration, and not just at the end. We anticipate significant interest in this research as it is the first of its kind.

  • Analysis of data for outliers identifying potential causes/sources will be done by comparing automatic temperature and water-logger equipment data, field notes, sample data sheets, and laboratory data results.
  • We will organize data by soil- and water-quality, and -quantity by laboratory code constituent concentrations. When we receive results, we will match them with time and location data for each individual pilot site. All information will be placed in a data-summary spreadsheet for each station, checked, and finalized at the end of each water year.
  • Analysis of the weather stations, producer experience, baseline data, and constituent loads will determine whether the first years data represents a “typical” runoff event or is anomalous, potentially influenced by upstream activities. We will compare our findings with “typical weather” as defined by an analysis of 10 years worth of data to establish prior information on a “typical” weather year, using the WSU agronomical weather stations, closest to each pilot site location.
  • We will provide support to the Education Team to promote public awareness through public events and/or webinars.
  • Continue to support the Education Team with video production.
  • While the overall goal is to assess whether working buffers are efficacious at reducing pollutants, this phase of the grant will focus on the collection of baseline data with descriptions of soil- and water-quality to be used statistically during later phases of continued research.
Research results and discussion:

Objective 1

The QAPP was completed and is now linked. 

After desktop reviews of sites, site visits, equipment selection, and installation of monitoring equipment our researcher has continued to collect monitoring data and goes out to each site to collect soils and additional WQ samples for lab testing. Below are examples of some of the initial temperature data we are getting from data loggers: 

Reinhard WQ Temp data

Stewart WQ Temp data 

Data analysis has not yet occurred, but data continues to be collected. We will go through an initial data analysis this fall now that round one of plantings have been established. Further analysis will occur towards the end of the grant. 

Objective 2

After new plantings have several months to establish we will do an initial analysis of the data collected at each site. We do not anticipate identifying any benefits at that time as plantings will be brand new and plants will be in establishment phase. We will do a round 2 of planting in the early winter and will analyze all data in the spring to identify any benefits to soils and water quality that the data can show us in such young perennial plantings. At the least we will have documented great baseline data for these systems. 

Objective 3
Now that round 1 of practice installation has occurred we will begin to identify what changes might be observable during initial establishment, after round 2 of planting and about a year of growth of buffer systems.  

Research Tasks:

Task 1: Desktop review of each site - completed

Task 2: Research plot establishment - completed

Task 3: Collect background water quality data - completed

Task 4: Periodic and ongoing water quality sampling - continues

Task 5: Periodic soil sampling - continues

Task 6: Trial planting establishment at 3 sites - round 1 planting completed

  • Reinhard River Ranch (Snohomish County) planting on March 18, 2024
  • Sweetwater Farm (Island County) planting on March 19th, 2024
  • Tangled Thicket (Skagit County) planting on March 21st, 2024

Task 7: Farmer management and maintenance data collection - in development

Tools for our farmers to track their management and maintenance are in development and will be given to them in no later than early June. 

Task 8: Data analysis and summary - ongoing

data analysis will begin in fall of 2024 and will continue and be summarized spring of 2025. 

 

 

 

Participation Summary
3 Producers participating in research

Research Outcomes

Recommendations for sustainable agricultural production and future research:

While we continue to collect data we have not done analysis yet to inform recommendations. Recommendations based on our research will be made at the end of this grant cycle after final data analysis. 

Education and Outreach

3 On-farm demonstrations
2 Published press articles, newsletters
6 Webinars / talks / presentations
2 Workshop field days

Participation Summary:

103 Farmers participated
33 Ag professionals participated
Education and outreach methods and analyses:

Objective 1: Engage agricultural specialists, planners, and professionals who provide
technical assistance and guidance to farmers in participatory research on the effects of
working buffers on seasonally wet marginal farmland

We invited professional partners to participate in our planting days at each farm. A site tour was given by each farmer allowing partners to connect and hear directly from farmers. An introduction on what "working buffers" are and how they are designed was given by Carrie Brausieck, Agroforester. Then partners got to do some planting of the buffers at each site. Partner participation included local land trusts, local NRCS staff, County government staff, and some surrounding local farmers. We also continue to work with professional partners on data collection and will collaborate on data analysis. 

Objective 2: Create a farmer friendly guide to aid farmers in designing and establishing
working buffer practices on marginal farmlands, and foster peer-to-peer networking and
education between farmers

We started convening technical staff in October of 2023 to start to outline a farmer technical guide on designing and establishing buffer systems on marginal farmlands. We have a working draft and are working through editing and design at this stage. 

We have conducted 6 Agroforestry workgroup meetings educating and networking professionals and landowners in the agroforestry space. Meetings offer a guest speaker to educate on and relevant agroforestry topic and then have time for networking and knowledge sharing at the end. 

Meetings took place on:

  • April 12, 2023
  • June 14, 2023
  • October 11, 2023
  • December 13, 2023
  • February 14, 2024
  • April 10, 2024

We continue to work on the production of a video to highlight these practices. 

Objective 3: Create a public outreach campaign providing education opportunities for
farmers and consumers in the region on the unique and innovative nature of working buffers
to address environmental and production challenges and to promote specialty crops grown
in these buffers as a new and evolving market unto themselves

The Snohomish Conservation District Agroforestry program publishes a quarterly agroforestry newsletter "Farm and Forest" with a readership of over 450 across the country.

In March of 2023 we featured Sweetwater farm and their agroforestry endeavors. Here is a link to their story: https://snohomishcd.org/blog/2023/3/17/shiitake-sheep-and-seaberry-at-sweetwater-farm 

In December 2023 we featured Tangled Thicket Farm and their agroforestry endeavors. Here is a link to their story: https://snohomishcd.org/blog/2023/12/27/restoring-connection-at-tangled-thicket

Carrie Brausieck, Agroforester gave a presentation to community members at Cloud Mountain Farm Center Perennial Farming event in June 2023

Carrie Brausieck, Agroforester gave a presentation to community members at a farm tour in August 2023 on working buffers. 

We have created a brand for working buffers that we will work to develop into marketing for products and awareness of these practices for consumers. See logo below: Logo

Education and outreach results:

Analysis on outreach efforts has not been completed at this time. 

We continue to collect metrics on our outreach and will draw conclusions later in the year. 

Education and Outreach Outcomes

Recommendations for education and outreach:

We have continued engagement with professional partners around building awareness of Bountiful Buffers (Working buffers) and how they benefit both ecosystems and landowners through presentations and planting events at our partnering farms. 

We have conducted outreach strategy meetings once a month from April 2023 to October 2023 and then from January 2024 to present (April 2024)

Meeting include farmer guide design, planning engagement events, working on video production, marketing engagement, and more. 

Upcoming:

We will be conducting farm tours with all of our cooperating farms this fall and late winter. We will be disseminating our Farmer Guide, and presenting at venues about this work and these practices. 

3 Producers reported gaining knowledge, attitude, skills and/or awareness as a result of the project
Non-producer stakeholders reported changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills and/or awareness as a result of project outreach
500 General public
10 Ag Service Providers
Key areas taught:
  • appropriate crops for working buffers in our region
  • working buffer planting design and implementation
Key changes:
  • working buffer planting design and implementation

  • appropriate crops for working buffers in our region

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.