Achievable water quality was assessed utilizing studies from the LaPlatte River watershed east of Lake Champlain and the St. Albans Bay watershed 4 km N of Burlington, VT. Vegetation in these areas is a mix of primarily hardwood forests and agricultural land: hay and corn. Streams were monitored for nutrient concentration, load and sediment. Stream stage in both watersheds were measured continuously with bubbler gauges, water samples were collected every 8 hours and analyzed for turbidity and total P, biweekly for dissolved oxygen, and weekly for fecal coliform bacteria in grab samples. BMPs for milkhouse wastes and barnyard runoff were evaluated for load on trophic levels of Vermont lakes. Water quality of agricultural runoff over 7 years was compared with water quality standards.
Citations and enhanced abstracts for journals articles and documents focused on rangeland ecology and management. RSIS is a collaboration between Montana State University, University of Idaho, and University of Wyoming.