Evaluation of Agricultural Conservation Practices to Reduce Nutrient Loading to the Chesapeake Bay.

An extensive multi-jurisdictional effort is ongoing to reduce loading of nitrogen, phosphorous, and sediments for agricultural lands as a part of the overall strategy to mitigate water quality impairment in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.  An evaluation of state, federal, and landowner funded conservation practices and their impact on reducing nutrient loads will be presented.  Current state and federal cost-share programs support valuable conservation tools, but barriers to implementation of nutrient management plans and other practices are often a concern.   Ongoing research with implications for new or enhanced conservation practices also will be summarized.