Water Works:
From: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/impacts/01index/waterworks.html 
Despite major improvements in water quality nationwide
during the past decade, the issue continues to be one of the most challenging — particularly
as demand for clean water increases in both urban and rural areas.
Water quality and quantity concerns include the need to increase
conservation, reduce pollution and deal with other problems such
as drought. For agriculture, water is one of the most critical
commodities. To make sure we all have the water we need, Land-Grant
universities and the USDA are developing an impressive array
of creative, cost-effective measures to use and protect this
precious resource.
50 percent off. Utah
is the second driest U.S. state and one of the fastest growing. Based
on current estimates for water
consumption and population growth, Salt Lake City could "run
dry" by 2020. Thanks to Utah
State's Water Check Program ,
residential water users are measuring sprinkler pressure, coverage
and water saturation per hour. As a result of the widely publicized
extension program, thousands of residents are saving 25 percent
on water bills, reducing water consumption by 50 percent and
enjoying healthier lawns.
Waste not. When the federal
government ordered Orlando and Orange County to stop discharging
millions of gallons of treated wastewater
into a creek, local governments initiated the $180 million
Water Conserv II project to use reclaimed water on citrus,
other crops and golf courses. Florida
Extension signed
up growers to use the water, and university researchers are
measuring
how wastewater helps crops. It's a win-win situation: urban
areas get rid of treated wastewater, growers get almost unlimited
supplies of free water and the environment is protected.
Southwest solution. Instead
of treating wastewater with chemicals,
Arizona researchers
have developed a natural, low-cost way of producing high-quality
water. The new system, which is being
used in Phoenix as well as Los Angeles and Orange counties
in California, filters water through a 122-foot layer of soil — reducing
organic compounds, viruses and other harmful compounds by as
much as 99.9 percent. The sustainable system won't wear out
and replaces conventional treatment plants.
Reducing runoff. By changing
diets of dairy cows, Wisconsin researchers
cut manure-related water pollution by 80 percent. A one-third
reduction in dietary phosphorus decreases the nutrient in manure
by 50 percent, producing even greater reductions in the amount
of phosphorus that ran off fields into lakes and rivers. Overfeeding
phosphorus costs dairy farmers $12 to $15 per cow each year
each year. With l.3 million cows in the state, farmers could
save more than $16 million annually by adopting these recommendations.
Nebraska 
research
on beef cattle in feedlots showed similar results.
Nixing nitrates. Soil and
water experts in Delaware developed
cost-effective nutrient management practices to protect water
from nitrate and phosphorus contamination without compromising
crop yields. During 2000, they demonstrated the value of diagnostic
tools and other measures on 32 farms statewide to help protect
surface water. Scientists also are showing producers how to
use nutrients in poultry litter as a source of fertilizer for
crops.
Rice is nice. Land-Grant
research and extension programs have helped achieve major reductions
in the amount of water used
to irrigate rice. Arkansas
extension specialists
helped farmers use multiple inlet rice irrigation systems,
saving 17 million
gallons of water for every 40 acres of production. The system
reduces labor costs by 35 percent and cuts pumping hours by
33 percent, saving more than $16 per acre in electricity. Texas
A&M research
helped reduce water use for that state's rice production by
34 percent. Reduced pumping costs save producers
more than $750,000 annually. Mississippi
State scientists
found that leaving stubble in rice fields after harvest dramatically
reduces soil erosion - a major source of water pollution. When
stubble is plowed under, fields lose 1,000 pounds of soil per
acre, but that's reduced to 31 pounds when stubble is left
in the field. Research at Louisiana
State produced
similar results.
No-till. Because soil erosion
can degrade water quality, Tennessee
Extension specialists
reduced erosion by 3 million tons annually by promoting no-till
and residue management programs. At least
$7.5 million in damage has been prevented.
Peanut program. Georgia researchers
have developed computer programs that give peanut farmers accurate
irrigation recommendations
and help them reduce water consumption. On fields that use ponds
for irrigation, these recommendations saved more than 95,000
gallons of water. Center-pivot irrigated systems saved more than
73,000 gallons of water.
On a clear day. Sandpit lakes
are popular for recreation in Nebraska, but algae growth can
reduce water quality, kill fish and make
lakes unusable for recreation. Nebraska scientists
have developed a nontoxic way to control algae by adding aluminum
sulfate to
lakes to remove phosphorus as a major algae food source. The
new treatment is more effective and environmentally friendly
than the traditional treatment, copper sulfate. Applied properly,
aluminum sulfate reduces algae growth by 65 percent and increases
water clarity by 130 percent.
River watch. The St. Louis
River contributes significant amounts of water, nutrients and
pollutants to Lake Superior. The river
and lake are important to the region's water supply and recreation.
To protect the watershed and improve water quality, the Fond
du Lac Tribal and Community College in Wisconsin is playing a
key role in the St.
Louis River Watch Program .
Since 1997, the college has supported water sampling in the river
by students
at 21 area schools, training for teachers and data collection.
The college also holds an annual conference to measure results
and encourage stewardship. See the National
Facilitation of CSREES Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Efforts for
more information on volunteer monitoring programs within CSREES.
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
in cooperation with the Extension Committee on Organization and
Policy, the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and
Policy, the Academic Programs Committee on Organization and Policy,
the International Programs Committee on Organization and
Policy, and the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
From: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/impacts/01index/waterworks.html
