Impact Magazine - Spring 2008 - (Page 18)

Mark Clark, left, discusses the installation of water quality sampling equipment at Williamson Cattle Co. with Sarah Lynch, Sonny Williamson and his grandson, John Williamson. photo by thomas wright Technical expertise in measuring and documenting the environmental services is being provided by researchers in UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Patrick Bohlen, director of research at the MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center at Buck Island Ranch in Lake Placid and a courtesy assistant professor in UF’s soil and water science department, is helping design and implement water quantity and quality monitoring systems at all participating locations. He said Lake Okeechobee — South Florida’s “liquid heart” — is the critical link between rivers north of the lake and estuaries and wetlands south of the lake. “The lake currently suffers from excessive levels of phosphorus caused in part by rapid runoff from its extensively drained watershed,” Bohlen said. “In 2000, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection established a total maximum daily load of 140 metric tons of phosphorus for the lake, but current loads average 433 to 709 metric tons, requiring a 68 to 80 percent reduction in phosphorus to meet a 2015 target set by EPA.” Mark Clark, an assistant professor in UF’s soil and water science department, is monitoring and documenting water management programs at the various sites, including water storage, nutrient retention and wetland improvement. Sanjay Shukla, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering at UF’s Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee, is helping design the water monitoring systems, as well as developing methods to quantify water and phosphorus storage at the sites. “Storing water on agricultural land can increase ground water recharge and reduce peak flows of phosphorus to Lake Okeechobee and other downstream areas,” Shukla said. “We are developing hydrologic models that will be used in conjunction with water quality data such as rainfall, surface water flows and groundwater levels to determine the amount of water and phosphorus that can be stored at each site.” Four South Florida partners in the lake’s watershed have been involved with the project since its 2005 inception: Alderman-DeLoney Ranch in Okeechobee County, Buck Island Ranch in Highlands County, Lykes Bros. Inc. in Glades County and Williamson Cattle Company in Okeechobee County. In August 2007, four more partners joined the project: C.M. Payne & Son Inc. in Highlands County, Lightsey Cattle Co. in Polk County, Rafter T Ranch in Highlands County, and Syfrett Ranch West in Okeechobee County. All are within the Lake Okeechobee, Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuary watersheds. At the Alderman-DeLoney and Williamson properties, water control structures have been constructed to rehydrate historic wetlands. At the Buck Island Ranch, 41 water control structures have been installed in drainage ditches to retain more water on 3,700 acres of pastureland and thereby reduce phosphorus runoff in the Lake Okeechobee watershed. A 2,500-acre marsh at the Lykes Bros. property, originally created to provide citrus frost protection, will now be used to filter water pumped from the Indian Prairie canal to remove phosphorus before the water is returned to the public canal. Wes Williamson, who co-owns Williamson Cattle Company with his 18 IMPACT | Spring 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Impact Magazine - Spring 2008

Impact Magazine - Spring 2008 Contents A Big Boost for Biofuels Top Priority Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture Eliminating the Evil Weevil Invasive Pest Defeating Resistant Roaches Biodiesel Boon User-Friendly Updates for FAWN Flat-Out Great for the Grill! Laser Labeling Cashing in on Caviar Saving Water with Soil-Moisture Sensors Spotlight IFAS Development News

Impact Magazine - Spring 2008

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