2024 Fall Phosphorus Science and Emerging Research Workshop
On October 1, 2024, the Agricultural Nutrient Policy Council (ANPC) hosted a Phosphorus Science and Emerging Research Workshop in Washington, DC. ANPC is a coalition of more than 40 state and national agriculture trade associations and agribusinesses focused on helping agriculture work together with state and federal agencies and members of the scientific community to protect water quality.
The recent United States Geological Survey (USGS) load trend data on nitrogen and phosphorus delivery to the Gulf of Mexico, as reported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its most recent Report to Congress, indicated that phosphorus load trends were not tracking downward like nitrogen. The goal of this ANPC workshop was to explore why these trend loads are not tracking each other.
The workshop brought together approximately 150 individuals (in person and virtually) representing agriculture, the scientific community, state agency leaders, and federal agency leaders. The attendees discussed current and emerging science and the body of knowledge on phosphorus losses linked to non-point sources to see if those shed any light on the reasons for the divergence. The attendees also discussed how to better communicate the observed trends and what they mean for nutrient reduction efforts moving ahead. In addition to the Mississippi River Basin states, efforts were also discussed from the Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes region. The event was moderated by Rachel Owen, RKO Consulting.
The meeting agenda included these topics and speakers.
Introductory Remarks
• ANPC - Courtney Briggs, President of ANPC and Senior Director Government Affairs at American Farm Bureau Federation
• EPA Office of Water - Mae Wu, Deputy Assistant Administrator
• EPA Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs – Venus Welch-White, Acting Director
Basin Level Overview of Phosphorus Pathways
• The phosphorus cascade: Navigating from sources to solutions – Jana Compton, EPA ORD
• Current load trend data with a focus on phosphorus trends for Mississippi River Basin – Lori Sprague, U.S. Geological Survey
• Lake Erie and Maumee River Basin Phosphorus trends – Nathan Manning, Heidelberg University and National Water Quality Research Center
• Chesapeake Bay Phosphorus Loads and Trends – Gary Shenk, USGS Chesapeake Bay Program Office
Landscape Level P Dynamics in Watersheds and Agricultural Fields
• Legacy P Project update – Peter Kleinman, USDA ARS
• Importance of continuing current nutrient management efforts and addressing old (preexisting soil P) P sources as they dominate tile drain P losses – William Osterholz, USDA ARS
• Lessons Learned Controlling Agricultural Phosphorus at the Watershed Scale: Assessment, Planning, and Implementation – Deanna Osmond, North Carolina State University
In-stream Phosphorus Dynamics
• Phosphorus Loss to Surface Waters from non-point sources – Andrew Margenot, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Sediment budget of a Maumee River headwater tributary: how streambank erosion, streambed-sediment storage, and streambed-sediment source inform our understanding of legacy phosphorus - Tanja N. Williamson, U.S. Geological Survey
• Tile Drainage Impacts on Stream Flashiness - Andrew Margenot, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Roundtable Discussion
o What critical research gaps have emerged based on learnings from this meeting?
o How can we enhance collaboration within this community?
-Identifying key stakeholders not present at this workshop.
-Strategies to stimulate active sharing of existing research.
-Strategies and efforts to foster future collaboration efforts.
