Arizona Planning Guide for Natural Resource Concerns

Water Quality – Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Groundwater

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Page 1 Arizona

Field Office Technical Guide, Section III August, 2003

Resource Concern Definition – Pollution from natural or human induced nutrients such as N, P, S (Including animal and other wastes) degrades groundwater quality.

Quality Criteria - Land use and management do not contribute to, or increase, the risk for excessive nutrient and organic levels in groundwater. Nutrients and organics are stored, handled, disposed of, and applied such that groundwater uses are not adversely affected. State water quality standards are met.

Method for evaluating resource condition

·  Visual Assessment

·  ADEQ Reports

·  National Engineering Handbook, Part 651, Ag Waste Mgmt Field Handbook

·  Nitrate Leaching Index

·  Phosphorus Leaching Index

·  Farm*a*Syst

·  Groundwater chemical/particle sampling and assay

Conservation Practices that may be needed as part of a Conservation Management System to achieve Quality Criteria for this resource concern include those listed here.

575 Animal Trails and Walkways

330 Contour Farming

335 Controlled Drainage

352 Deferred Grazing

382 Fence

393 Filter Strip

395 Fish Stream Improvement

399 Fishpond Management

412 Grassed Waterway

464 Irrigation Land Leveling

449 Irrigation Water Management

590 Nutrient Management

512 Pasture & Hayland Planting

528A Prescribed Grazing

550 Range Planting

554 Regulating Water in Drainage Sys.

344 Residue Management, Seasonal

391 Riparian Forest Buffer

558 Roof Runoff Management

557 Row Arrangement

570 Runoff Management System

350 Sediment Basin

574 Spring Development

585 Stripcropping, Contour

586 Stripcropping, Field

588 Stubble Mulching

600 Terrace

612 Tree/Shrub Establishment

472 Use Exclusion

312 Waste Management System

313 Waste Storage Facility

359 Waste Treatment Lagoon

633 Waste Utilization

638 Water & Sediment Control Basin

351 Well Decommissioning

657 Wetland Development or Restoration

645 Wildlife Upland Habitat Management

648 Wildlife Watering Facility

644 Wildlife Wetland Habitat Management

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Page 1 Arizona

Field Office Technical Guide, Section III August, 2003