Cost-effective Water Quality Protection in the Midwest

Agricultural land is a major source of sediments, nutrients, pesticides, and other pollutants entering surface waters, and of nitrates and other mobile pollutants entering groundwater. In recent years, much attention and expense has focused on implementing best management practices(BMPs) on agricultural lands to reduce pollutant movement into surface and groundwater. These BMPs refer to water quality protection and are made with the realization that other management objectives also must be considered. Examples of widely used BMPs include terraces, grassed waterways, conservation tillage systems, and nutrient management.