Tri-State Tillage Project: Modeling Component Applying the Answers Model to Assess the Impacts of Conservation Tillage on Sediment and Yields to Lake Erie

摘要

The modeling study was undertaken to help in assessing the effectiveness of increasing amounts of conservation tillage for reducing phosphorus and sediment yields to Lake Erie. The study area included the Maumee, Portage, and Sandusky River basins and the near-lake areas. The ANSWERS model was combined with a stratified sampling procedure to produce estimates, based on representative watersheds, for major soil groups. These estimates were then area weighted to yield basin-wide predictions. Predictions for two 0.5 percent samples of the study area were produced. The second sampling was used to make an overall 1.0 percent sample. Simulations of the data collected are reported in the report. Eight different scenarios were done with varying residue cover and tillage methods with the different soil types.