Description :  

The specific goal of this project is to evaluate and determine the effectiveness of implementing forestry best management practices (BMPs) as a tool for reducing the introduction of forestry-related nonpoint source pollutants into water bodies within the state of Louisiana.  Forestry is a major industry in North Louisiana and is very important to the state economically.  However, silvicultural operations have been identified as a contributor to nonpoint source pollution in Louisiana.  During the past ten years, the Louisiana Forestry Association has worked in cooperation with industry groups, federal and state governments, and private landowners on forestry BMPs.  There have been educational workshops and compliances monitoring programs to increase the level of BMPs utilized in silvicultural operations.  These programs have been designed to educate and convince those involved in forestry to implement BMPs in forested lands where silvicultural activities have occurred.  The standard theory is that implementation of BMPs will decrease the loading of pollutants by silvicultural operations.

Through the combination of efforts targeted at increasing the level of forestry BMP implementation, there has been significant improvement in the utilization of BMPs across the state.  The most recent statewide survey conducted by the Louisiana Office of Forestry indicated approximately 93% of the lands surveyed utilized BMPs.  In order to determine whether BMP implementation will result in reduced nonpoint source loading from forested lands, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) will be working with Louisiana Tech University and Willamette/Weyerhaeuser/Forestry Industry Partners (FIP) to quantify the effectiveness of the BMPs in reducing nonpoint source loads within two watersheds of the Ouachita River Basin.

For this project, two sub-segment level watersheds will be utilized to determine the effectiveness of Forestry BMPs.  The two watershed segments include the western part of the Dugdemona River watershed in Bienville and Jackson Parishes, and Castor Creek watershed in Jackson and Winn Parishes.  These areas are heavily forested, and the predominant land use in these watersheds is forestry.

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Principal Investigator:  Patterson, Bill  --  Forestry

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Collaborators:  Mark D. Gibson

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Funding Agencies:  Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

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Amount Awarded:  $412,860

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Start Period:  08/01/2005

End Period:  01/31/2005