NRCS This Week - 06/02/00

See the alphabetical-by-subject list of upcoming events. . See additions under Air Quality, Conservation Tillage, Dam Safety, Soils and Soil Surveys, and Watersheds!

FOCUS ON THE FIELD

NRCS Michigan "Going Bats" on National Public Radio - National Public Radio will air a two-part series on abandoned copper mines in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that have produced the largest amount of habitat for bat hibernation in the world. NRCS is assisting with the program. The mines are bat friendly and part of a special WHIP Project and a cooperative effort between NRCS, local citizens, Bat Conservation International (BCI), EPA, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The program will be featured on Morning Edition, June 5 and 6, approximately 40 minutes into the program as part of the "Radio Expeditions" segment. After the broadcast, the program may be accessed through the NPR website at www.npr.org/programs/RE/index_archive.html. Your contact is Christina Coulon, State Public Affairs Specialist, at (517) 324-5244.

Dutch Student to Intern at National Water Management Center - The National Water Management Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, will host David Kunst, an environmental science student from Greenwich University in The Netherlands, as a volunteer student intern, May 22-September 8. In support of the multi-State Lower Mississippi River Initiative, Kuntz will collect data on the impacts of agriculturally applied nitrogen and pesticides on the hypoxia problem in the Gulf of Mexico, for development of a strategic plan to address the issue. Your contact is Cliff Doke, International Programs Division, at (202) 720-2218.

NRCS Establishes Three Additional GIS Sites in Tennessee - NRCS in Tennessee is establishing three additional GIS pilot sites for technology transfer. The sites are located in Blountville, Carthage, and Jackson. This initiative will build on the success of the Shelbyville site and extend geospatial information to all NRCS field offices in Tennessee. The Tennessee RC&D Councils also have received a grant to begin an initiative for RC&Ds to use GIS in providing service to their clientele. Tennessee will combine these two activities to eliminate duplication of cost and effort. This initiative also will include assistance to the Farm Service Agency and Rural Development. Your contacts are Charles Roberts, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, or Larry Blick, Assistant State Conservationist for Field Support, at 615/736-5472.

"Boot Camp" Provides NRCS and District Technicians with Training - Forty-six newly hired Chesapeake Bay technicians, nutrient management technicians, and agricultural conservation technicians from Pennsylvania's conservation districts, along with employees from NRCS, assembled at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, to participate in Agriculture Conservation Technology 2000, commonly referred to as "Boot Camp," March 27-30, and April 10-14. Financial support for Boot Camp was provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the State Conservation Commission, NRCS, Dauphin County Conservation District, and Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. Members of the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership were on hand to share their knowledge of soils, hydrology, safety and bio-security, surveying, livestock management, construction, agronomy and soil health, nutrient and waste management, and a host of additional conservation practices. The Partnership is composed of Federal and State agencies and organizations dedicated to providing leadership and service for the stewardship and conservation of Pennsylvania's natural resources. Your contact is Stacy Mitchell, NRCS Public Affairs, at (717) 237-2208.

Yearly Event in Oklahoma Another of Example of Partnership Success - Nearly 1,000 participants from 32 States competed May 2-4 in the 49 th Annual National Land and Range Judging Contest, at the Fort Reno Station of the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Canadian County, Oklahoma. The participating teams, which included 28 4-H and 128 FFA teams, qualified for the national event by placing among the top five teams at contests held in their home States. Teams matched skills in judging the adaptability of the land for various purposes. National championship trophies were awarded to team and individual winners in land judging, range judging, and homesite evaluation. Each category included FFA, 4-H, and adult divisions. The planning and execution of the yearly contest is a combined effort of NRCS, the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, the OACD Auxiliary, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, and numerous local businesses and organizations. Your contact is Terri Daniel, NRCS Public Affairs, at (405) 742-1244.

Rivers 2000 "Pass the Paddle" Comes to Alabama - Cawaco Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Coordinator Paul Kennedy participated in Alabama's participation in the Rivers 2000 Program, "Pass the Paddle." The highlight of the paddle's trip through Alabama occurred at the Riverfront Park in Montgomery, where elected officials and others interested in natural resources gathered to celebrate the paddle's journey through some of the most scenic rives in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The purpose of Pass the Paddle is to stress that forests, croplands, wetlands, range lands, and streamside areas are the building blocks of watersheds and the public/private stewardship of these natural resources is the first step toward clean water and pollution prevention. Rivers 2000 is an initiative of a diverse coalition led by the River Management Society, a non-profit professional society dedicated to the protection and management of North America's river resources. Your contact is Paul Kennedy, NRCS Public Affairs, at paul.kennedy@al.usda.gov

TECH TIPS

Conservation Reserve Program "Guzzlers" - The current Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has made participants look at alternative environmental practices and enhancements. The wildlife "Guzzler" will be a new landmark on many CRP fields. The Guzzler is a rainwater catchment structure that diverts the water into a holding pit or tank. The water would be available for wildlife over the spring and summer. Kent Matsutani, District Conservationist at the Sidney, Nebraska, NRCS field office said, "You would be surprised at the number of birds and deer along with antelope utilizing these sites." The Guzzlers can be constructed out of used materials. "Old corrugated metal and hail bent drain gutters have been recycled in some cases. Most designs are simple and creative," Matsutani said. Your contact is Kent Matsutani, District Conservationist at (308) 254-4507.

Compacted Clay Liners for Animal Waste Storage Ponds - In the design of a typical NRCS Animal Waste Storage Pond, a designer determines minimal levels of density and water content that will produce acceptable properties for the soils at a site, usually based on laboratory testing. Specifications are then written for compacting soils to the required conditions that will produce the designed clay properties. Field inspections during and after construction then must verify that the desired degree of compaction and water condition specified were obtained. Various methods are used to document that the constructed clay liner has the necessary properties including visual inspection and documentation to more elaborate methods involving extensive testing during and after construction.

Documentation Methods:

Method Specifications. Based on experience with similar soils, a designer may be confident to specify a given type of equipment and detail its use in compacting a given soil to produce a minimal level of compactive energy.

Field Testing of Compacted Dry Density and Water Content. Performing moisture and density tests of compacted clay liners during construction is a second type of documentation. Many different tests are available to field personnel for this type of documentation. Methods include the sand cone, drive cylinder, rubber balloon, and nuclear meter.

Undisturbed Sampling and Laboratory Testing. Another method of verifying the permeability of a compacted liner is to obtain undisturbed samples of the liner and have them tested for degree of compaction, water content, and/or permeability by a geotechnical laboratory. Several types of equipment may be used to obtain the samples.

Post-Construction Permeability Tests. Another method for verifying the quality of a compacted clay liner is to perform field permeability tests on the completed liner. Several methods are considered acceptable, including the sealed double ring infiltrometer and the two-stage borehole (TSB) tests. Because the sealed double ring infiltrometer type of testing is highly specialized and costly in both equipment and the time involved, NRCS will probably not use this test method often. The TSB test is more suitable for NRCS use, but it has an important limitation. The TSB test is not suitable for measuring the permeability of a soil thickness less than about 3 feet. Your contact is Danny K. McCook, Head, Satellite Laboratory, National Soil Mechanics Center, Fort Worth, Texas, at (817) 509-3201.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Ouachita Mountains RC&D Council Hosts Forestry Contest - The Ouachita Mountains RC&D Council hosted its 25th annual Forestry Judging Contest for 4-H and FFA club members in southeast Oklahoma and awarded college scholarships to high individual winners. Teams and individuals participated from 17 communities in the area to vie for the six $800 to $300 scholarships. The purpose for the contest and scholarship program is to promote a greater interest in careers in forestry management. Since Ouachita Mountains RC&D began sponsoring the contest in 1976, 112 scholarships have been awarded with funding provided by contributions from area sponsors and businesses. Your contact is Linda Parkhurst, Ouachita Mountains RC&D, Inc. at (918) 423-2479 omrcandd@icok.net

CONFERENCE & TRAINING CONNECTION

June 2, 2000

As a service to NRCS personnel and the agency's partners, "NRCS This Week" offers the following by-subject list of conferences and training sessions. To add an event, please send an e-mail message to fred.jacobs@usda.gov

Agricultural Engineering

Agroforestry/Forestry

NEW! Air Quality

Alternative Agriculture

Animal Residuals Management

Beef
Carbon Sequestration

NEW! Conservation Tillage

Core 4

NEW! Dam Safety

Economics

Employee Organizations

Environmental Education

Flood Control

Grazing Land & Grassland

Land Use

Mining & the Environment

Partnerships

Resource Conservation & Development

Rivers
Salmon

Science & Natural Resources

NEW! Soils & Soil Surveys

Water Quality

NEW! Watersheds

Wetlands

Agricultural Engineering

American Society of Agricultural Engineers 2000 Annual International Meeting

July 9-12

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The theme for this year's meeting is "Engineering Solutions for a New Century." Interact with engineering professionals worldwide; share your ideas, techniques, and research with your peers; and promote the profession of agriculture, food, and engineering. For additional information, contact ASAE at http://www.asae.org, or William Hughey at (202)-720-5023 and william.hughey@usda.gov