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New York and the Chesapeake BayNew York contains the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The
Susquehanna River in New York, the nation’s 16th largest river, provides half of
the freshwater to the Chesapeake Bay. Problems: The major pollutants of concern in the Susquehanna headwaters are sediment and nutrients. Sources include flooding and stream bank erosion, road ditch and road bank erosion, and agricultural runoff. The watershed issues of greatest importance are flooding and drought, stream bank erosion, gravel deposition and sediment and nutrient loading from stream banks, roadways, and agriculture. Note from New York's State Conservationist, Ron Alvarado: Recently there has been an increasing amount of negative information on agriculture's role in polluting the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed is a large ecosystem that encompasses six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia. In New York, approximately 3.6 million acres of the state drain into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Only a portion of that land is in agricultural production. A large percentage of land, 1.7 million acres, is forestland. Different land uses have led to the conditions that threaten the present health
of the Chesapeake Bay. It is not plausible to blame the Bay's health on
one segment of society's actions. In many watersheds agriculture is
preferred over suburban or urban land uses, as it provides less of an impact on
water quality.
Organic Farming Practices Benefit the Chesapeake Bay WatershedAs organic farming becomes more popular and organic products draw an increasing price tag in local supermarkets, those that paved the way for this transition are credited for their ingenuity, passion, and dedication. For Kathie Arnold, organic farming has always been a labor of love. From her early days as a dairy farmer, she has always had a special interest in organic dairy production and knew that someday she would transition her operation towards a more sustainable, cleaner, and healthier way of doing business. That opportunity came over ten years ago and she immediately seized the chance to earn the distinguished title of an all organic dairy. She ceased using pesticides, only used organic feed, and implemented numerous other sustainable farming practices that would ensure long term success. Arnold runs the Twin Oaks Dairy in Cortland, New York with her husband and brother-in-law. They have been farming together for 27 years and currently operate a 140 cow dairy farm on 700 acres of land. They grow mainly hay and corn, and pasture with some small grains on rolling, highly erodible hill land in the Tioughnioga River Watershed, which is part of the greater Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The farm has been in the family since the 1930s when her husband’s parents started farming. She first became interested in organic farming while reading organic gardening magazines growing up. She was concerned about the chemicals they were applying on their land and how they would adversely impact their water supply and the animals in their operation. She built two manure storage units and starting composting manure to increase capacity, and ensure safe environmental conditions. She instituted a roof water management system to keep clean water clean and built laneways for better surface area for cows to keep them out of the mud. “Organic dairy farming is better for my cows, better for people, and better for the environment,” said Arnold. “My operation reduces energy use, increases nutrients in the milk, and is overall beneficial for cow health.” Arnold has participated in numerous state and federal conservation programs to ensure success on her farm. She continues to look for and implement new ways to better manage her land and to be a good steward of natural resources. She also has been an asset for local educational institutions and government agencies for her experience, creativity, and passion for what she does. A Success Story Along the Tioughnioga RiverA branch of the Tioughnioga River flows right behind Ken and Susan Poole’s dairy farm, named Sunset Young Farm, in Cortland County, New York. The Tioughnioga joins the Susquehanna River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The Poole’s signed up for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in 2000. They were concerned that their barnyard was overly sloppy and that it was having an adverse affect on their herd’s health. Also, barnyard runoff was flowing into the Tioughnioga River.
“If the animals were in that concentrated area with no concrete, where you couldn’t
clean it all the time, when rain comes and flushes through these yards, it’s
naturally going to go right into that river and we could not stop it,” Susan
Poole said. “We were scrapping gravel out a lot, and it costs money to replace it." NRCS Resources
Success Stories
How can NRCS help me help the Bay?
NRCS Conservation Innovation GrantsOther Chesapeake Bay Watershed statesChesapeake Bay MapsThese documents require
Adobe
Reader. Additional Resources
Contact InformationRobert McAfee If you encounter any problems with files provided on this page, have questions, suggestions, or find a broken link, please contact Gary Vandawalker at 315-477-6546. |
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