EnviroAtlas S>EPA
Use Case
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EnviroAtlas contains
ecological, economic and
demographic datasets for 2
spatial extentsthe
contiguous U.S. and
featured communities. This
use case explores one
solution for minimizing the
negative impacts of excess
manure application in the
Chesapeake Bay watershed
using EnviroAtlas national
data.
Using EnviroAtlas Data to Identify
Cost-Effective Locations for Manure
Management Incentives
http://enviroatlas.epa.gov/
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Use Case
Introduction
The Chesapeake Bay
Watershed encompasses
parts of Delaware,
Maryland, New York,
Pennsylvania, Virginia,
and West Virginia.
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed covers
64,000 square miles and is home to over 17
million people. The Chesapeake is known
for its famous blue crabs and the area is
rich in biodiversity and history.
The Chesapeake Bay faces a number of
problems, chief among them, the presence
of excess nutrients.
This use case explores one solution for
minimizing the negative impacts of excess
nutrients in the Chesapeake Bay waters by
managing manure application.
Photo by Doug Forsell, USFWS
Multiple EnviroAtlas data sets are used in this use case. Because the focus is on the
Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the maps shown have been created specifically for this area.
When accessed in EnviroAtlas, these maps span the entire contiguous US.
Learn more at http://www.chesapeakebay.net/
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The Problem
Applying too much manure to
crop and pasture lands can
negatively impact water bodies
~~~ One Solution
Provide financial incentives for
manure transport
Approach overview
Identify areas where
transportation subsidies are
likely to have an effect
Identify areas where excess
nutrients are likely reaching
waterbodies
Identify areas where reduction
of nutrients will benefit water
quality management goals
Combining benefits and risks
~
Cost-effective Targeting
of Program Funds
Subsidize manure hauling
in areas with highest
cost-effectiveness
The Problem
Applying too much manure to croplands and
pastures can negatively impact water bodies
Recovered manure is a source of nutrients available for
croplands and pastures. Animal producers regularly apply
manure to their own cropland as a cost-effective disposal
method.
Often, more manure is applied to the land than can be
taken up by plants. As a result, excess nutrients runoff
into neighboring waterbodies.
Excess nutrients in waterbodies can impair them in a
number of ways, affecting ecosystems, human health,
and the economy.
Excessive algal growth leads to reduced oxygen
levels in water and smothered plant and animal life.
Impaired waters can cause harm to the fishing
industry and seafood supply.
Impaired waters may reduce opportunities for
tourism and recreation.
Nutrient loading is an issue in the
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
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One Solution
Provide financial incentives for manure transport
As a way to prevent over-application of manure
within a given area, excess recovered manure can
be transported to nearby cropland and pastures
that are in need of nutrients.
Because hauling manure can be costly, incentives
might encourage people to take advantage of this
solution.
Manure Application
(kg N/ha/yr)
¦ 0-5
18-42
42-104
M104-200
Source: EPA - EriviroAtlas
This use case follows these spatial
analysis steps:
1. Identify the locations where distributing
manure within the Chesapeake Bay watershed
would be beneficial to meeting water quality
goals and support safe recreation and habitat.
2. Use estimates of manure hauling costs based
on the abundance and proximity of crop and
pasture land that could accept manure (Aillery
et al. 2005).
3. Investigate the most cost-effective areas for
targeting manure transport incentives based on
benefits and costs.
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~>
The Problem
Applying too much manure to
crop and pasture lands can
negatively impact water bodies
~~~ One Solution
Provide financial incentives for
manure transport
Approach overview
Identify areas where
transportation subsidies are
likely to have an effect
Identify areas where excess
nutrients are likely reaching
waterbodies
Identify areas where reduction
of nutrients will benefit water
quality management goals
Combining benefits and risks
~~~ Cost-effective Targeting
of Program Funds
Subsidize manure hauling
in areas with highest
cost-effectiveness
Approach
Identify beneficial locations by combining indicators
of ecosystem service benefits and nutrient runoff risk
Step 2: Normalize and
combine indicators in
a multi-benefit index
1
Multi-Benefit Index
Data and maps for
each of these can be
found in EnviroAtlas
Overapplication Risk
Indicator
1
Runoff Risk Index
Benefit Opportunities Index
Step 1: Identify indicators
that suggest level of
benefits by location
i
Manure Application Rate
1
1
¦
i
Lack of Riparian Buffers
i
% Agriculture on Wet Areas
i
i
¦
% Agricultural Areas
¦
1
¦
i
Water Quality Impairments
¦
High Quality Habitats
HI
i
Ha
¦
¦
Recreational Fishing Demand
-------
~~~
The Problem
Applying too much manure to
crop and pasture lands can
negatively impact water bodies
~~~ One Solution
Provide financial incentives for
manure transport
Approach overview
Identify areas where
transportation subsidies are
likely to have an effect
Identify areas where excess
nutrients are likely reaching
waterbodies
Identify areas where reduction
of nutrients will benefit water
quality management goals
Combining benefits and risks
~
Cost-effective Targeting
of Program Funds
Subsidize manure hauling
in areas with highest
cost-effectiveness
Identify areas where transportation
subsidies are likely to have an effect
Higher application rates (closer to 1) indicate greater potential
to reduce nutrients through improved manure management
Source: EPA - EnviroAtlas
The Overapplication Risk Indicator was created using the EnviroAtlas Manure Application Map
Watersheds with "zero" manure application were removed. Remaining values were rescaled between 0 and
1, where 1 represents the highest manure application rates.
Overapplication Risk
Indicator
mt 0.00000012 -0.033
0.034-0.11
0.12-0.22
=10.23-0.52
M0.53- 1.0
Manure Application
(kg N/ha/yr)
HO- 5
_ 18-42
i_42- 104
¦¦ 104- 200
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~>
The Problem
Applying too much manure to
crop and pasture lands can
negatively impact water bodies
~~~ One Solution
Provide financial incentives for
manure transport
Approach overview
Identify areas where
transportation subsidies are
likely to have an effect
Identify areas where excess
nutrients are likely reaching
waterbodies
Identify areas where reduction
of nutrients will benefit water
quality management goals
Combining benefits and risks
~~~ Cost-effective Targeting
of Program Funds
Subsidize manure hauling
in areas with highest
cost-effectiveness
Identify areas where excess nutrients are
likely reaching waterbodies
The Runoff Risk Index is a combination of 3 variables
(each found in EnviroAtlas) that reflect the likelihood
that nutrients applied on land will reach streams.
High values indicate high likelihood of runoff and, therefore,
greater potential effectiveness of transport subsidies.
Runoff Risk
Index
¦10.00-0.17
0.18-0.29
0.30 - 0.44
0.45 - 0.62
¦10.63-1.00
Source; EPA - EnviroAtlas
% Agriculture
land cover
¦10.00-13.07
13.08-25.19
25.20 - 38.24
38.25 - 55.45
¦ 55.46-91.14
% Agriculture
on wet soils
(wetness
index > 550)
¦ 0.00-12.9
13.0-26.9
27.0-43.2
43.3-63.8
¦163.9-96.6
% Natural land
cover within
30m of stream
¦ 0.00-38.03
38.04 - 57.71
57.72-72.34
72.35 - 85.29
¦ 85.30- 100.00
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~>
The Problem
Applying too much manure to
crop and pasture lands can
negatively impact water bodies
~~~ One Solution
Provide financial incentives for
manure transport
Approach overview
Identify areas where
transportation subsidies are
likely to have an effect
Identify areas where excess
nutrients are likely reaching
waterbodies
Identify areas where reduction
of nutrients will benefit water
quality management goals
Combining benefits and risks
~~~ Cost-effective Targeting
of Program Funds
Subsidize manure hauling
in areas with highest
cost-effectiveness
Identify areas where reducing nutrient
runoff will benefit water quality,
habitat, and recreational fishing
Benefit
Opportunity
Index
¦¦0.00-0.08
0.09-0.16
0.17-0.27
0.28 - 0.44
m 0.45 -1.00
The Benefits Opportunity Index is a combination
of 4 variables that reflects the relative potential
benefits from reducing nutrient runoff.
t-MMm
Note: Water bodies impaired by nutrients or for biota are listed on the 303(d) list provided by each state under the Clean Water Act.
Note: Protected areas are intended to protect specific species, habitat, or areas with ecological, cultural and scenic value
Water
impaired for
biota or
habitat
(km/km')
0.00 - 0. 05
0.06-0.17
0.18-0.32
0,33 - 0.57
0.58-1.10
Water
impaired by
nutrients
{km/km2)
0.00 - 0
0.07-0.18
0.19-0.34
0.35-0.63
0.64-1.26
% protected
areas
0.00-4.05
4.06- 14.28
14.29-31.76
31.77-65.51
65.52 - 99 34
Fish demand
(days)
0 - 7704
7705 - 14574
14575 - 24651
24652 - 39620
39621 - 73671
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~>
The Problem
Applying too much manure to
crop and pasture lands can
negatively impact water bodies
~~~ One Solution
Provide financial incentives for
manure transport
Approach overview
Identify areas where
transportation subsidies are
likely to have an effect
Identify areas where excess
nutrients are likely reaching
waterbodies
Identify areas where reduction
of nutrients will benefit water
quality management goals
Combining benefits and risks
~~~ Cost-effective Targeting
of Program Funds
Subsidize manure hauling
in areas with highest
cost-effectiveness
Combine indexes on benefits and
runoff risks
The Multi-Benefit Index reflects the relative level of
expected benefits in an area, based on:
1) The opportunity to reduce nutrient runoff from manure
2) Likelihood of nutrients reaching a stream
3) Potential to improve impaired water quality or to protect
areas with high habitat quality or high demand for fishing
Multi-Benefit Index
¦ 0.000000045 -0.00026
0.00027-0.0011
0.0012-0.0036
0.0037-0.014
¦ 0.015-1.0
Benefit
Opportunity
Index
¦ 0.00-0.08
0.09-0.16
0.17-0.27
0.28 - 0.44
¦10.45-1.00
Overapplication Risk
Indicator
¦ 0.00000012-0.033
0.034-0.11
0.12-0.22
0.23 - 0.52
¦ 0.53-1.0
Runoff Risk
Index
¦ 0.00-0.17
0.18-0.29
0.30 - 0.44
0.45 - 0.62
¦ 0.63-1.00
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~>
The Problem
Applying too much manure to
crop and pasture lands can
negatively impact water bodies
Cost of manure transport
~~~ One Solution
Provide financial incentives for
manure transport
Approach overview
Identify areas where
transportation subsidies are
likely to have an effect
Identify areas where excess
nutrients are likely reaching
waterbodies
Identify areas where reduction
of nutrients will benefit water
quality management goals
Combining benefits and risks
~
Cost-effective Targeting
of Program Funds
Subsidize manure hauling
in areas with highest
cost-effectiveness
Cost of manure transport varies spatially because of the variability of the quantity of
manure produced relative to the supply of nearby land that is available to receive that manure.
Source data courtesy of Marcel Aillery, USDA Economic Research Service
(Methods described in Ribaudo et al. 2014, ERR-166)
Cost of manure
transport ($/ha)
¦ 0.0- 33.0
33.1 - 73.9
74.0- 140.6
140.7-262.9
¦ 263.0-373.0
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~>
The Problem
Applying too much manure to
crop and pasture lands can
negatively impact water bodies
~~~ One Solution
Provide financial incentives for
manure transport
Approach overview
Identify areas where
transportation subsidies are
likely to have an effect
Identify areas where excess
nutrients are likely reaching
waterbodies
Identify areas where reduction
of nutrients will benefit water
quality management goals
Combining benefits and risks
~~~ Cost-effective Targeting
of Program Funds
Subsidize manure hauling
in areas with highest
cost-effectiveness
Conclusion
Subsidize manure hauling areas with the highest cost-effectiveness
Cost-effectiveness of manure transportation subsidies
In the red areas, the combined benefits for subsidizing manure transport are likely to be
the highest per dollar spent.
Cost-Effectiveness
Index
M 0.00000012- 0.00060
0.00061 -0.0018
0.0019- 0.0045
0.0046- 0.013
Hi 0.014 - 1.0
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EnviroAtlas
Use Case
Prepared by:
Lisa A. Wainger &
Cedric Magen
Edited by:
Jessica Daniel
US EPA Contractor
Recap
Nutrient loading is an issue in much of the Chesapeake Bay
Watershed
Excess nutrients that get into waterbodies can impair them in a
number of ways, affecting water oxygen content, aquatic species,
recreation, and the economy.
Applying too much manure to an area is one source of excess
nutrients that can runoff into water bodies and harm them.
Access EnviroAtlas at
http: / / enviroatlas. epa. gov/
\x °4
A risk for manure over-application indicator
A runoff risk index, and a
A benefits-opportunity index
Combined to make the Multi-Benefit Index
nav
These indicators and indexes, in conjunction with the cost of manure transport, allowed for
the creation of a Cost Effectiveness Index, which identified areas where the combined benefits
for subsidizing manure transport would likely be the highest per dollar spent.
To help address this issue, EnviroAtlas datasets were used to develop
a management strategy for transporting excess manure to other
areas in need of nutrients.
EnviroAtlas indicators were combined together or with other
indicators to create:
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