Waterfowl Rely on Catahoula Lake in Central Louisiana Enforcement of New Clean Water Rule Still Unclear for Farmers
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New Sorghum Pest Youth Wetlands Program Water and Food Safety page 12 page 20 page 26 Vol. 58, No. 3, Summer 2015 Waterfowl rely on Catahoula Lake in central Louisiana Enforcement of new Clean Water Rule still unclear for farmers Olivia McClure EDITORIAL BOARD: John S. Russin, Chairman Although a rule that revises which bodies of water are subject to Clean Water Linda Foster Benedict Act regulations has taken effect, the agricultural community continues to be Michael Blazier Rick Bogren concerned about how strict federal scrutiny will be. Melissa Cater Agricultural water has always been Glen T. Gentry exempt from Clean Water Act regulations, Kurt M. Guidry but the new Clean Water Rule incorporates Dustin Harrell Claudia Husseneder several types of water that were never reg- Kathy Kramer ulated before and are common on farms. Megan La Peyre Tributaries and waterways adjacent or connected to a previously jurisdictional EDITOR: Linda Foster Benedict waterway must now comply with the Clean ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Rick Bogren Water Act, said LSU AgCenter economist DESIGNER: Kathy Kramer Naveen Adusumilli. Drainage ditches and PHOTO EDITOR: John Wozniak CONTRIBUTORS: Tobie Blanchard, Craig irrigation runoff, for example, are not Gautreaux, Randy LaBauve, Elma Sue specifically regulated by the act but drain McCallum, Olivia McClure and Bruce Schultz into those that are. WEB DESIGN: Ronda Clark and Kathy Kramer “Can farmers dig a ditch now, and how Louisiana Agriculture is published quarterly by will it be regulated? It is unclear right now,” the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station. Subscriptions are free. You may also subscribe Adusumilli said. to a Web version of the magazine, which is The changes are spelled out in the available at www.LSUAgCenter.com. Please go Clean Water Rule, which was written to LSU AgCenter economist Naveen to the “Louisiana Agriculture Magazine” site if Adusumilli is trying to help Louisiana you would like to receive an email notification clarify a vague term in the act that caused farmers understand and implement the when a new issue is online. If you would like to uncertainty in interpretation of regulatory new rules under the Clean Water Act. download the magazine to your e-reader, go to Photo by Olivia McClure the magazine’s website, choose the correct for- authority. mat, and follow the directions on your mobile Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers device. For more information or to subscribe, jointly enforce the act, which applies to “waters of the U.S.,” which includes wet- please contact: Linda Foster Benedict, Editor lands and navigable waterways used for commerce. The original definition is vague Louisiana Agriculture about whether regulations apply to seasonally flowing streams and waterways 115 Knapp Hall 110 LSU Union Square near regulated waters. Baton Rouge, LA 70803 The Clean Water Rule brings waters in 100-year floodplains under jurisdiction. (225) 578-2263 But those areas are dry most of the time, Adusumilli said, so it is unclear when [email protected] exactly they would be subject to Clean Water Act standards. Under the new rule, any waterbody with a “significant nexus” to a navigable waterway is also jurisdictional. The nexus is considered significant if the water- way performs any of nine functions, including trapping sediments or nutrients, Adusumilli said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty with some of those definitions,” Adusumilli said. “How do farmers identify if those functions are there? Who’s going to help? At this time, we don’t know who the final authority will be to assess those situations.” www.LSUAgCenter.com Though the rule has been finalized, the EPA and Corps must now determine William B. Richardson, LSU Vice President for Agriculture how to enforce it, he said. Meanwhile, attorneys general from 27 states are chal- Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station lenging the rule in a lawsuit. Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service EPA officials have said their agency will not regulate agriculture activities or LSU College of Agriculture The LSU AgCenter and LSU provide equal opportunities in expand its authority to waters not already under its jurisdiction. They maintain programs and employment.. that exemptions made for agriculture in the Clean Water Act, such as waiving Section 404 permit requirements for farms, ranches and forestry operations, will The mention of a pesticide or use of a trade name for any continue. But, determining physical, chemical and biological connectivity among product is intended only as a report of research and does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the waters could require extensive case-by-case analysis, which involves substanial Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, nor does it imply time and money. that a mentioned product is superior to other products of a similar nature not mentioned. Uses of pesticides discussed here have not necessarily been approved by governmental Olivia McClure is a graduate assistant with LSU AgCenter Communications. regulatory agencies. Information on approved uses normally appears on the manufacturer’s label. 2 Louisiana Agriculture, Summer 2015 Vol. 58, No. 3, Summer 2015 Published Since 1957 DEPARTMENTS 4 AgCenter News 6 College of Ag News FEATURES 2 Enforcement of new Clean Water Rule still unclear for farmers Olivia McClure 8 Water Management at Catahoula Lake Richard Keim 12 Sugarcane Aphid: A New Invasive Pest of Sorghum 8 David Kerns, Sebe Brown, Julien Beuzelin and Kurt M. Guidry 15 Environmental Impact and Forage Production of Various Ryegrass Planting Methods Donna Morgan, Jeff Gurie and Glen T. Gentry 18 Challenges of Corn Nitrogen Management During Saturated Soils Conditions Josh Lofton and Beatrix Haggard 20 Youth focus on healthy water for productive wetlands Randy LaBauve 22 4-H’ers learn to make communities safer from disasters Bruce Schultz 24 Robots and Artificial Reefs for Water Conservation and Management 12 Steven G. Hall, Daniel Smith, Randy R. Price, Melody Thomas and Jeanne Steyer 26 Water Use and Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Market Achyut Adhikari and Marlene E. Janes 28 Sediment and Nutrient Sluicing to Restore University Lake Y. Jun Xu 31 Louisiana Master Farmer Program: A Bridge Between Regulatory Agencies and Agriculture Bruce Schultz 32 Young farmer award winner attributes success to seeking good advice, thinking big Linda Foster Benedict 34 Griffin’s career spans agriculture’s weed science revolution Olivia McClure 35 Researchers continue quest to eradicate salvinia from all Louisiana 20 waterways Bruce Schultz SCIENCE NOTES 14 Increasing Levee Protection from Wave Overtopping Erosion Jeffrey Beasley, Christopher Thornton, Steven Hughes and Edward Bush 30 Long-term Nutrient Change in the Mermentau and Vermilion Rivers Songjie He and Y. Jun Xu 35 Scientists Optimize Nursery Irrigation Practices by Managing Water Output Edward W. Bush and Jeff Beasley 24 ON THE COVER: Richard Keim, associate professor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources, stands on the bed of Catahoula Lake during low water in the fall when much of the lake is dry. Small variations in the lake bed and water levels cause patchiness in plant communities. Establishment of woody plants, such as the water-elm and baldcypress seen here, reduces cover of the herbaceous plants that are important for wildlife habitat. Photo by Karen Latuso Louisiana Agriculture, Summer 2015 3 AgCenter News Louisiana 4-H team places second in seafood cook-off A team of young chefs from Ascension Parish “Parents played a huge role,” said Ascension earned second place in the Great American Parish AgCenter 4-H agent Stephanie Gravois. Seafood Cook-Off 4-H Edition on Aug. 9 in New Rick Bogren Orleans. Their creation, called Seafood Eggs Benedict, featured crawfish and crab meat. A team from Starr County, Texas, won the competition. Third place went to a team from Saluda County, South Carolina. Other par- ticipants included 4-H teams from Benton County, Arkansas, and Pearl River County, Mississippi. During the competition each team was given one hour to pre- pare their dish using American sea- food. The Louisiana participants Leodrey Williams. Photo by Olivia McClure were Eden Schexnayder, Kassie deVeer and brother and sister Jared and Hannah Barrilleaux. SU Ag Center chancellor The Ascension Parish team of Eden Schexnayder, Jared Barrilleaux, Kassie retires after 50 years The team was coached by Katie deVeer and Hannah Barrilleaux captured second place in the Great American After 50 years of service, Leodrey Williams, deVeer, Kassie’s sister. Seafood Cook-Off 4-H Edition on Aug. 9 in New Orleans. Photo by Rick Bogren chancellor of the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Teachers rewarded for school gardens retired on June 30, 2015. Teachers who started gardens at their schools what can be done to make the gardens better this Williams grew up working on his family’s farm last year were recognized for their progress at a year, Fontenot said. in Pinckneyville, Mississippi, and was a member workshop on July 29 at the LSU AgCenter Botanic The schools involved in the program included of the New Farmers of America Program in high Gardens at Burden. five in East Baton Rouge Parish, two in Iberville school. After graduating, he enrolled at Southern Ten south Louisiana schools were awarded Parish, two in West Feliciana Parish and one in University and majored in vocational agriculture. grants last summer to implement gardens at their Jefferson Davis Parish. The sponsors included the “I wanted to work internationally in developing schools, said AgCenter gardening specialist Kiki Pennington Family Foundation, Blue Cross Blue countries,” he said. Fontenot. The teachers returned for the workshop Shield of Louisiana, East Iberville School Group However, things did not work out as planned. to learn how to continue the gardens without the and the Albemarle Foundation. Just before his graduation, Williams was drafted financial backing of the AgCenter and to receive Fontenot said she hopes to receive addi- into the Army.