Protecting water resources

Colorado State University

• Household water conservation (PDF)
  We can get by on less by reducing our water consumption in and around the home.
• Water conservation in and around the home (PDF)
  Water conservation is vital to enhancing the efficiency of how we use water. This fact sheet describes ways to reduce water consumption in and around your home.
• Protecting water quality and the environment (PDF)
  While our individual homes may contribute only small amounts of pollutants, they add up to bigger problems downstream.
• Domestic water quality criteria
  The appearance, taste or odor of water from a well or other source offers some information on obvious contamination, but chemical analysis is needed to detect most contamination in water.
• Drinking water quality and health
  Water can be hard or soft, natural or modified, bottled or tap, carbonated or still.
• Preventing contamination of potable water sources
  Backflow prevention devices protect the drinking water system from contamination due to backflow of non-potable (contaminated) water into the potable (fit for drinking) water supply.
• Preparing your system for winter
  Preparing your sprinkler system for winter must be done correctly to assure there are no costly repairs and replacements to make in the spring at system start-up.
• Inspecting and correcting irrigation system problems
  How-to inspect and correct irrigation system problems
• Irrigation water quality criteria
  Knowledge of irrigation water quality is critical to understanding what management changes are necessary for long-term productivity.
• Pesticide best management practices (PDF)
  Problems associated with improper pesticide use have led to human illness, injury to non-target species, and water quality degradation.
• Best management practices for manure utilization (PDF)
  Is a valuable asset to crop production but also can be a source of both ground and surface water contamination if handled improperly.
• Best management practices for pesticide and fertilizer use (PDF)
  It is essential that facilities for the storage and handling of these products be properly sited, designed, constructed, and operated.
• Best management practices for nitrogen PDF
  It has been documented that improper or excessive use of N sources can lead to nitrate pollution of ground or surface water.
• Nitrates in drinking water
  If people or animals drink water high in nitrate, it may cause methemoglobinemia, an illness found especially in infants.
• Nitrogen and irrigation management
  Good nitrogen and irrigation management practices can reduce the probability of nitrate leaching into groundwater while maintaining profitable yields.
• Best management practices for phosphorous fertilization (PDF)
  Proper management of soils and P fertilizers is essential to protect water quality from degradation.
• Private wells for home use
  Ground water wells are the principle source of water for most homeowners in rural areas of Colorado.
• Protecting your private well (PDF)
  Protecting these private water sup- plies is essential to the welfare of those who depend upon groundwater; good quality water is an invaluable resource.
• Bacteria in water wells
  Wells used for drinking water should be tested for the presence of coliform every one to two years, in addition to other water quality parameters. Non-disease causing iron bacteria can affect household and irrigation wells.

New Mexico State University

• Playa Lakes: Understanding Their Importance and How to Protect Them and Improve Their Function, Guide W-107
  Playa lakes are one of the most important types of ephemeral or temporary wetlands in the arid Southwest. In the Southern High Plains region, playas are the principal source of surface water.
• Monitoring Your Well Water Guide M-118
  Being proactive and knowledgeable about the quantity and quality of your well water allows you to detect problems early and implement corrective measures.
• Cyanobacteria (Blue-green Algae) in Our Waters: Guide W-106
  Agricultural best management practices (BMPs) to increase resilience to algal blooms
• Water Quality for Livestock and Poultry Guide M-112
  This guide outlines the recommended limits of certain substances commonly found in water used for livestock and poultry.
• Treating and Storing Water for Emergency Use. Guide M-116
  The purpose of this guide is to emphasize the importance of having an emergency water supply for yourself and your family, and to describe how to make contaminated water safe for drinking.
• Nitrate in Drinking Water Guide M-114
  What Is Nitrate and How Does It Get Into Groundwater?
• Irrigation Scheduling of Pecan Orchards: Soil Moisture Monitoring
  This guide outlines the recommended limits of certain substances commonly found in water used for livestock and poultry.
• Planning and Operating Pecan Orchards With Drip and Microspray Irrigation
  Drip irrigation allows precise application of water to plant roots. Small amounts of water are applied frequently to replace water withdrawn by the plant or lost by evaporation or deep seepage.
• Sizing Plastic Pipelines for Water on the Range
  Plastic pipe has a low-friction factor at the low flows associated with livestock watering. It is also very inexpensive compared with other pipeline materials, and it is easy to install.
• Designing Solar Water Pumping Systems for Livestock
  An interactive design spreadsheet, and literature related to solar water pumping to better inform NM water users about the benefits and methodology of implementing this technology.
• Solar-Powered Water Pump Design Spreadsheet Version II: User Manual
  Spreadsheet designed to allow you to enter values such as well location and depth, number and type of animals, etc.
• Monitoring Your Well Water
  Implementing a well monitoring program can help identify changes in water supply and quality before they become serious problems.

Oklahoma State University

• The most important nutrient.
  The most important nutrient in your horse’s diet may be the most overlooked.
• Outdoor water conservation
  Water savings design ideas for Oklahoma landscapes.
• Design of rainwater harvesting systems in Oklahoma.
  Rainwater harvesting is the process of capturing, channeling, and storing stormwater runoff for later use.
• Considering water quality in Oklahoma.
  Often referred to as “tap water” drinking water from public water systems is an important resource.
• Water quality series: Rinsing and disposing of pesticide containers.
  Both federal law (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act) and Oklahoma law (35:30-17-93. Handling pesticide by commercial applicators) require pesticide applicators to rinse all empty pesticide containers properly before disposal.
• Phosphorous removal structures.
  A new best management practice to help improve water quality.
• Livestock and poultry drinking water quality.
  Water used by livestock will occasionally contain elements or substances at levels that may reduce performance or cause toxicity.
• Solids content of wastewater and manure.
  Highlights definitions and relationships among different types of solids in wastewater and manure.
• Organic matter content of wastewater and manure.
  defines OM in byproduct materials, and shows how the many different measures of Organic Matter (OM) are used to predict the material’s behavior in the environment.
• On-farm ethanol production regulatory guide.
  More and more agricultural producers are not only being asked to produce the world’s food and fiber; but also the world’s fuel.
• On-farm biodiesel production regulatory guide.
  Many of these regulations do not carry exemptions for small-scale production of fuels, and, as a result, those who produce fuel simply for their own use may often face the same regulations as a large, commercial refinery
• Eastern redcedar encroachment and water.
  Encroachment of Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana, redcedar) into Oklahoma grasslands is thought to substantially alter local and regional water budgets.
• Water use by eastern redcedar.
  Increasing concern about limited water supplies for human use and our natural resources has heighted interest in water demands of eastern redcedar trees, which are rapidly encroaching in the grasslands of the Great Plains and Midwest.
• How eastern redcedar encroachment affects the water cycle of Oklahoma rangelands.
  The rapidly increasing acreage encroached by eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) has recently attracted the attention of land owners, natural resource managers, water managers and policy makers because of the potential effect on streamflow and water supply.
• Using stockpiled feedlot manure as fertilizer.
  These steps will assure the proper amount (agronomic rate) of feedlot manure is applied, so the risk to soil and water quality is minimized.
• Using poultry litter as fertilizer.
  These steps will assure that the proper amount of litter is applied. Avoiding excess litter application minimizes its impact on water quality.
• Nutrient loss and water quality.
  Drainage of soil water can lead to the loss of nutrients when those nutrients are dissolved in the soil solution and move beyond the root zone.
• Simple irrigation checkup for home sprinkler systems.
  A simple irrigation checkup may reduce outdoor water use by helping identify problems with your irrigation system.
• Water quality series: Riparian forest buffers.
  This fact sheet is intended to identify the benefits of riparian areas, describe the various riparian systems in Oklahoma, and suggest appropriate management practices to help maintain them.
• Capturing and recycling irrigation runoff as a pollution prevention measure.
  The need for increased control over water availability and water quality while meeting environmental objectives has led many ornamental nurseries to examine the potential of recycling irrigation runoff as a solution.
• Give the Illinois River a hand by preventing urban storm water pollution.
  The Illinois River and Lake Tenkiller provide the habitat for the fish and wildlife we appreciate, as well as drinking water for other communities downstream.

Texas A&M

• The dos and don’ts of saving water.
  Water is a precious yet limited resource. Conservation is everyone’s responsibility.
• Water conservation checklist for the home.
  Conserving water also conserves other resources—energy and money. It costs money to pump water and make it available in our homes, for irrigation, and for business and industrial uses.
• What’s in my water.
  One way to learn about the contents of your water is to send a sample to a laboratory to be analyzed.
• Water well basics.
  To protect your water supply, you need to keep records on each well, manage potential sources of contamination, and test your water at least once a year.
• Capping wells for future use.
  Because groundwater supplies more than half of the water used in the state, all Texans must help protect the quality of this vital resource.
• Plugging abandoned wells.
  Texas groundwater resources are critical to meeting our future needs.
• Sampling for bacteria in wells.
  The procedure for collecting a water sample
• Disinfecting wells with shock chlorination.
  This method is for private wells with a properly functioning submersible pump4 only.
• Success stories from groundwater conservation districts.
  The aquifers in Texas have different quantities of groundwater, recharge characteristics, and susceptibility to contamination.
• Fertilizers and groundwater.
  If you store or use fertilizers on your property, take steps to reduce the chances of them reaching your well water.
• Animal manure storage to protect groundwater.
  If not managed properly, animal manure and process-generated wastewater can contaminate groundwater, which is the underground water that replenishes wells and springs.
• Managing livestock holding pens to protect groundwater.
  Open lots and holding pens for feeding or holding livestock contain animal manure and process-generated wastewater, which contain nitrate and bacteria.
• Maintain your septic system to protect well water. (PDF)
  You need to know how to operate and maintain it properly to prevent sewage back up into your house, enter surface water such as rivers and lakes, or contaminate your water well.
• Reducing the risk of groundwater contamination by improving hazardous waste management.
  Some common disposal practices not only threaten ground water but also may be illegal.
• Storing and handling pesticides to protect groundwater.
  follow basic practices to reduce the risk of pesticides contaminating your drinking water.
• Storing petroleum products to protect groundwater.
  These tanks can leak or spill, allowing contaminants to move through the soil to the groundwater that supplies your well.
• Preventing groundwater contamination in Edwards Trinity Aquifer.
  The Edwards-Trinity Aquifer underlies 30 counties of the Texas Edwards Plateau and extends over 500 feet deep
• Feed grain industry impacts on Southern Ogallala Region.
  Feed grain production has been a part of agricultural operations since the first pioneers settled the Southern Ogallala Region.
• Are your streams healthy?
  It is just as important to monitor the health of the streams on your property as it is to know what plants you have.
• How we protect streams, rivers, and lakes.
  These bodies of water are fed by rainfall and melting snow that pick up contaminants from the surrounding landscape.
• Improving water quality with grassed waterways.
  A grassed waterway is a broad, shallow channel that is covered with vegetation. It is used to reduce erosion and improve water quality by slowing and diverting runoff.
• Know your plants to protect your watershed.
  A successful rangeland manager understands not only the soils and climatic conditions of his land, but also the plants that live there.
• Reducing Atrazine Runoff from Croplands
  Runoff contamination.
• Using Animal Manure and Wastewater for Crops and Pastures: Know and Take Credit for your N, P, and K
  Effluent from animal manure and wastewater impoundments is often applied to field crops and pastures using big gun nozzles and sprinkler systems.
• Information sources for small water systems.
  The protection of water quality is vital for managers of small water systems.
• Linking water conservation and natural resource stewardship in the Trinity River Basin (PDF)
  Stimulate further creative thinking about opportunities through land stewardship that benefi t water and wildlife.
• The Impact of Ethanol in the Southern High Plains of Texas
  Addresses using scarce water resources for ethanol production from a socioeconomic perspective.
• Impact of ethanol production on water resources in Kansas and Colorado.
  The ethanol industry is one of the newest contributors to the economy of Western Kansas.