Designing Watersheds for Integrated Development - A Case Study from Little River Watershed

Explore a conference presentation from the Georgia Water Resources Conference that examines watershed management through an innovative profit maximization model applied to the Little River Experimental Watershed in South Georgia. Learn about the Designing Watersheds for Integrated Development (DWID) approach, which combines Soil & Water Assessment Tool data with local crop profit information to optimize land allocation while meeting water quality standards. Discover how different scenarios involving nitrate-nitrogen and phosphorus constraints impact landowner profits over a nine-year period, with detailed analysis showing profit reductions of up to $22.51 million under combined constraints. Gain insights into the economic and environmental tradeoffs of land use changes, and understand how this model can inform policymaking for watershed management in Georgia and beyond. Through comprehensive data analysis, biophysical estimates, and economic assessments, examine the relationship between present value and annual water yield, while understanding the marginal costs associated with various environmental regulations.