The Beargrass Story: Utilizing Social Science to Evaluate and Learn from the "Watershed Approach"

Authors

• Sarah P. Church, Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
• Nicholas Babin, Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
• Belyna Bentlage, Verdis Group, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
• Michael Dunn, Social and Economic Research Group, UK Forestry Commission, Northern Research Station, Bush Estate, Roslin, Scotland
• Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
• Pranay Ranjan, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
• Joe Magner, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
• Eileen McLellan, Environmental Defense Fund, Washington, D.C., USA
• Susi Stephan, Wabash County Farm Service Agency, Wabash, Indiana, USA
• Mark D. Tomer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Ames, Iowa, USA
• Linda S. Prokopy, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Keywords

watershed, water quality, agriculture, applied social science, evaluation, surveys, interviews, observation

Abstract

This paper presents the case of a voluntary watershed project that addressed the need for improving water quality by reducing agricultural nutrient loss. The Beargrass Creek Watershed Approach Project in Wabash County, Indiana aimed to demonstrate that it is possible to achieve ambitious water quality goals and maximize the effectiveness of conservation funding through locally-led efforts that bring together multiple stakeholders throughout the process. The project focused on implementing the "right practices" in the "right places" through a goal-oriented, science-based, and locally-adapted approach to voluntary conservation. We examine and evaluate all three phases of the project and discuss successes and lessons learned from the point of view of both agricultural producers and agency staff from the local Soil and Water Conservation District and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1936-704x.2019.03313.x