Linking geospatial tools across scales: a framework for local mitigation of agricultural diffuse pollution in Lancaster, PA

Abstract:

Diffuse nutrient and sediment pollution from agriculture is one of the largest remaining challenges in the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CBW). The CBW is geospatially data-rich thanks to long-standing research efforts; this has in turn fueled the development and application of a wide variety of broad-scale geospatial tools for water quality trend analysis and fine-scale geospatial data for precision management. However, integrating these two types of geospatial tools into a cohesive framework is difficult. To address this, we hypothesize that a top-down downscaling of CAST data and other regional-scale models combined with a precise, bottom-up mapping of ACPF output, critical source areas, and the urban-agricultural fringe will converge on diffuse pollution hotspots. Using this integrated framework allows us to engage with local stakeholders to best utilize the existing wealth of geospatial data in the CBW, while communicating both the limited role and uncertainties of geospatial tools. Our study region is an agricultural portion of northwestern Lancaster County, PA, although we expect the framework to be applicable across broader portions of the CBW.