SOURCES SOUGHT
F -- Buffers and Subsurface Phosphorus Transport Study
- Notice Date
- 6/2/2004
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, North Carolina State Office, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 205, Raleigh, NC, 27609-6293
- ZIP Code
- 27609-6293
- Solicitation Number
- NRCS-10-NC-04
- Response Due
- 6/16/2004
- Archive Date
- 7/1/2004
- Point of Contact
- Elizabeth Caldwell, Contract Specialist, Phone 919-873-2113, Fax 919-873-2146, - Carmelita Wesley, Contract Specialist, Phone 919-873-2117, Fax 919-873-2146,
- E-Mail Address
-
lcaldwell@nc.nrcs.usda.gov, carmelita.wesley@nc.usda.gov
- Description
- The USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is issuing this Sources Sought Notice to determine if there are parties who are capable and interested in performing the required services. All interested parties should respond to this Notice by providing the Contracting Officer with a statement of interest and a description of their capability to perform the statement of work as described in this Notice. Employees of the USDA-NRCS are not currently performing this service; this will be a new effort to collect and analyze data to better understand the soils and landscape factors that potentially mitigate the leaching and subsurface transport of phosphorus from agricultural fields to surface water. This project also includes the modification of the Phosphorus Loss Assessment Tool (PLAT) software, developed by North Carolina State University, to implement the results of the data collection and analyses. Responses to this Notice must include, as a minimum, the following information: (1) a statement of interest in performing this work, (2) the size of organization and number of employees who hold college degrees in soils, soil fertility, agricultural engineering, and related fields applicable to this project, (3) experience conducting studies of soils, drainage and hydrology in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, (4) experience developing and implementing studies to understand the effect of Best Management Practices (BMPs) on agricultural lands, (5) experience with and knowledge of the North Carolina Phosphorus Loss Assessment Tool software, and (6) a description of experience managing projects of similar size, scope, and technical areas. Background Phosphorus (P) is an essential crop nutrient, but also a potential water contaminant. Concerns over phosphorus loss from agricultural lands led to a revised USDA nutrient management policy and standard that require a site-specific assessment of the potential for excessive phosphorus transport to surface water to be included as part of a nutrient management plan. North Carolina State University led an interagency effort to develop a computer-based Phosphorus Loss Assessment Tool (PLAT) that utilizes scientific information to guide phosphorus management for maximum productivity while minimizing environmental impacts. PLAT has been incorporated into the NRCS nutrient management standard in the North Carolina Field Office Technical Guide found at www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/efotg/. It has subsequently been adopted by the NC Soil and Water Conservation Commission and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for potential permitting purposes. The PLAT development committee and external reviewers identified and confirmed gaps in the supporting science related to the environmental effects of current and projected organic phosphorus application, the mitigating effects of various management practices, and the scientific basis for quantifying the transport of phosphorus from terrestrial to aquatic environments. This project will address some specific gaps in phosphorus transport science in order to revise PLAT and its supporting databases. Project Rationale Phosphorus found in surface waters of the State is contributed by point and non-point phosphorus sources. Research indicates that agricultural nutrient inputs represent a significant portion of the non-point load. Soils have a finite ability to absorb phosphorus, with limits largely influenced by specific soil properties such as texture. Exceeding the capacity of a given soil or site to adsorb phosphorus through over-application of manure phosphorus substantially increases the risk of phosphorus transport to surface and ground waters. PLAT assigns phosphorus threshold levels for organics, sands, silts and clays, based on soil management groups with similar soil properties. Leaching is the primary potential transport pathway under study in this project. When phosphorus leaches below the root zone, intensive subsurface drainage increases potential phosphorus transport to surface water. Existing research shows that sandy soils subject to a seasonally high water table as found in the North Carolina coastal plain presents increased risk for phosphorus contamination of ground and surface waters. Unfortunately, little is known about the potential for riparian buffers and soils to mitigate phosphorus losses through subsurface pathways. Some studies suggest buffers could partially mitigate subsurface losses in the Coastal Plain, but little is known about factors that determine the effectiveness of buffers for subsurface pathways, or how this could be quantitatively incorporated into PLAT. Project Objectives The specific objectives of this proposed study are to: (1) validate that the list of NC Coastal Plain soils identified in PLAT as subject to leaching is accurate and modify as needed, (2) quantify the mitigation effects of riparian buffer practices on subsurface phosphorus loss transport under a range of diverse landscape, soil, hydrology, and other site-specific factors, and (3) incorporate the results from the analyses into the NC phosphorus loss assessment procedures. Satisfying these objectives will allow NRCS and other agencies to (a) better educate producers on the specific processes and factors controlling phosphorus losses via subsurface phosphorus transport from the field to a surface water, (b) update or revise the list of soils that PLAT identifies as likely to leach under high surface phosphorus conditions, and (c) reduce producer workload by identifying site specific conditions that will likely mitigate the transport of subsurface phosphorus from the field to a surface water source. Scope or Work The contractor agrees to quantify the extent of phosphorus leaching and subsurface transport in soils identified in PLAT with high phosphorus leaching potential and high surface soil test phosphorus levels (> 100 mg P ha-1), quantify the mitigation effects of riparian buffer practices on subsurface phosphorus transport under a range of diverse landscape, soil, hydrology, and other site-specific factors, and update PLAT software and supporting databases to reflect soluble phosphorus transport data obtained in this proposed work. Deliverable 1: On 40-50 field sites that meet the criteria (high soil test phosphorus and phosphorus leaching potential), soil samples will be collected along transects from mid-field through the adjacent buffer to the receiving surface water body. Although field size will determine the number of transects monitored per field, approximately 5 in-field soil cores will be collected with at least two located in the buffer. Soil cores (165 cm long) will be collected and subdivided into 15 cm increments (11 samples per core) and analyzed for pH, Mehlich-3 P, Al, and Fe and water-extractable phosphorus to establish relationships between soluble and non-soluble soil phosphorus fractions. Soil texture and organic matter will also be determined. Completion Date: August 2005. Deliverable 2: Seasonal water table levels and directional flow will be monitored following well and piezometer installations, respectively, on 4 to 5 sites selected from the 40-50 sites surveyed above. Sampling wells are composed of PVC pipe 120 cm in length and 5 cm in diameter and will be installed to 100 cm depth. Approximately 5 sampling wells will be installed along a transect beginning 5-10 m in-field from the filed-buffer interface through the buffer with at least 2 located in the buffer. Ground water samples will be collected monthly from wells along each transect. Groundwater pH will be measured immediately upon sampling to minimize measurement error introduced as samples are exposed to CO2. Samples will be treated with HCl to prevent microbial growth and later filtered and analyzed for soluble phosphorus. Completion Date: December, 2006. Deliverable 3: Data collected from Deliverables 1 and 2 will be analyzed to determine the extent of phosphorus leaching and subsurface phosphorus transport and the influence of vegetative buffers on reducing phosphorus transport to surface waters. Based on the analytical results, PLAT and its supporting databases will be revised to reflect the new phosphorus transport information. In order to ensure a defensible scientific foundation for PLAT and its use, the results of the project will be published in the scientific literature. Completion date: December 2006. Technical Point of Contact: Lane Price, Assistant State Conservationist for Technology, Phone 919-873-2105
- Place of Performance
- Address: Various locations within North Carolina
- Zip Code: 27609
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 27609
- Record
- SN00595740-W 20040604/040602211731 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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