Why study the Maple Creek watershed?
Maple Creek and the other four watersheds represent nationally important agricultural settings (chemical use, crops, and AMPs) and natural settings (climate, geology, topography, and soils). Maple Creek, which is part of the Elkhorn River watershed, is representative of corn and soybean row cropping in the upper Great Plains. Other features of the watershed that are relevant to this study: • Use of agricultural chemicals: Chemicals used include herbicides such as atrazine, alachlor, acetochlor, metolachlor, and glyphosate; and fertilizers, both organic and inorganic. • Distinct natural setting: The rolling upland hills and a permeable surficial aquifer overlain by less permeable glacial till allow water and chemicals to move overland to streams and into Maple Creek. The relatively flat valley bottom lands and wooded riparian zones along Maple Creek reduce runoff from fields. • Variety of agricultural management practices: AMPs include tillage and no-tillage; use of central pivot irriga
