American Society of Agronomy
American Society of Agronomy is a association that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
Cleaner wastewater makes for healthier rivers
Have you ever thought about where your waste goes? For people living in cities, it goes to a treatment plant. However, treated wastewater ultimately finds its way into a local waterway. This means it could end up in your nearby stream, river, or lake. Although wastewater treatment reduces the threat of disease, another problem remains: nutrients. Wastewater […]
What are the benefits of biosolids?
For more than four decades, biosolids have been applied to land and studied by researchers for many useful purposes. Biosolids are a product of the wastewater treatment process. Yes, that means sewage. However, the sewage is treated carefully to ensure it has beneficial properties and is not harmful. Biosolids are produced by separating liquids from […]
How does low-impact development help manage stormwater?
Cities can have many benefits when designed well, including reducing carbon imprints. Another way cities can improve their environmental impact is by using "low-impact development" with regard to water management. It is also called "green stormwater infrastructure." The Soil Science Society of America's (SSSA) September 1st Soils Matter blog explores how low-impact development provides planners […]
Helping rain stay where it lands
"When it rains, it pours." This phrase is meant to mean that bad news comes in waves. Unfortunately, that's true with real rain, too. While rain is usually welcome for various reasons, in developed area like cities and towns, it can produce a big problem: polluted runoff. Wherever rains lands on traditional human-made surfaces, it […]
Small wetlands can have big impacts
Crops need nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus to grow and thrive. However, excess nutrients from farms can wash into streams and rivers, and even make their way into oceans. The surplus in nutrients can cause major damage to aquatic ecosystems; but small wetlands can be of tremendous help in reducing or preventing this damage. In […]
More riparian buffer strips can protect waterways
A new study suggests we may have more opportunities to protect our waterways. That’s because one system for keeping too many nutrients out of streams could be used more widely than it is now. Known as saturated riparian buffer strips, the system slows down and redirects water coming off farm fields. Water passes through a strip […]
Do depressions in Canadian prairies hold the key to groundwater recharge?
The water cycle is a delicate balance. In natural settings, water from rainfall or snowmelt can soak into soil or runoff to streams. Some of the water is stored in natural underground reservoirs – called groundwater. Plants use up the water to grow, and then new precipitation refills the groundwater – a process called groundwater […]
Solving the nitrogen puzzle: Measuring groundwater pollution from agriculture
For years it’s been relatively easy to measure pollution from, say, a factory. At a factory, there might be just one pipe of waste to measure. Easy enough. But what about a farm? We might not typically think of farms as sources of pollution. But they can have big impacts on the land over time. […]
Water management grows farm profits
A healthy lifestyle consists of a mixture of habits. Diet, exercise, sleep and other factors all must be in balance. Similarly, a sustainable farm operates on a balanced plan of soil, crop, and water management techniques. The western United States is a region with scarce water resources. In this case, water management techniques make up […]