GIS ANALYSIS TO IDENTIFY TURFGRASS SOD PRODUCTION SITES FOR PHOSPHORUS REMOVAL

Erath County in the North Bosque River (NBR) watershed of central Texas hosts a large portion of dairy production in the state. In recent years, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has approved a total maximum daily load (TMDL) program for soluble phosphorus (P) for two segments of the NBR. The TMDL program affects dairy producers in the region who contribute to the nonpoint-source (NPS) phosphorus loading in the watershed. Best management practices (BMPs) are now necessary to remedy the issue of excess P. One proposed BMP calls for the production of turfgrass sod using composted dairy manure. The turfgrass sod would be transported out of the watershed, thus exporting nutrients and reducing P loadings to the NBR. The objective of this project was to determine, using geospatial databases, if there was enough land in Erath County suitable for turfgrass sod production to make this proposed BMP economically feasible. Our analysis identified over 5,000 ha of land suitable for turfgrass sod production.