During my undergraduate education, I was given responsibility in analyzing potential erosion vulnerability in the Upper Couderay River Watershed. Located in Northwest Wisconsin, Lac Courte Oreilles is the watershed's main body of water. The lake and watershed are at a high risk of phosphorous intake due to the physical landforms, crops, land practices, and precipitation happening in agricultural parcels.
Using Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources' EVAAL (Erosion Vulnerability Assessment for Agricultural Lands) tool, we were able to predict possible sources of erosion runoff going into the lakes. The EVAAL model delivered possible solutions to the community's stakeholders, in which what could be best management practices to prevent future erosion runoff into the watershed.
Click here to see more details on the project.
Information about the EVAAL tool can be found here.