TY - JOUR
T1 - Innovation in outcomes-based water quality policy
T2 - A case study from the Yahara watershed, Wisconsin, USA
AU - Wardropper, Chloe
AU - Gillon, Sean
AU - Rissman, Adena
N1 - Funding Information:
The following National Science Foundation grants supported this research: Water Sustainability and Climate DEB 1038759, Long Term Ecological Research DEB 0832652, and Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) DGE 1144752. Research was also supported by a grant from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies.
Funding Information:
Funding from the following National Science Foundation grants supported this research: Water Sustainability and Climate DEB 1038759, Long Term Ecological Research DEB 0832652, and Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) DGE 1144752. Research was also supported by a grant from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Holtz Center for?Science?andTechnology?Studies.
Funding Information:
The pilot project pays watershed farmers to implement practices such as cover cropping, buffer strips, and better manure management; it also funds urban efforts such as leaf removal and installation of green infrastructure such as rain gardens. Funds for the Yahara WINs pilot project came from water utilities of 21 municipalities (annual contributions ranging from $779,000 to $9,000 for the largest and smallest municipalities), a grant from two Wisconsin-based environmental non-profits, a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and in-kind staff contributions from the county conservation department and volunteer water monitors. Despite these cost savings and the project’s potential for innovation, significant risks, including regulatory sanction and failure to meet environmental goals, are associated with signing onto this compliance option, which partly stem from the uncertainty associated with?monitoring?and modeling program outcomes.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 by the Regents of the University of California.
PY - 2018/12/31
Y1 - 2018/12/31
N2 - This case examines the risks and opportunities for stakeholders involved in an experimental water quality management program in Wisconsin, USA. This program pays for pounds of pollution reduced through soil conservation practices on farm fields and other high-runoff areas across the landscape-nonpoint sources of pollution-by redirecting funds from the sewerage plant and municipal point sources of pollution. Uncertain monitoring and modeling of pollution sources used for program payments and accountability create perceived and real risks to program participants and the environment, including the threat of regulatory enforcement, lost revenue, and failure to achieve environmental outcomes. On the other hand, in this case study, regulatory flexibility also opened a space for stakeholder dialog and programmatic cooperation that could lead to more adaptive and locally acceptable watershed pollution control in the future.
AB - This case examines the risks and opportunities for stakeholders involved in an experimental water quality management program in Wisconsin, USA. This program pays for pounds of pollution reduced through soil conservation practices on farm fields and other high-runoff areas across the landscape-nonpoint sources of pollution-by redirecting funds from the sewerage plant and municipal point sources of pollution. Uncertain monitoring and modeling of pollution sources used for program payments and accountability create perceived and real risks to program participants and the environment, including the threat of regulatory enforcement, lost revenue, and failure to achieve environmental outcomes. On the other hand, in this case study, regulatory flexibility also opened a space for stakeholder dialog and programmatic cooperation that could lead to more adaptive and locally acceptable watershed pollution control in the future.
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U2 - 10.1525/cse.2018.001222
DO - 10.1525/cse.2018.001222
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85104205587
SN - 2473-9510
VL - 2
JO - Case Studies in the Environment
JF - Case Studies in the Environment
IS - 1
ER -