Assessing the Efficiency of Alternative Best Management Practices to Reduce Nonpoint Source Pollution in the Broiler Production Region of Louisiana

We demonstrate the impact of choosing suites of best management practices (BMPs) to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment load in Chenier Creek water segment located within the Baouf watershed, Louisiana. Simulation outputs generated from MAPSHED are used to generate regression coefficients and marginal effects which are then used in the optimization model. Results indicated that agricultural land retirement can meet up to 35% goal in phosphorus reduction with $840132. With restriction on ag land conversion to 10% available row crop area, it was found three different BMPs can reduce up to 20% phosphorus compared to no BMP adoption scenario. This goal in reduction of phosphorus can also bring down the nitrogen and sediment pollution by 5 and 33 percents, respectively. Careful modeling of different BMPs and development of optimization model can help to meet the water quality goal in Louisiana.