Conservation practices (CP) such as grassed waterways, vegetated buffers, and Water and Sediment Control Basin are implemented in agricultural areas to minimize nonpoint source pollution. Identifying the appropriate location and type of CPs to implement in the field is necessary for optimal watershed management and cost-effective environmental benefits. The Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) toolbox identifies potential locations for CPs for agricultural fields at the watershed scale (typically at HUC 12 scale) to support conservation planning processes. Prioritization of ACPF identified CP location/type in the watershed could cost-efficiently maximize the water quality benefits. We propose an optimum CP planning decision framework using ACPF, landscape biophysical characteristics of the watershed, and CPs implementation and operating cost. The biophysical characteristics of the source area to each CPs is characterized using publicly available datasets in the US, such as the soil characteristics and slope. The proposed method ranks CP types and locations using landscape vulnerability factors, higher environmental benefits, and lower costs. An application of the proposed framework is demonstrated in two agriculture-dominated HUC 12 watersheds, Conewago and Mahantango of Pennsylvania. Further, the efficiencies of prioritized CP types and locations were evaluated by implementing them in an eco-hydrological model and simulating its water quality benefits. The methodology and inferences focus on serving NRCS offices and supporting partners across the US to implement ACPF in conservation planning processes.
