Sediment integration report: Contribution of sediments to the Great Lakes from agricultural activities in Ontario

This report summarizes the results of a three year study conducted in the Canadian Great Lakes Basin to ascertain the nature and extent to which agricultural land use contributes to the sediment load of the Great Lakes. Two years of stream water monitoring data in representative agricultural watersheds indicated a loading rates of <100 to 900 kg/ha/yr for the dominant agricultural regions of Southern Ontario. Highest sediment loads were observed in intensively farmed regions characterized by a high percentage of row crops, fine textured soils and an efficient transport system that delivers eroded sediments to the stream.