The Great Waste Debate Activity 1  

Activity 1

Carefully read through the statistics below to ensure your understanding of the situations being modeled.

Dairy Farm
100 acres with free roaming cows
Soil - silty, clay loam with vegetative cover (fescue and reed grass)
200 cows (2 cows per acre)
Each cow is 1400 pounds and produces 11 pounds of nitrogen and phosphate per month in waste
Run-Off Factor Constant of 33*.8
Rain Factor - 25-year frequency, 24-hour rainfall run-off = 4.8 inches per month

Housing Development
100 acres of subdivision developed plats
Soil - silty, clay loam with vegetative cover (fescue and reed grass)
200 houses (half-acre lots)
Each house fertilizes four times a year generating 45 pounds of nitrogen and phosphate waste per application
Run-Off Factor Constant of 33*.8
Rain Factor - 25-year frequency, 24-hour rainfall run-off = 4.8 inches per month

Model Specifics Duration - One year Time Interval - One month

Given the above statistics answer the following questions:

1. Which 100 acre lot will dump the most nitrogen and phosphate waste in the bay in one year?

2. How did you determine your answer to number 1?

Great Waste Debate | Activity 1 | Activity 2 | Activity 3 | Activity 4

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