IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE IN DISSEMINATING RESISTANCE TO THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH MANURE AMENDMENT OF CROPLAND. WE PROPOSE TO ASSESS THE FATE, TRANSPORT, AND ROLE OF ANTIMICROBIAL ORGANISMS AND THEIR GENES IN AGROECOSYSTEMS. OUR STUDY SITE IS THE BLACK HAWK LAKE WATERSHED, AND MONITORING POINTS ARE UNIQUELY SELECTED TO COMPARE WATER FROM CATCHMENTS WITH AND WITHOUT MANURE. REGIONS WITHIN THIS WATERSHED HAVE DIVERSE SOIL MANAGEMENT HISTORIES, ALLOWING US TO ALSO COMPARE SOILS WITH AND WITHOUT AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION PRACTICES. OUR PROPOSAL SPANS FROM MODEL SYSTEMS TO THE FIELD WITH A LENS FOCUSED ON THE MOBILITY OF AMR AND WILL PROVIDE A MUCH NEEDED FOUNDATIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RISK FACTORS, GENE TARGETS, AND BACTERIAL HOSTS RELATED TO THE PERSISTENCE OF AMR. WE SPECIFICALLY WILL ADDRESS THREE OBJECTIVES: (1) IDENTIFY SENTINELS OF AMR PERSISTENCE THROUGH SOIL COLUMNS; (2) CAPTURE AND CHARACTERIZE MGES PRESENTIN SWINE MANURE AND DRAINAGE; AND (3) CHARACTERIZE SENTINELS OF AMR IN THE BLACK HAWK LAKE WATERSHED. THE OUTPUTS OF THIS PROPOSAL WILL IDENTIFY RELEVANT SOURCES OF RISKS TO THE PERSISTENCE OF RESISTANCE, ESPECIALLY WITH REGARDS TO MOBILE ELEMENT TRANSMISSION, SO THAT FUTURE RESEARCH CAN MORE EFFECTIVELY TARGET THESE SOURCES TO ENHANCE THE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY.