** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ADOPTION OF RIPARIAN BUFFERS TO REDUCE FLUXES OF NUTRIENT, SEDIMENT, AND CHEMICALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN (CECS) IS CRUCIAL IN WATERSHEDS IMPAIRED BY AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES. HOWEVER, THEIR WATER QUALITY BENEFITS ARE UNDERMINED BY THE PRESENCE OF CONCENTRATED FLOW PATHWAYS (CFPS) THAT SHORT-CIRCUIT BUFFERS. WE WILL DETERMINE THROUGH A COMBINED FIELD AND MODELING APPROACH THE EXTENT TO WHICH CFPS ENHANCE CONTAMINANT FLUXES THROUGH RIPARIAN BUFFERS, AND ASSESS APPROPRIATE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN REDUCE THESE FLUXES. OBJECTIVES INCLUDE: (I) CONDUCT FIELD STUDIES TO IDENTIFY THE OCCURRENCE OF CFPS IN AGRICULTURAL FIELDS AND RIPARIAN ZONES, DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH HOT SPOTS FOR NUTRIENTS AND PESTICIDES OVERLAP WITH CFP DRAINAGE AREAS, AND MEASURE FLUXES OF NUTRIENTS, SEDIMENT, AND PESTICIDES THROUGH CFPS; (II) USE THE RESULTS OF THE FIELD-BASED STUDIES TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE COMPUTER-BASED TOOLKITS THAT CAN PREDICT THE OCCURRENCE OF CFPS AND FLUXES OF NUTRIENTS, SEDIMENT,AND PESTICIDES THROUGH CFPS AND RIPARIAN BUFFERS; (III) EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL FOR EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF CFPS, THEREBY RESTORING RIPARIAN BUFFER INTEGRITY; (IV) CONDUCT FARMER SURVEYS TO EVALUATE THE WILLINGNESS OF FARMERS TO ADOPT CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES; AND (V) DEVELOP A COUPLED WATER QUALITY AND SOCIOECONOMIC MODEL, USING A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH COMPRISED OF BIOPHYSICAL METHODS AND SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS, THAT CAN INFORM WATERSHED-SCALE DECISION MAKING. OVERALL, THE RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE THE DATA AND TOOLS NEEDED TO RESTORE AND MAINTAIN BUFFER INTEGRITY. THIS PROJECT IS WELL-SUITED FOR PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY CODE A1411, WATER QUANTITY &AMP; QUALITY.