Coosa River Basin Nutrient Trading Framework

The proposed Coosa Basin Nutrient Trading Framework lets municipal organizations and agricultural interests work together to protect and restore water quality at lower costs than traditional approaches. For the Coosa River Basin, removing poultry litter from the watershed is proving to be a more cost-effective way to reduce total phosphorus, compared to point-source phosphorus reduction at a wastewater treatment facility. In collaboration with project partners, Brown and Caldwell developed simple tools, looked at existing BMP efficiency data, and presented a proposed trade to regulators. Implementing this management technique could help NPDES permit holders save millions of dollars to meet total phosphorus permit limits.