It was an excellent opportunity to learn from the experts what we know about this complicated but potentially important subject. And it is quite an emerging story to tell. While there were plenty of people there to call for more studies and better monitoring of conditions, there were already some clear messages for the managers to take in. Until the workshop, the general word on the street was that while ammonia might be a problem in limited areas, the concentrations were localized around large sources like chicken houses and pig farm lagoons, and didn't travel far. This proved to be a major misconception.
Studies show that airborne ammonia can travel long distances.
While there is an area of heavy deposition around the source, the remaining fraction spreads out quickly and far. Likewise, sources within our region are contributing to ammonia loadings to waterbodies to the Northeast, as well as the coastal ocean. Finally, in our watershed as well as others, agriculture is the primary source of airborne ammonia. This adds up to 70 percent agricultural sources, and seems to be reflected in data from other areas. As I say, it is amazing what we don't know.