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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory, 6201 Congdon Boulevard, Duluth, MN 55804; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory, 6201 Congdon Boulevard, Duluth, MN 55804; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Technical Resources Incorporated, 6201 Congdon Boulevard, Duluth, MN 55804; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Technical Resources Incorporated, 6201 Congdon Boulevard, Duluth, MN 55804

To assess the response of prairie potholes to sediment and agricultural loadings, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Wetland Function Project is conducting a series of laboratory-, mesocosm-, and watershed-level experiments in cooperation with the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. Preliminary hazard assessments are being conducted by comparing predicted effects of pesticides commonly used in North Dakota based on their (a) toxicity to algae, macrophytes, macroinvertebrates, and waterfowl; (b) environmental partitioning; (c) bioconcentration factors; and (d) biodegradability. Residual toxicity associated with agrichemicals in sediments from potholes surrounded by varied agricultural land-use practices have been measured using laboratory bulk sediment bioassays with macroinvertebrates. Experiments planned for the future include watershed-level manipulations and controlled applications of sediment and agrichemicals to wetland mesocosms. Results will be integrated with data and models from the U.S. EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program-Wetlands, Wetland Research Program Landscape Function, Characterization/Restoration, and Risk Reduction Projects to characterize risks to waterfowl production across the Prairie Pothole Region.