**5. Conclusions**

Overall, the results of this research demonstrated a decision-making framework that can be applied at any temporal or spatial scale to quantify the importance of targeting "hot moments" to achieve specific load-reduction goals. The results of our analysis demonstrate the site-specific nature of the results such that even across a watershed with a single TMDL, the implementation of conservation practices that will achieve the load-reduction goals is likely to be heterogeneous, with the success of field-scale implementation of appropriate conservation practices relying on local knowledge of hydrology and contaminant transport.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, H.E.P., T.L.V., and M.R.; methodology, H.E.P. and T.L.V.; software, N.O., D.S., and T.L.V.; formal analysis, N.O. and D.S.; investigation, N.O., D.S., H.E.P., and T.L.V.; resources, H.E.P.; writing—original draft preparation, N.O., D.S., and H.E.P.; writing—review and editing, T.L.V. and M.R.; visualization, N.O., D.S., H.E.P., and T.L.V.; supervision, H.E.P. and M.R.; project administration, H.E.P.; funding acquisition, H.E.P. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** Nicole Opalinski worked on this project as part of an independent studies course. Daniel Schultz was funded through support from the Penn State College of Engineering Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates Program and from the Penn State Erickson Discovery Undergraduate Research Program. Heather E. Preisendanz is funded, in part, by the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment and by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Federal Appropriations under Project PEN04574 and Accession number 1004448. Matt Royer was supported, in part, by the Penn State Center for Nutrient Solutions, which is funded by an EPA STAR Grant (RD835568). All entities involved are equal opportunity providers and employers.

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.

**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.

**Data Availability Statement:** All data are publicly available through the United States Geological Survey and can be accessed at: https://cbrim.er.usgs.gov/introduction.html or https://doi.org/10.5 066/P931M7FT.

**Conflicts of Interest:** Authors Preisendanz and Veith reside in the same household. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.
