Arkansas is one of the leading poultry producers in the nation, resulting in a surplus of animal waste to be disposed of or land applied as an organic fertilizer source. However, poultry litter contains significant amounts of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and direct application of poultry litter to the landscape has been linked to the eutrophication of downstream surface waters. As a result, poultry litter amendments have become both a challenge and opportunity for farmers in waste and nutrient management. To address these concerns, biochar-amended poultry litter (BAPL) can be used as a plant-available fertilizer, while reducing nutrient runoff because of its absorbent nature and ability to improve soil structure. Yet, few studies have quantified the effectiveness of BAPL as a practice for protecting water quality across scales while maintaining its effectiveness as a fertilizer. Here, we compared nutrient leaching from poultry litter versus BAPL using both water extraction tests and a soil incubation study to understand the potential for BAPL to reduce the impact of traditional fertilizers on downstream water quality. Preliminary results BAPL releases significantly less water soluble nutrients compared to raw poultry litter in water extraction tests. In soil incubation studies, we also found that BAPL improved nutrient retention compared to raw litter, with biochar amendments reducing N and P leaching by >15%. These results suggest that BAPL amendments may effectively reduce nutrient release potential, displaying lower water-extractable N and P concentrations after simulated runoff events. Our findings demonstrate the potential for BAPL to serve as a conservation practice that can reduce nutrient loss from agricultural lands, while addressing the critical challenge of managing Arkansas's abundant poultry litter waste.