Efforts To Improve Water Quality In State

Kay Shimpan
www.farmweeknow.com
2010-07-12

Champaign County farmers in a subwatershed of the Upper Salt Fork watershed will learn Tuesday about new efforts to improve water quality by reducing nutrient runoff.

The American Farmland Trust (AFT) is working with the Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) on a three-year project that received a $750,000 grant from USDA.

Through a competitive process, USDA awarded $11 million for 75 projects in the Mississippi River Basin. The Champaign County watershed is part of the larger Vermilion River watershed selected by USDA in January for a special Mississippi River Basin initiative.

Meanwhile, the Livingston County SWCD is finalizing details on its water quality project in the Indian Creek watershed, according to Debbie Ruff, SWCD executive and education director. More information will be released soon about the $1.01 million Illinois Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative project, Ruff said.

In the Champaign County 27,000-acre watershed, the focus will be on helping farmers better manage applied nutrients through a range of conservation practices, according to Bruce Stikkers, SWCD resource conservationist, and Kevin Donoho, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) district conservationist.

For example, farmers may develop a row-crop nutrient management plan that meets NRCS standards. The plan may include switching nitrogen applications from fall to spring.

“Our long-term goal is by trying nutrient (management) plans to improve water quality and save farmers money, too,” Stikkers said. “This is a voluntary approach to address an issue that others want to regulate.”

Participating farmers would sign approved contracts for a minimum of one year up to a maximum of three years. They would receive up to three annual payments for implementing such conservation practices as strip till, no till, cover crops, drainage management, and filter strips.

With assistance from AFT, a retired soil fertility expert will be hired to work with participating farmers and answer any questions. Stikkers and Donoho welcomed the additional help because their staffs wouldn’t have been able to devote that much time to a single watershed, they noted.

“USDA is trying to take programs and partner with others. This is trying to make people work together and make it better,” Donoho said.




Return to Article List