Sunday, September 07, 2008

By Ron Sanson
Submitted to Clarinda Herald-Journal

Eighty nine landowners in the priority area of the West Tarkio Watershed (area of the Watershed above Highway 2 in Page County, to the West Tarkio Creek's headwaters in Montgomery County, northeast of Red Oak) have done conservation projects with special conservation cost share funding during the first seven years of the West Tarkio Watershed (WTW) Grant program (October, 2001 to July 1, 2008). The WTW Grant Program has provided $919,770 in cost share dollars to landowners to build 114.5 miles of terraces and water and sediment control basins and one grade stabilization structure during the seven year period. Using Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) standards, an estimated 3,362 acres of cropland have been provided protection from potential soil erosion by these conservation practices and the practices have helped to reduce an estimated 13,537 tons of potential soil movement in the fields per year in the watershed area. To help visualize this amount of potential reduced soil movement, if the 13,537 tons of soil were loaded into 10-ton dump trucks, the line of dump trucks would be about 6.7 miles long.

Also, two demonstration sites using Buried Tile Intakes for Terrace Systems have been installed in the Watershed. One is located in Section 24 of Grant Township in Page County (October of 2006) and in Section 15 of Grant Township in Montgomery County (April 16, 2008).

The allocation of the conservation cost share funds for FY2008 (July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008) were done on a ranking system as required by the Iowa Division of Soil Conservation. The ranking criteria for allocating the cost share funds came from recommendations made by the WTW Citizens Committee, with the final adjustments and approvals made by the Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioners in Montgomery County and in Page County. The Citizens Committee members are: Knute Hallquist, of Stanton, Chairperson; Fred Hossle of Red Oak, Vice Chairperson; Randy Wenstrand, of Essex, Secretary; Kirk Johnson, of Red Oak, and Jim Long of Essex.

During the seven years, other conservation projects have been installed to help reduce potential soil erosion and improve water quality in the West Tarkio Creek through the use of the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). These practices included filter strips along the West Tarkio Creek and its tributaries, contour buffer strips on sloping cropland, grass waterways, and conservation cover for wildlife.

Water sampling on the West Tarkio Creek is another WTW activity. The water sampling is done at four sites on the main tributary and on two side tributaries with the samples taken in March, April, May, June, and October. The samples are tested at the State Hygienic Laboratory in Iowa City for levels of nitrate, phosphorus, solids in suspension, and 17 pesticides. The same type of water sampling is being done at the Buried Tile Intake Demonstration sites to evaluate tile line water quality.

Grant funds of $100,000 have been received from the Iowa Department of Agriculture, Division of Soil Conservation for conservation work in FY2009 to be done between September of 2008 and June 30, 2009. Landowners/operators who have expressed interest in doing conservation work in the targeted area of the WTW are being contacted to complete a ranking questionnaire. The rankings will be used to allocate the funds for the conservation projects that the landowners are interested in doing in 2008-2009. Currently, thirty two landowners have made applications for future conservation work in the targeted area of the West Tarkio Watershed. Landowners who are interested in applying for the West Tarkio Watershed Grant Funds need to contact either the Montgomery County or the Page County Soil and Water Conservation Office by July 28.

For more information concerning conservation treatments on land in the targeted area of the West Tarkio Watershed, please contact either the Montgomery County NRCS Office in Red Oak, phone: 712-623-9680 or Ron Sanson at the Page County NRCS Office, phone: 712 -542 -5484.