South skunk river Watershed project
Project Partners
iowa state university extension and outreach
Prairie Rivers of Iowa Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D)
Story Soil and Water Conservation District
Boone Soil and Water Conservation District
Hamilton Soil and Water Conservation District
Iowa Corn Growers Association
Iowa Soybean Association
Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance
Story County
Jasper County
City of Ames
Heartland Co-op
Description
The South Skunk River Watershed Project facilitates adoption of nutrient management practices in a 12 county region of central and southeast Iowa. Partnering with local USDA service centers and Soil and Water Conservation Districts, we work with landowners to identify resource concerns and apply best practices to reduce nutrient runoff. With particular emphasis on edge-of-field practices such as saturated buffers and denitrifying bioreactors.
The South Skunk River Watershed is heavily row cropped and tile-drained, which presents a significant opportunity to recruit new farmers and landowners to adopt these practices. We work with partner organizations to reach out to new practice adopters and provide technical assistance throughout planning and installation.
Project Goals
Practice Implementation: Support Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy by significantly increasing the adoption of edge-of-field nutrient management practices in the South Skunk River Watershed. Act as a resource to practice adopters as they navigate application, planning, and installation requirements. In addition, technical and financial assistance will be provided for cover crop implementation.
Farmer and Landowner Outreach: Increase awareness of Iowa's Nutrient Reduction Strategy goals by partnering with local nonprofits and government agencies on outreach events. Including field days, workshops, Q&A sessions, and other evidence-based outreach methods.
Conservation Practices
