June 26,
2008
For immediate release
CONSERVATION PRACTICES PROTECT LAND FROM EROSION DURING FLOODS
MEDIA CONTACT: Kyle Ament at (515) 242-6196 or Rachel Glaza at (515)
281-8158
DES MOINES —While much of the agricultural land in Iowa has suffered severe erosion due to recent rains and flooding, the amount of damage was reduced on farms that had added conservation practices to their land.
Conservation practices, which are ways to manage the land for better water quality, include practices such as terraces, no-till farming and grassed waterways, all of which reduce soil erosion on farmland. This soil can carry excess bacteria and nutrients to nearby lakes and streams, and can also make the water turbid, or cloudy.
“Not only do conservation practices help farmers save valuable topsoil, but they also keep that soil out of the water,” said DNR Director Richard Leopold. “While we’ve seen the devastation of flooding on lands across the state, we’re fortunate that many farmers throughout Iowa have taken advantage of opportunities to add these practices to their land. Those practices have helped reduce the effects of flooding in many places.”
Wayne Brunsman, a Delaware County farmer, has worked with the Bear Creek Watershed Project to add terraces and grassed waterways to his property. He also uses no-till farming, which uses last year’s crop as ground cover to protect against erosion.
“I would say that I have about 10 percent of the amount of erosion that most people in the area are experiencing right now,” said Brunsman. “I think that I have these practices to thank for that.”
Financing is often available for farmers looking to add conservation practices to their land through various projects aiming to improve Iowa watersheds, which are areas of land that drain into a lake or stream. The DNR helps fund about 50 watershed projects around the state each year.
“I think that a lot more people will be interested in working with the project to add practices such as terraces in the near future because they see how these practices have helped others in the area,” said Dan Case, project coordinator for the Jordan Creek Watershed Project in Pottawattamie County.
Landowners interested in learning more about using conservation practices on their land can contact Kyle Ament at (515) 242-6196 or Rachel Glaza at (515) 281-8158, both with DNR Watershed Improvement, or their local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office. More information on watershed improvement is also available on the DNR Web site at http://watershed.iowadnr.gov.
The Section 319 program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides DNR funding for nonpoint pollution programs. The DNR generally funds local watershed projects in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – Division of Soil Conservation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Writer: Cassy Lalan
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