Soil & Water Conservation District Guidebook 2008 - Minnesota ...

Pictured: A local family browses the displays at Green
Saturday.
This project was funded through the Greater Blue Earth
River Basin Alliance, EPA Watershed Initiative grant and the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
A 10-acre tree and shrub planting in
Long Lake Township is enrolled in the Third Crop program,
a 10-year easement program that is funded through the Blue
Earth river Basin Initiative (BERBI). This planting consists
of many different woody perennials that include dogwood,
willow, cranberry, spruce, cedar, pine, walnut, and poplar. As
these woody perennials mature they will be used in the 3rd
Crop industry. This is a well maintained easement with weed
fabric installed on all plants, tree protectors installed on the
hardwood trees, and wire mesh installed on the pines. Native
grasses and forbs were seeded between the rows.
The Goose Lake wetland restoration
project is a 438-acre Conservation Reserve Enhancement
Program (CREP) easement. This project has been proposed
many times over the years by different organizations.
When the CREP program became available it was the right
program for this land. There is a large basin, approximately
95 acres, on this easement and three smaller basins of
approximately 20 acres each that were restored on the south
side. Many hours of work by many different people went
into getting this easement on the ground.
Two educational opportunities have been
developed for area residents. Green Saturday was started to
Top 5 Natural Resource Concerns
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Watonwan Soil & Water Conservation District
introduce environmental issues to the general public and
the Habitat Workshop targets property owners who have
developed wildlife habitat on their property. Each year the
SWCD also does programs for local schools. An Arbor
Day Program is given to all the county fi rst grade students
and an Environmental Awareness Program is conducted
for the sixth grade students.
Wind and water erosion on crop land – reduce
erosion by using more conservation tillage
practices
Surface water protection – increase water
quality by implementing BMP’s
Implement more water storage projects
Tree plantings – living snow fence and fi eld
windbreaks
Youth and adult education
Future Projects
Riverdale Feedlot Improvement Project: The
feedlot in Riverdale Township is a 200-head beef
cattle feeding operation. The work that needs to
be done includes relocating the existing well to
the proper setback from the feedlot, constructing
two new feeding fl oors with two-foot side walls
to divert runoff, constructing a concrete reception
pit, constructing a 600-foot long fi lter strip, and
constructing a new access road to the reception pit.
This project should be completed in 2008.
Antrim Township Sediment Basins to Protect
Perch Creek: The Antrim Township project is a
series of 4 sediment basins that will protect the
water quality of Perch Creek. The 4 sediment basins
range from 400-500 feet long and will be farmable
basins. These 4 basins will save many tons of soil and
sediment from entering Perch Creek and also reduce
phosphorous. This project is a combination of EQIP
and state cost share. This project should be completed
in the near future.
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