Watershed Outreach

Contact Kathleen Chester at 641.203.0946 or by email at chester@sirisonline.com

Exhibits
A project exhibit was created and displayed at the Iowa Water Quality Conference in Ames, March 6 and 7.

March 2012

A newsletter for Rathbun Land and Water Alliance Board members

Volume 7 Issue 2

Media
Wallaces FarmerThe Evans familyDwaine and Twyla (2008 Protectors) and Pat and Amy (2011 Protectors)are scheduled to appear in the May 2012 issue of the magazine.

Alliance Matters and Partner News

Contact Marty Braster at 641.647.2416 or by email at mbraster@rrwa.net

Alliance Partner Support Requested to Expand Protect Rathbun Lake Project

WHO RadioRathbun Land and Water Alliance President, John Glenn and RLWA board member, Chuck Moore, attended the 2012 Great Annual Tractor Ride announcement party at the Iowa Machine Shed restaurant in late January where it was revealed the ride would return to the Rathbun Lake area. The event is expected to draw approximately 500 tractors each day of the multiday ride which begins June 25 and ends June 27. Rathbun Lake is the featured loop on Tuesday, June 26. Rathbun Lake Protector, Terry Bear, will be interviewed by Bob Quinn and be featured on The Big Show in the near future.

The Alliance is completing a proposal to expand the Protect Rathbun Lake Project into three new targeted sub-watersheds in the Rathbun Lake watershed. The proposal will be submitted to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardships Division of Soil Conservation (IDALS DSC) and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). IDALS DSC and DNR are two of the Alliances principal partners in providing support for Rathbun Lake protection efforts. The Protect Rathbun Lake Project is currently working with landowners in 39 of the 61 sub-watersheds in the Rathbun Lake watershed. The Alliances proposal to IDALS DSC and DNR requests support to initiate project activities in the Chariton River #10, Chariton River #5, and Middle Wolf Creek #2 sub-watersheds in Lucas and Wayne Counties. The Alliance has determined that there are close to 3,900 acres of priority land in these three sub-watersheds. The Alliance proposes to assist landowners to apply best management practices (BMPs) on at least 1,200 acres during this initial phase of project activities. Once installed, the BMPs on this land will reduce annual sediment and phosphorus delivery to Rathbun Lake by an estimated 1,800 tons and 6,000 pounds respectively. The Alliances proposal requests funds to share the cost with landowners of applying these BMPs. The proposal also requests support for project field staff and outreach activities. The Alliances proposal will be submitted by April 2, 2012. If the proposal is approved, the Alliance will be able to initiate activities in the three new targeted sub-watersheds in 2013.
Regional Location

Reminder: Look for Request for 2012 Alliance Member and Local Partner Support
The Alliances board of directors would once again like to ask that its members and local partners contribute $200 each to the organization in 2012. These funds are used to help the Alliance complete the organizations financial audit and conduct watershed outreach activities including our annual Protect Rathbun Lake meeting. In 2011, Alliance members and local partners contributed $2,900 to help support these important activities. The board believes that these activities are essential for the Alliance to continue to be an effective, volunteer-based, nonprofit organization. Alliance member RRWA matches dollar-for-dollar the contributions of other Alliance members and local partners. Invoice requests for calendar year 2012 contributions have been sent by mail to each of the Alliances member and local partner organizations. Please contact Marty Braster with any questions regarding the Alliances board request for support.

Lower South Fork Chariton River Presented for Special Project Consideration
The Alliance has shared with its partners the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), IDALS DSC, and DNR a special project proposal to expand Protect Rathbun Lake Project activities into the Lower South Fork Chariton River area of the Rathbun Lake watershed. The Lower South Fork Chariton River area (12 digit hydrologic unit) has experienced one of the highest net gains in priority land in the Rathbun Lake watershed as a result of changes in land use to row crop production in recent years.

The Rathbun Lake Special Project is a partnership of the following individuals, agencies, and organizations: Participating landowners in the Rathbun Lake Watershed; Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardships Division of Soil Conservation; Iowa Department of Natural Resources; Iowa State University; Iowa Watershed Improvement Review Board; Southern Iowa Development and Conservation Authority; US Army Corps of Engineers; US Environmental Protection Agency; USDA Farm Service Agency; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Appanoose, Clarke, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe, and Wayne Soil and Water Conservation Districts; Appanoose, Clarke, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe, and Wayne Counties; Iowa Farm Bureau at the state and county levels; and Rathbun Regional Water Association.

A primary concern of the gain in priority land in this area of the watershed is that the associated increase in sediment and phosphorus carried in runoff from this land will directly impact the South Fork Arm of Rathbun Lake. The South Fork Arm of Rathbun Lake is on Iowas 2010 Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters due to high levels of turbidity and algae. The Alliances proposal asks NRCS, IDALS DSC, and DNR to consider providing special project support to accelerate the application of BMPs with landowners in the Lower South Fork Chariton River area of the Rathbun Lake watershed. The Alliance proposes to assist landowners to install BMPs on 2,000 acres over a five-year period which will reduce annual sediment and phosphorus delivery to Rathbun Lake by an estimated 3,000 tons and 10,000 pounds respectively.

Shown below is the progress of the Iowa Watershed Improvement Review Board funding. Tables located Contact Velvet Buckingham at 641.872.1350 or by email at Velvet.Buckingham@ia.nacdnet.net on the opposite page summarize BMPs installed and load reductions achieved in the 35 targeted subwatersheds. Summary of financial support for BMP application in targeted sub-watersheds can be found at the bottom of the opposite page.

Velvets View

WIRB and BMP Update

Table 1: FY2012 summary of BMPs installed and load reductions achieved in the 39 targeted sub-watersheds
July 1, 2011 Mar 30, 2012
Practice Terraces Water & Sediment Basins Grade Stabilization Structures Sediment Basin Livestock Exclusion Pasture & Hayland Seeding Grassed Waterways CRP buffer / filter strips Fence Heavy Use Protection Areas Pipeline Tanks Brush Management Nutrient Management TOTALS CUMULATIVE (FFY 04 March 30, 2012 Units Installed
1,126,044 ft. 320 no. 115 no. 10 no. 8 ac. 1,044 ac. 44.8 ac. 20.8 ac. 13,022 ft. 10 no. 3,160 ft. 7 no. 280 ac. 159.7 ac. 19,280 ac. 26,196 t/y 35,369 t/y 152,365 lbs/y

Units Installed
95,375 ft. 69 no. 17 no. 0 no. 0 ac. 0 ac. 0 ac. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Acres Benefited
1,119 204 433 0 0 0 0 0

Gross Erosion Reduction Tons/Yr.

2,780 518 304 0 0 0 0 0

Sediment Delivery Reduction Tons/ yr.

2,132 393 904 0 0 0 0 0

Phosphorus Delivery Reduction Lbs./Yr.

9,034 1,191 3,420 0 0 0 0 0

2009WIRB #5 BMP ProgressDecember 31, 2014

Sandy Branch, Goodwater Creek, Hamilton Creek, Chariton River #3, Lower Chariton Creek
Practice Seeding Waterways Terraces Debris Basins Basins Structures Total Grant Obligation $6,000.00 $2,950.00 $129,000.00 $250,000.00 $29,250.00 $51,200.00 $468,400.00 Obligated-Unspent $0.00 $437.00 $5,699.25 $82,980.80 $0.00 $1,860.98 $90,978.03 Expended $0.00 $3,714.30 $113,625.67 $0.00 $33,926.27 $26,503.71 $177,769.95 Available Balance $6,000.00 -$1,201.30 $9,675.08 $167,019.20 -$4,676.27 $22,835.31 $199,652.02

2010WIRB #6 BMP ProgressOctober 31, 2014

South Fork Chariton River #1, Upper West Jackson Creek, Upper Jackson Creek, Lost Branch, Chariton River #6
Practice Debris Basins Total Grant Obligation $180,000.00 $180,000.00 Obligated-Unspent $0.00 $0.00 Expended $0.00 $0.00 Available Balance $180,000.00 $180,000.00

1,757 ac.

3,602 t/y

3,429 t/y

13,645 lbs/y

Table 2: Cumulative summary of BMPs installed and load reductions achieved in the 39 targeted sub-watersheds

2011 WIRB #7 BMP ProgressFebruary 28, 2017

Upper and Lower Dick Creek, Chariton River #4, Chariton River #8
Practice Terraces Debris Basins Grade Stabilization Structures Water Sediment Basins Priority Land Conversion Grassed waterways Total Grant Obligation $78,750.00 $0.00 $23,000.00 $11,250.00 $3,750.00 $750.00 $117,500.00 Obligated-Unspent $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Expended $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Available Balance $78,750.00 $0.00 $23,000.00 $11,250.00 $3,750.00 $750.00 $117,500.00

Practice Terraces Water & Sediment Basins Grade Stabilization Structures Sediment Basin Livestock Exclusion Pasture & Hayland Seeding Grassed Waterways CRP buffer / filter strips Fence Heavy Use Protection Areas Pipeline Tanks Brush Management Nutrient Management TOTALS

Acres Benefited
10,885 920 3,585 2,175 8 1,044 626 37.8

Gross Erosion Reduction Tons/Yr.

16,741 1,524 2,172 723 84 4,403 497 46

Sediment Delivery Reduction Tons/ yr.

19,430 1,954 6,108 5,746 32 1,565 510 23

Phosphorus Delivery Reduction Lbs./Yr.

90,143 8,197 23,203 19,682 158 8,271 2,607 103

Total Cost Cumulative (FFY 04-11) FY 2012

NRCS EQIP/ AWEP

IDALS-DSC WSPF/ IJOBS

IDALS-DSC IFIP

EPA Watershed Initiative

WIRB

IDNR Section 319

Landowners

10,436,524 $1,293,202

$2,421,460 $172,729

$1,608,159 $303,555

$54,947 $2535

$460,878 $0

$1,584,241 $108,795

$935,361 $214,430

$3,371,477 $491,157