The Mississippi River: Working with Agriculture to Improve River Health

Transcription

1 The Mississippi River: Working with Agriculture to Improve River Health

2 Farm in Wisconsin Flickr Creative Commons Flowing through America s Heartland 2 At more than 2,320 miles long from its headwaters in Minnesota to its outlet in the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River is the third largest river system in the world The river and its tributary streams drain more than 40 percent of the United States, enable the transportation of 316 million net tons of goods, supply drinking water to 15 million people and provide habitat for thousands of fish, birds and other wildlife The river basin also contains some of the most productive soil on Earth and is at the heart of our nation s agricultural economy Farmers in the basin produce the majority of the corn, soybeans, wheat, cattle and hogs, as well as a significant amount of the cotton and rice grown in the United States According to the US Department of Agriculture, the market value of agricultural products in the basin is more than $54 billion annually The Mississippi River basin is one of s highest priorities for conservation worldwide It is a vital migration corridor for 60 percent of North America s bird species and supports 25 percent of its fish species The Conservancy has been protecting lands and waters in the basin for 50 years Today, teams in 10 states work in more than 30 priority areas to address some of the most critical threats to the river including habitat loss and declining ecosystem health In a watershed like the Mississippi, what happens on the rural landscape and in nearby towns and cities affects our streams Rural and urban land uses affect the rate and timing of surface water flows, sediment levels and nutrient concentrations Each contributing factor is important and poses different environmental management challenges Too much sediment in streams can cover fish spawning beds, change the course of rivers and smother aquatic life High water volumes traveling at accelerated rates can severely alter fish and mussel habitats Elevated nutrient levels can cause algal blooms that rob the water of its life-giving oxygen Cover photo: Along the Mississippi River near Harper s Ferry, Iowa Robert J Hurt

3 The transfer of water from the earth to the atmosphere and back again is an ongoing cycle The quality and quantity of water entering a river is influenced by this water cycle but perhaps even more strongly by land use in the river s watershed Watershed management is, therefore, the key to good river management Graphic courtesy of Iowa State University Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Conservation practices implemented on farmland in the Mississippi River basin in the twentieth century have corrected many errors of the past But with the growing global demand for food, fiber and fuel, agricultural production is expected to intensify in the coming years believes there are ways to improve river health without sacrificing economic prosperity In this brochure, we focus on the good stewardship work underway in rural landscapes through the efforts of farmers, our conservation partners and others to build on previous successes in agricultural watershed management When it comes to agriculture, the Conservancy is one of the new kids on the block But in the field of biological conservation, supported by research and monitoring, we have a long and strong track record going back to 1951 Our ability to bring significant public and private funds for conservation to our work and our reputation for working with a wide array of partners in agricultural watersheds makes the Conservancy a vital partner wherever we work in the United States and around the world We also know the value of learning from and collaborating with local watershed partnerships, and we understand that effective, lasting conservation results from locally-led and community-based projects Of equal importance to the Conservancy s watershed conservation philosophy is the use of adaptive management or what we call Conservation by Design Advancements in watershed conservation will only occur through well-planned, targeted actions whose effectiveness is continuously monitored in the real world In the pages that follow, you will read how the Conservancy is working with farmers, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, grower groups, agribusiness and others to restore the health of the Mississippi and its tributary streams in a way that works with the region s agricultural practices and traditions 3

4 Conservancy Agriculture Projects in the Mississippi River Watershed M inn eso ta Mi R ssi ssi pp i R R Root R Wi s c o n Mi s s o Io w a sin Tim Lindenbaum/TNC R Mackinaw River, Illinois uri R Rich Biske/TNC On the Mackinaw River, the Conservancy is establishing pilot projects to test the effect that conservation practices like reduced tillage, stream buffers and artificial wetlands have on water quality, hydrology and biodiversity Outcomes are being monitored, and the Conservancy is sharing results with farmers and others in the agricultural community Root River, Minnesota R M in a c k aw R Il l ino is The Conservancy is working with farmers, soil and water conservation districts and others to find innovative ways to restore and protect water quality in the Root River watershed These include installing infiltration ponds and bioreactors on selected farmland sites to slow runoff, remove nitrates and improve water quality Ar k a n the water to leave the before allowing sas R farm field Oh i o R Sa l ka ns as W R er Ha t c h ie Mi s siss R Ca c h hit Ar ir as R ipp rkans er or tf ka Lower Yazoo River, Mississippi Su n f l o w e r R hit a R Byron Jorjorian Ya z o or Ouac Byron Jorjorian In the Lower Yazoo River basin, the Conservancy is working with landowners to restore the bottomland hardwood forest that once covered a major portion of the Lower Mississippi River Valley Conservancy staff help connect agricultural landowners with conservation programs that provide financial incentives for reforestation of flood-prone farmland Cache River, Arkansas aya R 4 At c h a f a l The Conservancy is working in the Cache River basin to identify and map sediment sources in the river We will use this information, coupled with our application of natural channel design techniques for stream restoration, to target management and restoration practices that reduce sediment, stabilize agricultural ditches and streams, and re-establish aquatic habitat diversity miles 100 kilometers

5 Pecatonica River, Wisconsin A Strategic Approach to Protecting Water Quality One of the challenges facing farmers and other land managers is how to keep nitrogen, phosphorus and other chemicals out of our lakes and streams Is there a way to strategically target our efforts to improve water quality so they have the greatest impact at the lowest possible cost? The Conservancy has joined with farmers, University of Wisconsin scientists, public agencies and other organizations to answer this question Known as the Wisconsin Buffer Initiative (WBI), the group hopes to improve water quality in the state by targeting conservation efforts on those fields with the greatest potential for contributing nutrients to streams WBI is testing this approach in one watershed the Pecatonica River watershed in southwest Wisconsin before implementing it more broadly across the state Using grant monies received from the McKnight Foundation, the Conservancy provided the Dane County Land Conservation Division with funding for landowner outreach The county will assess all agricultural lands in the watershed to determine the most strategic locations for conservation practices Staff will work with affected landowners to develop management plans that meet water quality goals and work for individual landowners Where possible, the county will provide cost-share dollars to implement the plans Baseline data on water quality was gathered and monitoring stations are in place so the effectiveness of the conservation practices can be assessed and changes made as necessary The Conservancy has been active in the Pecatonica River watershed for more than a decade working with multiple partners at Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area, a 50,000-acre agricultural and grassland landscape For the past eight years, the Conservancy has provided funding to support a project coordinator, supervised by the Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development Council, who assists landowners with maintaining quality cover on their land and signing up for government conservation programs has helped build a strong partnership at Military Ridge, said Steve Bertjens, NRCS Coordinator working with Southwest Badger RC&D Any time you have an organization as well-run and respected as the Conservancy involved, it brings partners to the table Branch of Pecatonica River Gerald H Emmerich, Jr Coon Valley, Wisconsin, 1946 NRCS Wisconsin Pioneering Soil Conservation At Coon Valley, Wisconsin, in 1933, hundreds of farm families abandoned their traditional ways of farming to try new methods like contour strips and terracing that would keep more soil on the land and out of rivers like the Mississippi These farm families not only healed their land, they were the spark that led to the formation of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the voluntary, incentive-based form of soil and water conservation that is now the hallmark of American agriculture Today, across the Mississippi River basin, hundreds of local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) offices work closely with farmers, NRCS, and groups like the Conservancy to stop soil erosion, reduce nutrient levels and conserve aquatic resources Conservancy staff works closely with local SWCD staff and support policies that benefit local soil and water conservation efforts 5

6 Boone River, Iowa Using Science to Improve Water Quality The Conservancy and its partners are working with farmers to improve water quality in Iowa s Boone River Kristen Blann/TNC Partnering with makes sense We both bring a science-based approach to problem-solving -Roger Wolf, Iowa Soybean Association Director of Environmental Programs One of Iowa s most scenic rivers, the Boone flows through a landscape dominated by corn and soybeans In this agriculturally productive area, intensive use of the land produces both bumper crops and some unique environmental challenges, especially for river management A unique partnership that includes the Iowa Soybean Association, and Prairie Rivers of Iowa Resource Conservation & Development has formed to assist farmers in monitoring the effect of their crop production systems on water quality, enhancing management and testing the effectiveness of alternative practices Iowa Soybean Association s State Watershed Coordinator Todd Sutphin and Water Quality Technician Tony Seeman set up an automated water quality monitor in the Lyon s Creek watershed Photo courtesy of the Iowa Soybean Association a computer model for the Boone River that can be used to predict the effect of land use and management decisions on nutrient and sediment levels in the river s tributary steams It allows growers to compare what happens to nutrient levels when they expand corn production and reduce soybean production or, alternatively, when they convert some percentage of their acreage to perennials like switchgrass Partnering with makes sense, comments Roger Wolf, Iowa Soybean Association Director of Environmental Programs We both bring a science-based approach to problem-solving The Conservancy recognizes that we need a profitable agricultural system, and we all realize that we need to make progress on addressing environmental priorities like water quality in this watershed With funding from Cargill, Inc and DuPont, the partners have established monitoring stations in the watershed to measure nitrogen, phosphorus, temperature and other water quality indicators As conservation practices are implemented across fields and farms in the watershed, this ongoing monitoring program is helping gauge their effectiveness The partners also collaborated with Iowa State University s Center for Agriculture and Rural Development to develop Muckets (Actinonaias ligamentina) Tim Lindenbaum/TNC 6

7 Hatchie River, Tennessee Helping Landowners Keep Soil on the Land Channel catfish Eric Engbretson The Conservancy and its partners are working with private landowners in the Hatchie River valley to control soil erosion, saving valuable cropland and improving fish habitat Byron Jorjorian West Tennessee s beautiful Hatchie River, located in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, is a haven for wildlife including many rare fish and reptiles It s also popular with catfish up to 11 species including the channel catfish and rare northern madtom are found there, perhaps more species than in any other North American river But the Hatchie is filling up with sediment Soils in the region are highly erosive, and most of the Hatchie s tributary streams have been channelized When it rains hard, water races downstream, scouring the streambed, dislodging large chunks of the bank and transporting it into the Hatchie Farmers are losing valuable cropland, and fish find it more difficult to feed and spawn with so much sediment in the streams For several years, the Conservancy worked with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to bring funding from the US Fish & Wildlife Service s Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) to the Hatchie River watershed for erosion control and stream restoration A Conservancy staff person met with interested landowners, helped develop the LIP contracts and, when needed, assisted landowners in securing matching funds Erosion control structures and stream crossings were built, trees were planted and grass buffers were installed on property owned by more than a dozen families The work on the Hatchie is continuing as part of a statewide LIP grant With a grant from Cargill, the Conservancy has expanded its work in the Hatchie watershed The focus on private lands and erosion control continues but with a new emphasis on developing inexpensive pilot projects that will have an immediate impact on reducing sediment loads The design ideas have already been adopted by several partners including NRCS and the Tennessee Stream Mitigation Program 7

8 s work on the Mississippi River would not be possible without the generous support of Caterpillar Inc through its Foundation, The Monsanto Company and many other corporations, foundations, agencies and individual donors who are committed to improving the health of one of the world s great rivers for people and nature Nature Conservancy teams in 10 states work in more than 30 priority areas to address some of the most critical threats to the Mississippi River including habitat loss and declining ecosystem health Mark Godfrey/TNC in Arkansas 601 North University Avenue Little Rock, AR (501) (501) fax in Illinois 8 South Michigan Avenue Suite 900 Chicago, IL (312) (312) fax in Iowa 303 Locust Street Suite 402 Des Moines, IA (515) (515) fax in Kentucky 642 West Main Street Lexington, KY (859) (859) fax in Louisiana 721 Government Street Suite 200 Baton Rouge, LA (225) (225) fax in Minnesota 1101 West River Parkway Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN (612) (612) fax in Mississippi 405 Briarwood Drive Suite 101 Jackson, MS (601) (601) fax in Missouri 2800 South Brentwood Boulevard St Louis, MO (314) (314) fax in Tennessee st Avenue, South Suite C-400 Nashville, TN (615) (615) fax in Wisconsin 633 West Main Street Madison, WI (608) (608) fax 2009 TNC MRCC