Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2012 Annual Report
2012 Annual Report
Landowners in the Rathbun Lake Watershed; CoBank; 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.
September 2012
Special AcknowledgmentThank you to Jamie Wilson of JL Photoworks for his assistance in taking photos tonight and at recent project events.
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Monitoring is essential to secure financial resources to assist landowners with the installation of practices to protect Rathbun Lake.
RLWA President and RRWA CEO, John Glenn, talks with Bob Quinn about the actions taken by landowners to protect Rathbun Lake.
The RRWA water wagon provided clean refreshing cold water each day of the ride.
Above: RLWA President and RRWA CEO, John Glenn visits with riders before they go into RRWA plant to enjoy a break. 8
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
19,745 ac.
Total Cost
IDALS-DSC WSPF/IJOBS
IDALS-DSC IFIP
WIRB
Landowners
10,789,845 $1,646,523
$2,506,743 $258,012
$1,693,201 $388,596
$57,643 $5231
$460,878 $0
$1,589,691 $114,245
$1,003,402 $282,472
$3,371,477 $491,157
FY 2012
Partner Support
Strong support for Rathbun Lake protection efforts
Efforts to protect water quality in Rathbun Lake continued to receive strong support from Alliance members and partners during the past year. Since the Protect Rathbun Lake Project began in late 2003, Alliance members and partners have committed more than $24 million in financial support for project activities in the Rathbun Lake Watershed. The support has enabled the Alliance to share the cost of installing best management practices with landowners in the watershed as well as carry out other important project activities. The table (right) presents the principal sources and uses of this support for the Protect Rathbun Lake Project.
Above: Conservation practices on the Kevin and Lori Luedtke farm in Lucas County can be seen in the background where Governor Terry Branstad visited during Soil and Water Conservation Week. Pictured L-R: Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Jay Johnson; RRWA CEO and RLWA President, John Glenn; Clarke County Protectors, Jim and Betty Sullivan; Decatur County Protectors, Dick and Connie Hines; IDALS-DSC Director Jim Gillespie; Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, Decatur County SWCD Conservationist, Kevin Reynolds; Governor Terry Branstad; Wayne County Protectors, Jim and Barb Cory; Appanoose County Protector, Chuck Moore; IDALS conservationist Jerry Neppl and Lucas County farm hosts Lori and Kevin Luedtke.
Rathbun Lake Protectors were invited to present information to the Governor about the conservation practices they have implemented on their farms and included Chuck Moore, Appanoose County; (left, bottom) Dick Hines, Decatur County; Jim Cory, W ayn e Co unt y; Kev in Luedtke, Lucas County SWCD Commissioner and RLWA Board member ; and (left, top) Jim Sullivan, Clarke County.
NRCS selects Lower South Fork Chariton River for NWQI Program
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in consultation with Iowas State Technical Committee, selected the Lower South Fork Chariton River area of the Rathbun Lake watershed as a priority for the National Water Quality Incentive (NWQI) Program. NRCS financial and technical assistance is available to landowners through the NWQI to help them install best management practices. Alliance members and other partners including the Appanoose and Wayne SWCDs, RRWA, IDALS Division of Soil Conservation, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources have also committed resources to the Lower South Fork Chariton River NWQI priority watershed. The Alliance had identified the Lower South Fork Chariton River as a potential NWQI priority watershed. Alliance assessment activities determined that this area of the Rathbun Lake watershed has experienced a significant increase in priority land as a result of changes in land use to row crop production in recent years. A primary concern of the gain in priority land in this area 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. Landowner has been strong. To date, project staff has received 28 applications from landowners whose practices will reduce sediment and phosphorus delivery from as many as 1,000 acres. BMPs to be applied consist primarily of terraces and grade stabilization structures. The total estimated cost of installing these practices is close to $1 million.
Governor Branstad enjoys a grilled hamburger meal as he visits with local farmers.
Protect Rathbun Lake Project Technician, Jeff Pfeifer, offers Governor Branstad a variety of homemade pie.
IDNR Deputy Director, Chuck Gipp greets Iowa Governor Terry Branstad.
The Alliance and its partners propose to eventually assist landowners to install BMPs on 2,000 acres in the Lower South Fork Chariton River watershed through the NWQI program. These practices will reduce annual sediment and phosphorus delivery to Rathbun Lake by an estimated 3,000 tons and 10,000 pounds respectively.
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John Glenn, Alliance President, Rathbun Regional Water Association Bruce George, Alliance Secretary/Treasurer, at-large member Jody McDanel, Appanoose County Board of Supervisors Chuck Moore, Appanoose County SWCD Dennis Ryan, Monroe County Board of Supervisors Dennis Ryan, Monroe County Board of Supervisors Ralph Alshouse, at-large member
Kim Francisco, Alliance Vice President, at-large member Chuck Moore, Appanoose County SWCD Kevin Luedtke, Lucas County SWCD Dennis Smith, Lucas County Board of Supervisors John Sellers, Wayne County SWCD Billy Joe Alley, Wayne County Board of Supervisors
Signage
Signs that identify landowners who have been selected as Rathbun Lake Protectors continue to be installed throughout the Rathbun Lake Watershed. The signs serve to recognize the actions taken by these landowners. Plaques noting the names of these landowners are also displayed in each Soil and Water Conservation District office. Rathbun Lake.
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Media Campaign
Information about the Alliances Protect Rathbun Lake Project activities was sent to local newspapers and radio stations in each of the six Rathbun Lake Watershed counties. The project also received multi- state coverage through WHO Radios agricultural program, The Big Show and Wallaces Farmer magazine.
Appanoose and Monroe Margaret Cope ClarkeDennis Schrodt DecaturKevin Reynolds Lucas and WayneMark Fehseke