Watershed Outreach Media January 2011 A newsletter for Rathbun Land and Water Alliance Board members Volume

January 2011 A newsletter for Rathbun Land and Water Alliance Board members Volume 6 Issue 1
In 2010, Rathbun Lake Protectors featured in Wallaces
Contact Kathleen Chester at 641.774.5940 Farmer Magazine include Chuck and Connie Moore, Randy
or by email at chester@sirisonline.com and Sandy Swartz and Travis and Anne Swartz, and the
Gene Shanks family, pictured below in the most recent
December 2010 issue. In 2011, Rathbun Lake Protector features are scheduled for the March, June, September, and December
issues.
Last year, Bob Quinn of WHO Radio’s The Big
Show interviewed Jim Cory—Wayne County, Alliance Matters and Partner News Rathbun Land and Water Alliance:
Charles Argo—Appanoose County, Dick Organization, Leadership, and Partners
Hines—Decatur County (pictured at left), and Contact Marty Braster at 641.647.2416 The Rathbun Land and Water Alliance is widely recognized
Mike Shay—Clarke County. In two instances the or by email at mbraster@rrwa.net as one of the more effective, locally-led watershed
show was broadcast live from the RRWA Plant. organizations in Iowa. Alliance members have created a
strong organization with leadership committed to the
Terry and Lorie Bear of Clarke County will be organization’s mission. Alliance partners have provided essential support to help the organization make significant progress toward
interviewed in the near future. achieving this mission.

Alliance Formation, Organization, and Mission: The Alliance filed articles of incorporation with the Iowa Secretary of State’s
Signs—All Exhibits—An exhibit was developed for a Alliance on the Internet—A office and was established as an organization in 1996 and is organized as a nonprofit corporation under Iowa Code Chapter 504 and
landowner signs project partner. Three additional exhibits will blog was created as a companion to the section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code. The Alliance will foster a voluntary approach driven by landowners, water users,
have been be developed during the month of January. project website. The blog contains and public and private organizations to protect and enhance land, water, and economic resources in the Rathbun region.
installed. One much of the same information as the
large roadway sign website. When visiting rlwa.org web Alliance Board: The Alliance’s board consists of 11
was damaged by visitors will be directed to the blog. members. Seven members of the board are appointed for three-
flood waters and The difference between a static year terms by the Appanoose, Lucas, and Wayne Soil and Water
was removed. A website and a blog is the way new Conservation District Commissioners and Boards of
new location will Supervisors, and Rathbun Regional Water Association. These
need to be seven members appoint four at-large board members. The four
identified. at-large members are appointed annually at the board’s first
meeting after the beginning of the calendar year.

Alliance Officers: The Alliance has three officer positions:

president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer. The
Annual Meeting—There Alliance’s board elects the organization’s officers annually at the board’s first meeting after the beginning of the calendar year.
was a record turnout for the 5th
Annual Protect Rathbun Lake Alliance Partners: Alliance partners that have provided significant financial and technical support for the organization’s efforts
Meeting held in Allerton in include: cooperating landowners; IDALS Division of Soil Conservation; Iowa Department of Natural Resources; Iowa Watershed
September. 2010 Rathbun Lake Improvement Review Board; Iowa State University; Southern Iowa Development and Conservation Authority; USDA Natural
Protectors were recognized and Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency; US Army Corps of Engineers; US Environmental Protection Agency; and
an honorary Protector award was Iowa Farm Bureau.
given to Doug Bahl for the information is displayed. When new
contributions he made to the information is added to a blog, the
formation of Alliance. A history
Protect Rathbun Lake Project: Update
older information is archived. The Alliance’s Protect Rathbun Lake Project is now active in 35 of the 61
timeline of the Alliance is in Rathbunlandwateralliance.blogspot.com sub-watersheds in the Rathbun Lake watershed. The principal goal of the pro-
process of development.
ject is to reduce sediment and phosphorus delivery to Rathbun Lake and the
lake’s tributaries. The Alliance considers application of BMPs to address
Request for 2011 Alliance Members and Local Partners Support
30,000 acres of priority land in the Rathbun Lake watershed to be an
The Alliance’s board of directors would once again like to ask that its members and local partners contribute $200 each to the
achievable objective in pursuit of this goal. Accomplishment of this objective
organization in 2011. These funds are used to help the Alliance complete the organization’s financial audit and conduct watershed
will reduce annual sediment and phosphorus delivery to Rathbun Lake by an
outreach activities including our annual Protect Rathbun Lake meeting. In 2010, Alliance members and local partners contributed
estimated 90,000 tons and 360,000 pounds. Alliance partners’ staff has assisted
$2,600 to help support these important activities. The board believes that these activities are essential for the Alliance to continue to
close to 500 landowners to evaluate, plan, and apply BMPs for priority land.
be an effective, volunteer-based, nonprofit organization. Alliance member RRWA matches dollar-for-dollar the contributions of
Well over half of these landowners have committed to apply practices. Project
other Alliance members and local partners. Invoice requests for calendar year 2011 contributions are being sent by mail to each of
activities to date will result in BMPs being applied for more than 10,000 acres
the Alliance’s member and local partner organizations. Please ask Marty Braster, on RRWA’s staff, any questions regarding the
of priority land which will reduce the annual delivery of sediment and phosphorus to Rathbun Lake by an estimated 31,000 tons and
Alliance’s board request for support.
133,000 pounds.
 Velvet’s View Watershed Improvement Review Table 1: SFY2011 summary of BMPs installed and load reductions achieved in the 30 targeted sub-watersheds
Board Report and Best Management
Contact Velvet Buckingham at 641.872.1350 Practices Update
or by email at Velvet.Buckingham@ia.nacdnet.net July 1, 2010 – Dec. 31, 2010
Shown below is the progress of the Watershed
Improvement Review Board funding. Tables located
Gross Erosion
on opposite page summarize BMPs installed and load Units Acres Reduction Sediment Delivery Phosphorus Delivery
reductions achieved in the 30 targeted sub-watersheds. The top right table reflects activity since July 1, 2010 and the table at Practice Installed Benefited Tons/Yr. Reduction Tons/ yr. Reduction Lbs./Yr.
bottom right is a cumulative summary since 2004.
Terraces 112,845 ft. 1073 2221 2398 11,340
WIRB #3 BMP Progress—Dec. 31, 1010 Water & Sediment Basins 67 no. 165 322 423 1581
Grade Stabilization Structures 2 no. 100 40 151 542
Practice Grant Obligation Obligated-Unspent Expended Available Balance
Sediment Basin 0 no. 0 0 0 0
Seeding $10,500.00 $0.00 $10,500.00
Livestock Exclusion 0 ac. 0 0 0 0
Terraces $330,600.00 $0.00 $291,703.48 $38,896.52 Pasture & Hayland Seeding 0 ac. 9 0 0 0
Basins $24,000.00 $0.00 $19,297.70 $4,702.30 Grassed Waterways 7 ac. 3 29 49 274
CRP buffer / filter strips 0 0 0 0 0
Structures $87,720.00 $0.00 $42,510.53 $45,209.47
Fence 0
Total $452,820.00 $0.00 $353,511.71 $99,308.29 Heavy Use Protection Areas 0
Pipeline 0
WIRB #4 BMP Progress—December 31, 2011 Tanks 0
Brush Management 0
Practice Grant Obligation Obligated-Unspent Expended Available Balance Nutrient Management 0
TOTALS 1416 ac. 2612 t/y 3021 t/y 13,737 lbs/y
Terraces $104,742.00 $69,785.88 $52,026.31 -$17,070.19
Debris Basins $50,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $50,000.00 Table 2: Cumulative summary of BMPs installed and load reductions achieved in the 30 targeted sub-watersheds
CUMULATIVE (FFY ‘04–
Structures $32,412.00 $0.00 $0.00 $32,412.00
December 31, 2010)
Basins $19,296.00 $0.00 $10,246.57 $9,049.43
Waterways $2,643.00 $0.00 $0.00 $2,643.00 Gross Erosion
Units Acres Reduction Sediment Delivery Phosphorus Delivery
Seeding $3,936.00 $0.00 $0.00 $3,936.00 Practice Installed Benefited Tons/Yr. Reduction Tons/ yr. Reduction Lbs./Yr.
Total $213,029.00 $69,785.88 $62,272.88 $80,970.24
Terraces 978,619 ft. 9,386 12,812 16,375 76,182
Water & Sediment Basins 247no. 711 999 1,561 7003
WIRB #5 BMP Progress—December 31, 2014
Grade Stabilization Structures 91 no. 2,883 1,737 4,590 18,226
Practice Grant Obligation Obligated-Unspent Expended Available Balance Sediment Basin 10 no. 2,175 723 5,746 19,682
Livestock Exclusion 8 ac. 8 84 32 158
Seeding $6,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $6,000.00
Pasture & Hayland Seeding 1,044 ac. 1,044 4,403 1,565 8,271
Waterways $2,950.00 $437.00 $3,714.30 -$1,201.30
Grassed Waterways 44.8 ac. 626 497 510 2,607
Terraces $129,000.00 $11,050.18 $93,861.69 $24,088.13 CRP buffer / filter strips 92.7 ac. 110 591 192 1,079
Debris Basins $250,000.00 $136,980.80 $0.00 $113,019.20 Fence 13,022 ft.
Basins $29,250.00 $10,300.62 $26,502.42 -$7,553.04 Heavy Use Protection Areas 10 no.
Pipeline 3,160 ft.
Structures $51,200.00 $14,257.80 $0.00 $36,942.20
Tanks 7 no.
Total $468,400.00 $173,026.40 $124,078.41 $171,295.19
Brush Management 280 ac.
WIRB #6 BMP Progress—October 31, 2014 Nutrient Management 159.7 ac.
TOTALS 16,938 ac. 21,852 t/y 30,573 t/y 133,214 lbs/y
Practice Grant Obligation Obligated-Unspent Expended Available Balance Summary of financial support for BMP application in targeted sub-watersheds
Debris Basins $180,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $180,000.00
Total $180,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $180,000.00 IDALS- EPA IDNR
NRCS NRCS IDALS-DSC DSC Watershed Section
Total Cost EQIP AWEP WPF/WSPF IFIP Initiative WIRB 319 Landowners
Cumulative
T h e R a th b u n L ak e S p e ci a l Pr o j ec t i s a p a r t n er sh i p o f t h e fo l l o wi n g i n d i v i d u a ls , a g e n ci es , a n d o r g a n iz a t i o n s : P ar t ic i p a ti n g l a n d o w n er s i n t h e R a t h b u n L a k e
(FY 04-11) $8,655,519 $2,046,431 $127,169 $1,149,104 $52,412 $460,878 $1,450,645 $621,526 $2,729,352
Wat ersh e d; Iowa De par tm e nt of A gric ul t ure a nd Land S tew ar dshi p’ s Divisi on of S oi l Conser va ti on; Iow a De par tm e nt of Na t ura l Resource s; Iow a S ta te
U ni ve rs i t y; Iow a W a t e rs h e d Im pr ove m e nt R e vi ew B oar d; Sout h e rn Iow a D e ve l opm e nt a nd C ons e r va t i on A ut h or i t y; U S Ar m y C or ps of E ngi ne er s ; U S
Environmental Protection Agency; USDA Farm Ser vice Agency; USDA Natural Res ources Conservation Service; A ppanoose, Clarke, Decatur, Lucas , SFY 2011 $1,140,489 $99,358 $99,163 $74,240 $10,220 $0 $257,133 $181,717 $418,658
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.