Rathbun Land and Water Alliance members and partners include the following individuals, agencies and organizations:

Landowners in the
Rathbun Lake Watershed; Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s 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 2008
 Rathbun Land and Water Alliance
3rd Annual Protect Rathbun Lake Meeting
September 11, 2008
Allerton Centennial Building—Allerton, Iowa
Agenda
Welcome—Rathbun Land and Water Alliance President, John Glenn
Opening Remarks—Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation
Director, Chuck Gipp
Landowner Recognitions—Rathbun Lake Protectors
Steak Supper—Appanoose County Cattlemen
Protect Rathbun lake Project Review—Project Staff
Featured Speaker—Lee Kline, Veteran Farm Broadcaster and Author
Door prize drawings—Fill out and turn in an evaluation form for additional prize drawing.
Featured Speakers
Chuck Gipp
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land
Stewardship—Director of the Division of Soil
Conservation
Chuck Gipp was named Director of the
Division of Soil Conservation in July of
2008.
The Division of Soil Conservation within the Iowa Department
of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is responsible for
administering state programs and providing leadership to
farmers, landowners, communities and others to promote the
protection and management of soil, water and mineral
resources.
The Division also assists Soil and Water Conservation Districts
and private landowners to meet their agricultural and
environmental protection needs. Gipp served as a member of
the Iowa House of Representatives from 1991 to 2008 and was
Majority Leader from 2002 to 2006.
He has also been managing partner of A-G Swiss Farms, Inc., a
diversified farm that he operated with his brothers near
Decorah, Iowa. They specialized in the breeding and milking of
registered Brown Swiss dairy cattle. During his time there, they
implemented extensive conservation practices on their 640 crop
acres that they used to grow corn and alfalfa hay.
Rathbun Land and Water Alliance Board of Directors
John Glenn, Alliance President, Rathbun Regional Water Association Kim Francisco, Alliance Vice President, at-large member
Bruce George, Alliance Secretary/Treasurer, at-large member Sharon Redinbaugh, Appanoose County SWCD
Jody McDanel, Appanoose County Board of Supervisors Kevin Luedtke, Lucas County SWCD
Clarence Gee, Lucas County Board of Supervisors John Sellers, Wayne County SWCD
Jerry O’Dell, Wayne County Board of Supervisors Ralph Alshouse, at-large member
SWCD District Conservationists In Memory of Paul Koffman
• Appanoose County—Margaret Cope It is with respect that we remember Rathbun Land and
• Clarke—Dennis Schrodt Water Alliance Board Member, Paul Koffman who
passed away in April of this year. Paul served on the
• Decatur—Kevin Reynolds
Alliance Board representing Monroe County as a county
• Lucas—Jeff Matthias supervisor for many years. He was known for his
• Monroe—John Frieden commitment to public service and is and will continue to
• Wayne—Mark Fehseke be greatly missed.
• The Alliance’s Board of Directors consists of 11 members.
• Seven of these members are appointed for three-year terms by the Appanoose, Wayne, and Lucas Soil and
Water Conservation Districts and Board of Supervisors and Rathbun Regional Water Association.
• These seven board members appoint the remaining four at-large board members.
• The at-large board members are appointed annually at the board of directors’ first meeting after the
beginning of the calendar year.
• The board of directors also elects its officers annually at their first meeting after the beginning of the
calendar year.
Lee Kline
Veteran WHO Radio farm
broadcaster and author
Protect Rathbun Lake Project Staff
Lee Kline was raised on a rented
Marty Braster—Rathbun Regional Water Tyler Jacobsen—Rathbun Regional Water
farm near Conrad, Iowa in the
Association, Environmental Management Association, GIS Specialist
1930’ and 1940’s. He graduated
Specialist
from Iowa State University with a
tjacobsen@rrwa.net
degree in Agricultural Journalism and went to work for the
mbraster@rrwa.net 641.647.2416
Chicago Stock Yards in Chicago, Illinois.
641.647.2416
His work was interrupted by two years of service in the
United States Infantry during the Korean Crisis. Lee joined
Velvet Buckingham—Rathbun Regional Kathleen Chester—Rathbun Land and Water
the WHO Farm Radio and television staff in 1964 and was a
Water Association Watershed Specialist, Alliance Education and Outreach Coordinator
farm broadcaster for more than 40 years.
Protect Rathbun Lake Project Coordinator
chester@sirisonline.com
He retired in 1995 and for the next six years produced six
velvet.buckingham@ia.nacdnet.net 641.203.0946
compact discs entitled, “Lee Kline’s Iowa Notebook,” in col-
641.872.1350
laboration with the Iowa Living History Farms.
He continues to produce a weekly commentary and can be
Susania Ernst—Iowa Department of Jeff Pfeifer—Iowa Department of Agriculture
heard at 12:45 each Friday afternoon on WHO, WMT and
Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil
KBUR Radio in Burlington. These four minute radio essays
of Soil Conservation, Protect Rathbun Lake Conservation, Protect Rathbun Lake Project
often compare how farming was done in the 1930’s and
Project Coordinator Technician
1940’s with the highly technical farming performed today.
Susania.ernst@ia.nachnet.net jeff.pfeifer@ia.nacdnet.net
Lee lives in Des Moines with his wife, Lila.
641.774.2512 641.774.2512
 • Organized and accountable
local stakeholders
• Expert, disciplined, and
responsive advisory team
• Adequate number of highly
motivated and qualified
field staff
Landowner recognition program
• Outreach activities that directly
support BMP application efforts
• Long-term commitment of time
and resources by stakeholders
and partners
Roadside signs
• Water quality monitoring
to determine primary
impairment
• Watershed assessment to
identify source(s) of
primary impairment
• Target priority source(s)
of primary impairment
• Resources for cost share adequate to encourage BMP
application
• Disciplined use of resources to apply BMPs for priority
source(s) of primary impairment
• Tools to evaluate impact of BMPs on priority
source(s) of primary impairment
Forage and pasture component and research
Media campaign
The Protect Rathbun Lake Project is a partnership of public and private entities cooperating through the Rathbun Land and Water
Alliance and working with landowners to demonstrate that the targeted application of best management practices (BMPs) for
priority land is a cost effective approach to achieve water quality protection in Rathbun Lake and other water resources in Iowa.
Current project goal
The Alliance and partners have used
information about water quality problems in
Rathbun Lake, watershed assessment
findings, and water quality monitoring
results to identify the reduction of sediment and
phosphorus delivery to the lake and
water bodies in its watershed as the
primary goal of current water quality
protection efforts.
The Alliance has used GIS to
identify land in the watershed which
is the principal source of sediment
and phosphorus that impairs water
quality in Rathbun Lake.
This priority land comprises less than 17% of the
watershed, about 58,675 acres, yet it is the source
of 73% of the sediment and phosphorus carried in runoff each year to the lake.
Current project objective
The Alliance has determined that the application of BMPs to
address as much as one-half, approximately 30,000 acres, of
this priority land is an achievable water quality protection
objective in pursuit of the project’s goal of reducing
sediment and phosphorus delivery to Rathbun Lake and
water bodies in the lake’s watershed.
Accomplishment of this objective will reduce annual
sediment and phosphorus delivery to Rathbun Lake by an
estimated 90,000 tons of sediment and 360,000 pounds of
phosphorus.
 • More than 200 landowners working with Alliance to apply BMPs • Install additional roadside
• BMPs planned and applied for 16,500 acres, 8,100 acres of which is priority land signage to identify
• Sediment delivery reduced by 25,600 tons per year landowners who exhibit
• Phosphorus delivery reduced by 110,400 pounds per year good stewardship to
protect Rathbun Lake.
Current signs installed
throughout the watershed
direct viewers to contact
their local SWCD to learn
about what they, as
landowners, can do to
protect the lake.

• Continue media campaign

through press releases to area
newspaper, radio, and
television.

• Utilize the internet and place

Rathbun Lake Protectors fact
sheets on Alliance website.

Table 1: FY2008 summary of BMPs installed and load reductions achieved in the 24 targeted sub-watersheds
Oct. 1, 2007- Aug 31, 2008

Gross Sediment
Erosion Delivery Phosphorus
Units Acres Reduction Reduction Delivery Reduction
Practice Installed Benefited Tons/Yr. Tons/ yr. Lbs./Yr.

Terraces 156,168 ft. 1478 1326 2350 10,623

Water & Sediment Basins 13 no. 60 41 98 474

Grade Stabilization Structures 11 no. 562 517 822 2986

Sediment Basin 4 no. 819 431 2044 9263 • The forage and pasture
Livestock Exclusion 0 ac. 0 0 0 0 component will continue with
Pasture & Hayland Seeding 91.4 ac. 91.4 444 161 704 • Conduct the Rathbun Land and Water Alliance Annual Meeting for support from Iowa State
Grassed Waterways 4 ac. 28 4 14 66
Rathbun Lake Watershed landowners. Rathbun Lake Protectors will be University (ISU) Extension staff
CRP buffer / filter strips 0 0 0 0 0
recognized at this event. Joe Sellers and Carl Neifert and
the ISU Department of
Fence 3113 ft.
Agronomy.
Heavy Use Protection Areas 0

Pipeline 0

Tanks 0

Brush Management 0

Nutrient Management 0
• Monthly and event water sample collection from 20 sites from Rathbun Lake and the lake’s tributaries will
continue to be gathered and analyzed for sediment, nutrients, bacteria, and pesticides.
TOTALS 3037 ac. 2764 t/y 5489 t/y 24,117 lbs/y
 Table 2: Cumulative summary of BMPs installed and load reductions achieved in the targeted sub-watersheds
Apply BMPs for Priority Land in Targeted Sub-Watersheds CUMULATIVE (FFY ‘04- ‘08)
Accelerate the application of best management practices in the twenty-four targeted sub-watersheds as outlined in the table below: Gross Sediment Phosphorus
Erosion Delivery Delivery
Units Acres Reduction Reduction Reduction Lbs./
Practice Installed Benefited Tons/Yr. Tons/ yr. Yr.
Terraces 560,205 ft. 5678 5763 9242 41,404
Water & Sediment Basins 122 no. 414 489 882 4205
Fiscal Year 2009 Plan of Work activities Grade Stabilization Structures 70 no. 1953 1476 3190 12,620
Sediment Basin 4 no. 819 431 2044 9263
Livestock Exclusion 8 ac. 8 84 32 158
Number Cost Other Pasture & Hayland Seeding 690 ac. 690 2846 958 4299
acres or Share Landowner WPF Other Source
other units Total cost rate Cost Project Cost 319 WSPF EQIP WIRB Source ID Grassed Waterways 35.7ac. 531 458 445 2264
CRP buffer / filter strips 92.7 ac. 110 591 192 1079
Practices:
Fence 13,022 ft.
Terraces 219,000 ft. $1,199,500 75% $299,875 $899,625 $69,897 $184,944 $435,000 $207,316 $2,500 IFIP
Heavy Use Protection Areas 10 no.
Pipeline 3160 ft.
Grade Tanks 7 no.
Stabilization
Structures 17 no. $396,384 75% $99,096 $297,288 $47,525 $88,207 $120,000 $40,056 $1,500 IFIP Brush Management 280 ac.
Debris $6,000 WIRB/ Nutrient Management 159.7 ac.
Basins 5 no. $250,000 FR $30,000 $220,000 $220,000 RRWA
TOTALS 10,204 ac. 12,138 t/y 16,987 t/y 75,292 lbs/y
Water &
Sediment Basins 68 no. $107,373 75% $26,843 $80,530 $7,641 $18,505 $15,000 $38,934 $450 IFIP
Priority Land
Conversion 43 ac. $6,352 75% $1,588 $4,764 $1252 $915 $2,200 $397
Grassed
Waterways 8.0 ac. $22,484 75% $5,621 $16,863 $1000 $2793 $6,000 $7070
Riparian Forest
Buffers/ Land-
Filterstrips/ owner/
Waterways 25 ac. $12,500 $12,500 $12,500 FSA
Land-
owner/
Improved EQIP/
Grazing systems 40 ac. $7,600 50% $3,800 $3,800 $3,800 IFIP

Table 3: Summary of financial support for BMP application in targeted sub-watersheds

Expand Protect Rathbun Lake Project Activities
IDALS-
Rathbun Land and Water Alliance has submitted a water quality / watershed protection application for consideration by project
DSC IDALS- EPA IDNR
partners, IDALS DSC and DNR, to initiate the application of BMPs for priority land in the Chariton River #2 targeted sub-watershed NRCS WPF/ DSC WATERSHED WIRB SECTION
located in Decatur and Wayne Counties. Total Cost EQIP WSPF IFIP INITIATIVE 319 LANDOWNERS
Cumulative
(FFY 04-08) $4,496,712 $1,373,320 $789,069 $32,495 $460,878 $322,791 $181,882 $1,339,024

FFY 2008 $1,366,776 $407,199 $131,904 $0 $80,784 $307,542 $43,010 $390,338

 Since late 2003, Alliance members and partners have committed more
than $12 million to support Protect Rathbun Lake Project activities.
The support was requested to provide financial and technical assistance
needed to apply BMPs for approximately 21,500 acres, of which at
least 10,750 would be priority land in 24 targeted sub-watersheds. In
addition, this support has enabled the Alliance to assist landowners
with wetland restoration, carry out watershed outreach activities, and
conduct water quality monitoring.

SUMMARY OF ALLIANCE MEMBER AND PARTNER SUPPORT FOR THE

PROTECT RATHBUN LAKE PROJECT
• Protect Rathbun Lake signs were installed at ten locations throughout the six county watershed as well as 13
locations around Rathbun Lake. Posters were also installed in display boxes at five shower house locations Alliance Members and Partners Project Principal Uses of Project Support
Support
around the lake.
NRCS Special Project EQIP and Regular $2,083,200 BMP cost share. Includes $1,453,900 in
• Special exhibits and displays include the Iowa State Fair in Farm Bureau Park and the Science Center of Iowa. EQIP Special Project EQIP support and $629,300 in
regular EQIP funds. Does not include NRCS
technical assistance.

NRCS Special Project WRP 2,440,000 Wetland restoration costs.

• The Rathbun Land and Water
Alliance conducted their Iowa DSC WPF and WSPF 1,924,700 Field staff support and BMP cost share.
Second Annual Meeting with
nearly 200 watershed EPA/DNR Section 319 Program 1,600,000 Field staff support and BMP cost share.
landowners in attendance.
EPA Targeted Watershed Program 600,000 Field staff support and BMP cost share.
• Rathbun Lake Protectors,
Participating landowners in targeted 1,271,700 BMP cost share.
Mike and Nick Hunter were sub-watersheds
selected as Wallace’s Farmer
Master Farmers for 2008. Iowa WIRB 1,492,800 BMP cost share.

RRWA 175,300 Field staff support and BMP cost share.

SWCDs IFIP 39,400 BMP cost share.

• Dr. Jim Russell with the Iowa State University Agronomy
ISU 25,500 Value of ISU Extension staff support.
Department and staff have installed erosion pins on the
stream bank of a dozen farms of Rathbun Lake Watershed Water Quality Monitoring Partners 361,000 Includes RRWA, Iowa DNR, ISU, and ACOE.
landowners. Addition studies tracking the movement and
grazing patterns of cattle in fescue pasture have also been Watershed Outreach Partners 178,500 Includes RRWA, Farm Bureau, Iowa DNR,
conducted. A grazing and forage component of the Protect SWCDs, and NRCS.
Rathbun Lake Project has been carried out under the
leadership of Iowa State University Extension Livestock Total $12,192,100
Specialist Joe Sellers and Carl Neifert. Workshops have
been held at McNay Research Farm to discuss the results
with area producers.