USDA invests $30 Million to improve water quality in Mississippi River basin
by November 5, 2015 6:59 pm 145 views
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest $30 million this year in 33 new projects and 40 existing projects to improve water quality in high priority watersheds of the Mississippi River Basin. These projects reduce loss of nutrients and sediment to waters that eventually flow into the Gulf of Mexico.
Four new projects were selected in Arkansas. And, nine existing projects will also receive funding this year.
The new projects in Arkansas include:
• Upper Bayou-Macon (Desha and Lincoln counties)
NRCS will work with Desha County Conservation District and others to implement water quality practices on 35 percent of high-priority acres to significantly reduce nutrient and sediment loading to Upper Bayou Macon and improve habitat for four threatened and endangered aquatic species found in Bayou Macon – the Pallid Sturgeon, Fat Pocketbook, Pink Mucket and Scaleshell. NRCS plans to invest $794,000 in fiscal year 2016 as a part of a $4 million commitment in the watershed over three years.
• Middle Strawberry (Sharp County)
NRCS will work with Sharp County Conservation District and others to implement water quality practices. The two main types of conservation systems to be used will include combinations of conservation practices for livestock producers and forestland owners. 50% of the high priority acres will be treated to reduce nutrient and sediments that affect the Strawberry River. NRCS plans to invest $200,000 in fiscal year 2016 as part of a $600,000 commitment in the watershed over three years.
• Cache Willow/Podo (Jackson, Lawrence and Craighead counties)
NRCS will work with Jackson County Conservation District, Lawrence County Conservation District, Craighead County Conservation District, and others to implement water quality practices on 60% of the high priority acres to significantly reduce nutrient and sediment loading to Cache River systems including Willow Ditch and Podo Creek watersheds. NRCS plans to invest $475,000 in fiscal year 2016 as part of a $2 million commitment in the watershed over three years.
• Tupelo Bayou-Beaverdam Creek (Faulkner County)
NRCS will work with Faulkner County Conservation District and others to implement water quality practices on 50% of high priority acres to significantly reduce nutrient and sediment loading to Tupelo Bayou and Beaverdam Creek-Arkansas River. NRCS plans to invest $403,669 in fiscal year 2016 to implement a system of conservation practices. The project will extend for the next three years for a total commitment of $1.8 million.
The projects are funded through NRCS’ Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI), which uses several Farm Bill conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), to help farmers adopt conservation systems to improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitat, and restore wetlands.
Since MRBI’s launch in 2009, NRCS has worked with more than 600 partners and 5,000 farmers to make conservation improvements on more than 1 million acres in the region. Through these partnerships, the initiative more than quadrupled the number of contracts addressing water quality concerns in targeted project areas. NRCS will invest $30 million per year over the next three years, as part of a $100 million commitment from the 2014 Farm Bill.
“When you look at these new projects, you see an array of activities that focus on improving water quality, making habitat better for all kinds of wildlife, and boosting agricultural productivity, and bringing in a variety of partners,” said Arkansas NRCS State Conservationist Mike Sullivan. “Thanks in part to the work through MRBI, we have already seen two segments of the St. Francis River in Arkansas removed from the state’s impaired waters list/ The new and current projects build on the tremendous conservation work being done across Arkansas.”