Rock County Rural Water Nitrogen Reduction
The goal of this project is to implement Nitrogen reducing Best Management Practices and Alternate Management Tools on agricultural land to reduce groundwater contamination of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) in a vulnerable wellhead area in Southwest Minnesota. This area is primarily agricultural land with high production rates. The goal is to have 25% of land using perennial crops, cover crops, and split application within the proposed project area totaling 711 acres. This project will include providing incentives to seed down alfalfa, hay, Kernza Grain or other perennial cash crops, using cover crops to absorb excess NO3-N and split applying NO3-N to minimize loss to the environment.
Annie Felix-Gerth
$6,882,000 the first year and $12,618,000 the second year are for grants to protect and restore surface water and drinking water; to keep water on the land; to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; and to protect groundwater and drinking water, including feedlot water quality and subsurface sewage treatment system projects and stream bank, stream channel, shoreline restoration, and ravine stabilization projects. The projects must use practices demonstrated to be effective, be of long-lasting public benefit, include a match, and be consistent with total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation plans, watershed restoration and protection strategies (WRAPS), or local water management plans or their equivalents. A portion of these funds may be used to seek administrative efficiencies through shared resources by multiple local governmental units.
Measurable outcomes will be 711 acres of ground with row crop production to inclusion of cover crops, split application of nitrogen on corn rotations, or perennial vegetation. Model calculations of nitrogen saved are currently unavailable per BWSR.
This project has resulted in an estimated annual reduction of 6612 pounds of Nitrogen and 153 acres of ground under row crop production had management changes to reduce nitrogen infiltration into the sensitive drinking water source area of the Rock County Rural Water wells. However, a large part of the proposed activities for this fund were accomplished through another funding source that afforded two long term crop cessation contracts on 248 acres that would have been handled by this fund. The timing was a factor and the protection is longer term. This works out to just over 50% of the proposed outcomes in the highest risk parts of the project area.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS