Yellow Medicine Major Watershed

Over the years, the landscape of the Yellow Medicine Watershed has changed through drainage and loss of wetland areas. The Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Lincoln, Lyon and Yellow Medicine counties work cooperatively with the Yellow Medicine River Watershed District to oversee implementation of conservation practices in this watershed. Based on previous Clean Water Partnership diagnostic studies, it is known the river is receiving an excessive loading of nutrients, phosphorus and suspended solids. These conditions have led to declining dissolved oxygen levels as a result. The Yellow Medicine Watershed District has maintained an extensive database and a long-term monitoring program that substantiates these findings.Within the Yellow Medicine Watershed, we are targeting priority subwatersheds, 1,000 feet from a body of water or directly outletting into a body of water.Funds for projects include: seven water and sediment control basins, 38.5 acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) program, 25.3 acres with an incentive for filter strips, and 57 alternative intakes. As of December 2010, sixteen alternative tile intakes have been installed to reduce phosphorus by 24 lbs/year and sediment by 16 tons/year.Water clarity and the reduction of nutrients are the desired outcomes for the receiving waters. Installation of conservation practices consisting mainly of water and sediment control basins and farmed wetlands increase the amount of water being impounded and reduces the velocity flowing of water. This delay in runoff allows for better infiltration of water and nutrients as well as the ability for sediment to stabilize on the bottom of the pooling area. Alternative intakes and filter strips also reduce sediment and phosphorus loads and serve to improve the water quality in the river system.