WESTMORELAND CD RELAUNCHES DECADES OLD FLOOD CONTROL
PROJECT IN JACOBS CREEK
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Over 50 years ago, Westmoreland Conservation District (WCD) in Pennsylvania worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Soil Conservation Service (SCS), now the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), on a flood control project in Jacobs Creek. Floods were causing extensive damage to Scottdale and its surrounding areas, so a unique watershed-wide flood-control project (PL 566) was proposed. The WCD worked with landowners to install three flood-control dams, one flood control channel and agricultural land conservation practices to prevent sediment from washing away. It was one of only a few areas in the United States to have a completed flood-control program that addressed an entire watershed. Pictured left is the century-old boundary marker between Westmoreland and Fayette counties, at the lower end of the Jacobs Creek Flood Channel, which was part of the USDA SCS PL 566 project years ago.
Now, 25 years after the initial project was completed, new stormwater problems in other tributaries of Jacobs Creek are causing property damage and environmental harm in Scottdale Borough. WCD approached NRCS with a proposal to tackle these flooding problems as an adjunct to the original PL 566 program, and the project has been funded once again. WCD is leading the effort along with Scottdale Borough and the neighboring East Huntington Township to restart the project.
“Those projects, in combination with the channel reduction, reduced flooding in Scottdale,” said Denise Coleman, state conservationist for the Agriculture Department’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Harrisburg. “Now we have the funding to do the small streams.”
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The new iteration of the project has begun with a study to look for the best ways to prevent flooding on three subwatersheds that flow into Jacobs Creek: Anderson Run, with its 720-acre subwatershed; Little Sherrick Run, with its 250-acre subwatershed; and Stauffer Avenue Run, with its 170-acre subwatershed. The studies are being funded by a $440,000 grant from the USDA. When this first phase of the project is complete, it will move into the design phase that might take two to three years. Then, implementation can begin. The entire project is expected to take seven to 10 years.
Photos courtesy of Jim Pillsbury of WCD.
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DANE COUNTY LWRD HELPING PRODUCERS IMPLEMENT COVER
CROPS ON FARMLAND
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The Dane County Land and Water Resources Department (LWRD) in Wisconsin is helping landowners to convert existing cropland acres into permanent perennial grass through their Continuous Cover Program (CCP). The program provides landowners the opportunity to convert annual row crop fields to continuous cover such as cool season grasses, pasture forage for livestock grazing, and native plantings for wildlife and pollinator habitats.
The CCP was introduced by Dane County Executive Joe Parisi in 2019 to reduce run-off, enhance carbon sequestration, and preserve rural character in Dane County. It is now in its third year of implementation with nearly $3.5 million budgeted and an estimated 1,500 acres converted or in the process of being converted.
“Dane County’s Continuous Cover Program offers small family farms and rural property owners the opportunity they need to make ends meet during these challenging times and protect their lands for conservation efforts,” said Parisi. “This program helps farmers preserve the character of their land, make their property less vulnerable to flooding, and enhance wildlife and pollinator habitats.”
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The program offers landowners a tool to diversify or address marginally productive lands. Producers work with the Dane County LWRD to determine the best strategy for their unique goals. Property can be converted to continuous cover through a variety of practices including prescribed grazing, pasture establishment, cool season grass establishment, native prairie and pollinator habitat. Those who enroll in the program commit to keeping and maintaining their land in perennial cover for at least 15 years.
“The soil health is number one,” said program participant Anna Pope. “If we take care of the soil, it will take care of us. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without that program.”
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"SOIL HEALTH IN CAJUN COUNTRY" |
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Jambalaya, crawfish pie, file’ gumbo… no matter how you enjoy eating rice, if it is grown in the heart of Cajun country, you know it has to be good!
Located in Acadia and Vermilion Parishes is Simon Farms, a multi-generation family farm known far and wide for their dedication to conservation. This close-knit family has a passion for soil health and a thirst for knowledge about ways to improve their agricultural production. The Simon farming legacy began years ago with Glenn Simon’s grandfather and father who loved farming. In fact, Glenn recalls that his dad wanted to talk about farming all the time.
“Dad liked the land more than he did most people,” Glenn laughed. All joking aside, “My dad was very passionate about farming and the land; because of dad’s hard work and perseverance, we have what we have today.” Glenn is the first to say that he has taken what his dad started, spread his wings to grow the business, and now Glenn’s two sons, Lucas and Wes Simons, are working to take the operation to the next level.
Today, Simon Farms has grown to about 9,000 acres that includes 4,100 of rice, 3,100 of beans and 1,200 acres of crawfish with the balance of the land in pasture. With 70 percent of their land in Acadia Parish, the Simons have established a successful partnership with the Acadia Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field office in Crowley.
The Simons have also worked closely with Kody Meaux, district conservationist in the Crowley Field Office. “I really love working with the Simon family,” explained Kody. “They are so interested in learning new information and improving their operation, I know I can share the latest articles about innovations in conservation and they will run with it!”
Over the years, Simon Farms has utilized multiple programs with NRCS including the Environment Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and conservation technical assistance, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water Act Section 319 Program offered through the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s Office of Soil and Water Conservation. Precision land leveling, just one of the many conservation measures utilized, has made a huge difference by using less water to flood the fields.
Wes explains, “We are doing the best we can to produce more grain, on the same acre, with less water, less fertilizer and less diesel burned.” It is a whole farm approach to conservation, conserving water and disturbing the soil as little as possible.
Glenn and Wes Simons agree that soil health is one of the most important aspects of farming and is key to the longevity and success of their farm. Their plans include working with NRCS to incorporate cover crops along with the no-till practice they currently use.
“We will continue to focus on conservation, making sure we are energy efficient and using only the water we need for a successful crop and maximizing soil health,” said Wes. “We will be long gone one day, but this soil will still be here, and hopefully, the work that we’ve done, and the conservation measures we have put into place with the help of NRCS and the Acadia SWCD, the soil will continue to provide food for our family, state and nation.”
Article and photographs written and provided by Amy Robertson Fuselier, State Public Affairs Specialist, USDA/NRCS Louisiana.
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NACD'S PRESIDENTS
ASSOCIATION VIDEO SERIES:
RUDY RICE, DU QUOIN, IL
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As part of our 75th Anniversary celebration, NACD is proud to present our Presidents Association Video Series. In early 2020, we sat down with Presidents Association members, who reflected on their time with the national association, the importance of conservation districts and locally-led conservation, their vision of NACD's legacy and more.
This edition features Rudy Rice of Du Quoin, Illinois. Rice joined the NACD Board in 1991 and served as the awards committee chairman, water resource committee chairman and resolutions committee chairman before being elected as NACD Vice President in 1995. He then served as NACD President from 1998 to 2001, being the last three-year term president of the association.
"They always wanted to hear what the guy out on the land had to say," said Rice. "So don't disregard your input as a conservationist, because these people want to hear what you have to say and what your thoughts are about what needs to be done."
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Interested in submitting a story? We're still accepting stories for this special 75th Anniversary newsletter all year round!
You can submit stories as many times as you want. Please provide a short summary of what you are submitting, your contact information and your district/state association's information, and NACD will reach out to you for further information.
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