April 2013

Clarke County Rathbun Lake Protector, Bob Trisler of Humeston, was recently interviewed by Bob Contact Kathleen Chester at 641.203.0946 Quinn. The interview will air during The Big or by email at chester@sirisonline.com Show in the near future. To date, there have been more than 20 interviews highlighting either the Protect Rathbun Lake Project or a Rathbun Lake Protector. More than a dozen articles have appeared in the Wallaces Farmer since the Alliance received the request to submit stories about the project. The April 2013 issue should arrive in the mail shortly, which includes an article about the importance of rural water to the livestock industry. A feature about Decatur County Rathbun Lake Protectors, Dick and Connie Hines (pictured at right), will appear in the May issue.

A newsletter for Rathbun Land and Water Alliance Board members

Volume 8 Issue 2

Watershed Outreach

Rathbun Lake Protector Program

How do you protect Rathbun Lake?

The Rathbun Land and Water Alliance receives any number of calls, emails, and requests for presentations each year asking about our approach to protecting Rathbun Lake. Alliance board members and staff respond to these inquiries by sharing what we have learned through the Protect Rathbun Lake project. We stress the need to answer the following important questions to achieve success in protecting water resources:

Website Fact sheets that have been developed for Rathbun Lake Protectors have
been added to the website. This includes a brief overview of the selected landowner and their practices as well as aerial maps of installed practices.

What impairment is your principal concern?

Water quality monitoring is the key to answering this question. The Alliance and partners have conducted annual water quality monitoring in Rathbun Lake and the lakes tributaries since 1996. The results of this monitoring have led the Alliance to focus Rathbun Lake protection efforts on reducing sediment and phosphorus delivery to the lake. The principal water quality concern should be identified as the first step toward protecting a water resource.

Exhibits Two exhibits were created during the

month of March. The display (at right) was created for the Annual Utility Day held March 18 at the Capital. Another exhibit (at bottom left) was set up March 28 at the RRWA plant displaying project information during a Farm Bureau Young Farmers event. Additionally, an exhibit previously created at the request of the Corps (at bottom right) was reconfigured to be used for a permanent display to be installed at the Corps visitor center.

Do you know the primary source of the impairment?

Completing a watershed assessment will answer this question. The Alliance and our partners combined extensive field work and the use of GIS models to identify land in the Rathbun Lake watershed that is the primary source of sediment and phosphorus in the lake. Assessment findings allow the Alliance to target this priority land for practices to reduce sediment and phosphorus delivery to the lake. Water quality protection efforts should target the primary source of impairment.

How can you address the primary source of impairment?

Developing a watershed management plan will answer this question. The Alliance and partners have worked with landowners in the watershed to identify the most appropriate practices to reduce the amounts of sediment and phosphorus entering Rathbun Lake from priority land. In the Rathbun Lake watershed, these practices are primarily terraces, water and sediment control basins, and structures. Expert staff and cost share are available to educate and assist landowners with the installation of these practices. The best possible means of addressing the primary source of impairment should be determined.

How will you measure your progress?

Deciding on alternatives to evaluate the impacts of efforts to protect water quality will answer this question. The Alliance and partners use models developed for the watershed assessment to estimate the reduction in sediment and phosphorus delivery to Rathbun Lake as a result of practices installed. Results from ongoing water quality monitoring can also be used to evaluate the benefits of Rathbun Lake protection efforts. Alternatives for evaluating progress should be part of water quality protection efforts. The Alliances experience planning, implementing, and evaluating activities to protect water quality in Rathbun Lake over the last two decades confirms the value of answering these important questions.

The Rathbun Lake Special Project is a partnership of the following individuals, agencies, and organizations: Participating landowners in the Rathbun Lake Watershed; CoBank; Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardships 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.

Alliance Matters and Partner News

Contact Marty Braster at 641.647.2416 or by email at mbraster@rrwa.net

2009WIRB #5 BMP ProgressDecember 31, 2014

Sandy Branch, Goodwater Creek, Hamilton Creek, Chariton River #3, Lower Chariton Creek
Practice Seeding Waterways Terraces Debris Basins Basins Structures Total Grant Obligation Obligated-Unspent $6,000.00 $0.00 $2,950.00 $437.00 $129,000.00 $0.00 $250,000.00 $0.00 $29,250.00 $0.00 $51,200.00 $1,860.98 $468,400.00 $2,297.98 Expended $0.00 $3,714.30 $129,345.98 $64,420.47 $34,480.53 $34,281.21 $266,242.49 Available Balance $6,000.00 -$1,201.30 -$345.98 $185,579.53 -$5,230.53 $15,057.81 $199,859.53

Watershed Update
Contact Velvet Buckingham at 641.872.1350 or by email at Velvet.Buckingham@ia.nacdnet.net Table 1: FY2013 summary of BMPs installed and load reductions achieved in the 42 targeted sub-watersheds
July 1, 2012 March 31, 2013 Units Installed 99,105 ft. 16 no. 5 no. 2 no. 0 ac. 0 ac. 0 ac. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Acres Benefited 905 56 108 879 0 0 0 0 Gross Erosion Reduction Tons/Yr. 3096 189 109 129 0 0 0 0 Sediment Delivery Reduction Tons/yr. 1926 123 220 1326 0 0 0 0 Phosphorus Delivery Reduction Lbs./Yr. 8662 331 744 4262 0 0 0 0

Practice
Terraces Water & Sediment Basins Grade Stabilization Structures Sediment Basin Livestock Exclusion Pasture & Hayland Seeding Grassed Waterways CRP buffer / filter strips Fence Heavy Use Protection Areas Pipeline Tanks Brush Management Nutrient Management TOTALS

2010WIRB #6 BMP ProgressOctober 31, 2014

South Fork Chariton River #1, Upper West Jackson Creek, Upper Jackson Creek, Lost Branch, Chariton River #6
Practice Terraces Debris Basins Total Grant Obligation $100,000.00 $0.00 $100,000.00 Obligated-Unspent $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Expended $49,338.69 $0.00 $49,338.69 Available Balance $50,661.31 $0.00 $50,661.31

2011 WIRB #7 BMP ProgressFebruary 28, 2017

Upper and Lower Dick Creek, Chariton River #4, Chariton River #8
Practice Terraces Debris Basins Grade Stabilization Structures Water Sediment Basins Priority Land Conversion Grassed waterways Total Grant Obligation $78,750.00 $0.00 $23,000.00 $11,250.00 $3,750.00 $750.00 $117,500.00 Obligated-Unspent $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Expended $17,846.25 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $17,846.25 Available Balance $60,903.75 $0.00 $23,000.00 $11,250.00 $3,750.00 $750.00 $99,653.75

1948 ac.

3523 t/y

3595 t/y

13,999 lbs/y

Table 2: Cumulative summary of BMPs installed and load reductions achieved in the 42 targeted sub-watersheds
Cummulative (FFY 04 Mar 31, 2013)
Practice Terraces Units Installed 1,263,924 ft. 360 no. 121 no. 12 no. 8 ac. 1044 ac. 44.8 ac. 20.8 ac. 13,022 ft. 10 no. 3160 ft. 7 no. 280 ac. 159.7 ac. Acres Benefited 12,209 1046 3668 3054 8 1044 626 37.8 Gross Erosion Reduction Tons/Yr. 20,756 1828 2308 851 84 4403 497 46 Sediment Delivery Reduction Tons/ yr. 22,108 2211 6455 7072 32 1565 510 23 Phosphorus Delivery Reduction Lbs./Yr. 100,947 8874 24,631 23944 158 8271 2607 103

2012 WIRB #8 BMP ProgressFebruary 28, 2016

Chariton River #5, Chariton River #10, Middle Wolf Creek #2
Practice Seeding Terraces Basins Structures Total Grant Obligation $5,000.00 $66,150.00 $9,000.00 $17,640.00 $97,790.00 Obligated-Unspent $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Expended $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Available Balance $5,000.00 $66,150.00 $9,000.00 $17,640.00 $97,790.00

Water & Sediment Basins Grade Stabilization Structures Sediment Basin Livestock Exclusion Pasture & Hayland Seeding Grassed Waterways CRP buffer / filter strips Fence Heavy Use Protection Areas Pipeline Tanks Brush Management Nutrient Management TOTALS

WIRB and BMP Update

Shown above is the progress of the Iowa Watershed Improvement Review Board funding. Tables located on the opposite page summarize BMPs installed, load reductions achieved in the 42 targeted subwatersheds, and a summary of financial support.

21,693 ac.

30,773 t/y

39,976 t/y

169,535 lbs/y

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

Total Cost Cumulative (FFY 04-13) SFY 2013 $11,721,061 $931,216 NRCS EQIP AWEP $2,747,474 $240,731 IDALS-DSC WSPF/ IJOBS $1,814,476 $121,275 IDALSDSC IFIP $67,643 $10,000 EPA Watershed Initiative $460,878 $0 WIRB $1,739,898 $150,207 IDNR Section 319 $1,160,713 $157,311 Landowners $3,729,976 $251,691