Developed by central Iowa Watershed Management Authorities (WMA), state agencies, local governments, and collaborators, a unique approach to installing conservation practices is inspiring additional projects across Iowa and other states.
On May 16, the Center for Rural Affairs hosted the webinar “Leveraging Local Connections: The Batch and Build Method” alongside John Swanson, water resources supervisor for Polk County, Iowa.
The Batch and Build Method focuses on a single or small number of practices, and streamlines efforts to install as many as possible alongside farmers, landowners, and other stakeholders.
The idea started as a pilot program. In the summer of 2021, Swanson and collaborators installed 51 edge-of-field practices using the Batch and Build method in Polk and Dallas counties—more than doubling their original goal. In the time since that number has increased to more than 135 saturated buffers and bioreactors. Each installation plays a part in improving water quality.
During the conversation, Swanson detailed best practices that other watersheds and leaders can learn from to implement similar projects. He took special note of other WMAs interested in such projects. Swanson provides coordination services for 4 WMAs in central Iowa.
“[The WMA structure] has created a perfect platform to talk about, ‘how do we do things differently?’” Swanson said.
The best practices Swanson identified are:
Identify barriers - money and interest may not be the most important barriers for a landowner to install a conservation practice. Time and convenience play an incredible role in someone's ability to implement conservation. Find the time and place to ask—what would it take?
Targeting - what is the WMA or watershed’s top priority? Find a tool to map and identify key locations to target. Create a list of landowners to contact. Get organized. Improve techniques, such as surveying.
Source: cfra.org
Photo Credit: istock-AlenaMozhjer
Categories: Iowa, Sustainable Agriculture