By Andi Anderson
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is partnering with Wright County and the Wright County Soil and Water Conservation District to launch the first phase of the Boone River Edge-of-Field Project. The goal is to install more than 25 edge-of-field conservation practices, such as bioreactors and saturated buffers, in the Boone River watershed. These practices are proven to improve water quality and reduce the loss of nutrients into Iowa’s waterways.
The project will use Iowa’s innovative “batch and build” model, which modernizes the project management process by installing batches of conservation practices on multiple farms at once. This allows for a faster acceleration of water quality progress.
“Accelerating the adoption of conservation and water quality practices requires great partners across the state, and we are thrilled to work with Wright County and Wright County Soil and Water Conservation District to launch this project,” said Secretary Naig. “We invite farmers and landowners to get involved because these edge-of-field practices work and our innovative batch and build model gets them installed seamlessly.”
Farmers and landowners interested in getting involved should contact the Wright County Soil and Water Conservation District or stop in at their office within the USDA Service Center. The first phase of this project agreement is in place until June 30, 2028.
Benefits of the project:
The Boone River Edge-of-Field Project will provide a number of benefits, including:
- Improved water quality in the Boone River watershed
- Reduced loss of nutrients into Iowa’s waterways
- Increased adoption of conservation practices by farmers and landowners
- Economic benefits for Wright County and the surrounding area
Farmers and landowners in Wright County are encouraged to contact the Wright County Soil and Water Conservation District to learn more about how they can get involved in the Boone River Edge-of-Field Project.
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Categories: Iowa, General