Technical and financial assistance provided to farmers and ranchers in Mississippi River Basin and nationwide watershed efforts.

February 10, 2020

3 Min Read
Mississippi River farm field USDA.jpg
Charlie Roberts, owner of Roberts Farms focuses on utilizing conservation practices developed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to utilize cover crops to prevent sheet, rill, and ephemeral gullies; and implementing soil health principals that improve soil health of his land, in Lauderdale County, Tenn., on Sept 20, 2019. Cover crops have helped stabilize and hold the soil in place when waters flow over the fields.USDA photo by Lance Cheung.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest $56 million this year to help agricultural producers improve water quality in more than 300 high-priority watersheds across the country. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is continuing two of its successful landscape-level water quality efforts: the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) and National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI).

“We’ve learned that when we partner with producers to deliver conservation practices to critical watersheds, we see a positive impact,” said NRCS chief Matthew Lohr, who made the announcement at a Hypoxia Task Force meeting on Feb. 7. “Through these partnerships, we maximize the delivery of our conservation efforts, which yields greater results to water quality and benefits the public, our natural resources and farmers’ bottom lines.”

NRCS launched the MRBI in 2009, focusing on watersheds in the Mississippi River Basin, and then took the concept nationwide in 2012 with the launch of NWQI. Since then, priority watersheds across the country have seen improvements, including the delisting of once impaired streams.

Through these initiatives, NRCS offers technical and financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to implement practices that avoid, control and trap nutrients and sediment that, in high quantities, can negatively affect water quality. Practices include filter strips, cover crops and manure management, which promote soil health, reduce erosion and lesson nutrient runoff.

Related:USDA launches multiyear water quality study

NRCS has strengthened focus on watershed assessment and partner engagement in priority small watersheds in fiscal 2020. NRCS will soon solicit state partners for new MRBI and NWQI watersheds and source water protection areas for fiscal 2021. See the NRCS website for a list of the watersheds for MRBI and for NWQI.

Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative

This year, NRCS will make available $17.5 million to producers in 13 states: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

The MRBI supports each state’s nutrient loss reduction strategy with overall goals of improving water quality, restoring wetlands and enhancing wildlife habitat while ensuring economic viability of agricultural lands along the nation’s largest river. The largest hypoxic zone, or low-oxygen area, in the U.S. sits at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Since its launch, the MRBI has:

  • Helped producers implement conservation on nearly 1.5 million acres;

  • Reduced sediment loss by 2.1 million tons;

  • Reduced phosphorous loss by 4.1 million lb., and

  • Reduced nitrogen loss by 16 million lb.

Related:Farmers skeptical of participating in water quality efforts

National Water Quality Initiative

Additionally, NRCS will make available $38.9 million this year through the NWQI. The Initiative is a partnership among NRCS, state water quality agencies and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to identify and address impaired water bodies through voluntary conservation. Through the Initiative, NRCS provides targeted funding for financial and technical assistance in small watersheds most in need and where farmers can use conservation practices to address impaired surface water. In 2019, the NWQI was expanded to include protection of both surface and ground sources of drinking water.

Water quality is improving in NWQI watersheds. State water quality agency partners reported that 27% of NWQI monitoring watersheds showed an improvement in water quality in at least one of the NWQI-monitored pollutants (based on 2016 data). Further, 81% of these improvements can be attributed to or associated with agricultural conservation practices implemented by farmers and ranchers.

Since its launch, the NWQI has:

  • Helped producers implement conservation on 825,000 acres;

  • Reduced sediment loss by 850,000 tons;

  • Reduced phosphorous loss by 2 million lb., and

  • Reduced nitrogen loss by 9.6 million lb.

NRCS accepts applications for conservation programs year-round, but applications are ranked and funded by enrollment periods that are set locally. Producers interested in technical and financial assistance should contact their local NRCS field office.

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