Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig has announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has formed a partnership with Calhoun County and the Calhoun County Soil and Water Conservation District to launch the first phase of the North Raccoon Edge-of-Field Project. 

The goal of the first phase of this water quality project is to install more than 25 edge-of-field conservation practices, including bioreactors and saturated buffers, in the North Raccoon River watershed. These science-based practices, which are outlined in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, are proven to improve water quality and reduce the loss of nutrients into Iowa’s waterways. 

Iowa’s innovative “batch and build” model modernizes the project management process by installing batches of conservation practices on multiple farms at once, therefore allowing a faster acceleration of water quality progress. As a result of this efficient and cost-effective model, Iowa is setting records for conservation implementation, and we have built positive momentum behind our statewide water quality efforts. 

“Proven edge-of-field practices like bioreactors and saturated buffers help to keep nutrients out of our rivers, lakes and streams,” said Secretary Naig. “By forming this partnership in Calhoun County, we can accelerate the installation of these practices and improve our water quality. We invite and encourage all area farmers and landowners to learn more about they can join this exciting water quality partnership.” 

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