The Bollinger County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will be preparing a needs assessment for fiscal year 2015 starting this fall. This assessment will provide the state Soil and Water Districts Commission with information about soil erosion and water quality concerns in the county. This will assist the commission in allocating cost-share funds to the district next year.
The needs assessment is a great opportunity for districts and landowners to individually tell the commission what soil and water conservation issues they would like to address in their county. The Soil and Water Districts Commission is charged with allocating appropriations to districts based upon the county's needs. In order to do this, the commission is requesting that each district perform a yearly needs assessment.
This assessment will be a comprehensive, yearly report of the cost-share needs in the district based on resource concerns. During this process, the district board will break down the needs of the county based on seven resource concerns:
- Sheet, Rill and Gully Erosion
- Grazing Management
- Woodland Erosion
- Sensitive Areas
- Irrigation Management
- Nutrient and Pest Management
- Animal Waste Management
This information will be reviewed and presented to the commission, who will then consider each district's needs when making a decision on how to best allocate the available cost-share dollars to soil and water conservation districts for the 2015 fiscal year.
If you are interested in any of the cost-share practices listed below, contact the Bollinger County SWCD at 573-238-2671, ext. 3. Take notice that there are new practices available to Bollinger County that were not offered in the past. Keep in mind that the Bollinger County SWCD has existing waiting lists for pond (DWC-1) and seeding (DSL-1 and DSL-2) practices and the district operates on a first-come, first-serve process. Requesting a specific cost-share practice does not guarantee funding during the upcoming fiscal year.
Missouri's 114 soil and water conservation districts work with agricultural landowners and the public to conserve the states soil and water resources. The districts are funded by the one-tenth-of-one-percent parks, soils and water sales tax.
Needs Assessment Practice Descriptions
Sheet and Rill Erosion
The removal of layers of soil from the land surface by the action of rainfall and runoff. It is the first stage in water erosion.
Gully Erosion
The process whereby the removal of soil is characterized by large incised channels in the landscape: severe erosion in which trenches are cut into the soil. These practices are measured by the number of actively eroding gully sites. The reason taxpayer dollars are spent on these concerns is the fact that protecting the soil from runoff stops potential land degradation and assists with water quality protection. The state cost-share practices that can reduce or eliminate these concerns are as follows:
- DSL-1 Permanent Vegetative Cover Establishment
- DSL-2 Permanent Vegetative Cover Improvement
- DSL-11 Permanent Vegetative Cover-Critical Area
- DWC-1 Water Impoundment Reservoir
- DWP-1 Sediment Retention, Erosion or Water Control Structure
- DSL-5 Diversions
- DWP-3 Sod Waterways
- DSL-111 Permanent Vegetative Cover - Confined Animal Feed Lots
Woodland Erosion
The process where by the removal of soil or vegetation (including trees) through animal presence or tree harvesting allows soil to become susceptible to sheet and rill and gully erosion. The reason taxpayer dollars are spent on this concern is to exclude livestock, people or vehicles from the woodland area and to develop a plan for harvesting trees in an appropriate manner to protect soil integrity and water quality. The state cost-share practices that can reduce or eliminate this concern are as follows:
- DFR-4 Forest Planatation
- DFR-5 Woodland Protection through Livestock Exclusion
- N472 Use Exclusion
- C100 Timber Harvest Plans
- N655 Restoration of skid trails, logging roads, stream crossings, and log landings
Irrigation Management
The artificial application of water to land to assist in the production of crops. The reason taxpayer dollars are spent on this concern is for the protection of water quality through efficiently and uniformly applying water to control runoff, application of nutrients and chemicals and to conserve water supplies. The state cost-share practices that can reduce this concern are as follows:
- N442 Irrigation Systems, Sprinkler
- N443 Irrigation System, Surface and Subsurface
- N447 Irrigation System, Tail Water Recovery
- N430 Irrigation Water Conveyance
- N587 Structure for Water Control
- N554 Drainage Water Management
Sensitive Areas
A strip or area of vegetation along one end of a field, surrounding a field or alongside a stream. The reason that taxpayer dollars are spent on this concern is for the protection of water quality through buffers collecting and filtering out sediment and other nutrients, herbicides and pesticides that could runoff of crop fields, and the exclusion of livestock from streams keeps them from defecating in the streams which prevents high nutrient and E. Coli content while protecting the streambank from soil degradation at the same time. Streambank Erosion: For use on agricultural land along streams where significant streambank erosion problems exist. The reason taxpayer dollars are spent on this concern is to protect streambanks from accelerated erosion, provide adequate streambank vegetation and improve water quality on a watershed basis. Groundwater Protection: Water beneath the earth's surface that fills pores between materials such as sand, soil or gravel. Groundwater is a major source of water for agricultural and industrial purposes and is an important source for drinking water. The reason taxpayer dollars are spent on this concern is for the protection of soil and water quality. The state cost-share practices that help reduce or eliminate these concerns are as follows:
- N386 Field Boarder
- N393 Filter Strip
- N391 Riparian Forest Buffer
- N380 Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment
- WQ10 Stream Protection
- N574 Spring Development
- N351 Well Decommissioning
Animal Waste Management
To manage waste from agricultural production. The reason taxpayer dollars are spent on this concern is to try to reduce or prevent degradation of the soil and water resources. Such systems are planned to preclude discharge of pollutants to surface or groundwater and to recycle waste through correct soil application to agricultural land. The state cost-share practices that help reduce or eliminate this concern are as follows:
- N312 Waste Management System
Nutrient Management
To demonstrate the environmental and economic advantages of following a nutrient management plan, and to provide operators an incentive to encourage the adoption of new management techniques and/or technologies for applying commercial fertilizer. The reason that taxpayer dollars are spent on this concern is water quality. If nutrients in the soil or the ones that are applied are managed to the point of the best and appropriate use, there will be less nutrient runoff and leeching of the soil after a rainfall event into streams. Pest Management: To demonstrate the benefits of applying the correct amount and type of pesticides so that operators minimize entry of contaminants to ground and surface water. The reason taxpayer dollars are spent on this concern is to protect water quality by reducing the amount of pesticides used on cropland or pasture that could potentially runoff and contaminate a stream or other water sources. The state cost-share practices that help reduce or eliminate these concerns are as follows:
- N590 Nutrient Management
- N595 Pest Management
Grazing Management
In pastureland where non-woody, permanent vegetative cover is established. The reason taxpayer dollars are spent on this concern is to promote economically and environmentally sound agricultural land management on pastureland by demonstrating the best use of soil and water resources through the use of rotational grazing as well as the reduction or prevention of soil erosion and water quality protection. The state cost-share practices that could reduce or eliminate this concern are as follows:
- DSP-2 Permanent Vegetative Cover Enhancement
- DSP-3.1 Grazing System Water Development
- DSP-3.2 Grazing System Water Distribution
- DSP-3.3 Grazing System Fence
- DSP-3.4 Grazing System Lime
- DSP-3.5 Grazing System Seed