Mower County agricultural producers and landowners in the Root River, Rose Creek and Dobbins Creek subwatersheds are needed for participation in the final grant year of the Mississippi River Basin Initiative.

Through MRBI, Mower SWCD and the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have worked with producers and landowners to implement voluntary conservation practices that improve water quality, restore wetlands, enhance wildlife habitat and sustain agricultural profitability in the Mississippi River basin. These efforts are targeted for high-priority watersheds and ensure the economic viability of cropland and rangeland.

Interested producers and landowners with property in the Root, Rose and Dobbins subwatersheds should contact Mower SWCD or NRCS-Mower County staff this spring to start working on the process for applying by this summer. The application period this year is for implementing projects in 2018 — the final year of the MRBI grant. Land in MRBI’s targeted subwatersheds is possibly eligible for enhanced cost assistance on practices.

Conservation practices installed by producers will serve to avoid, control and trap nutrient runoff, prevent erosion and provide essential wildlife habitat. These practices benefit the natural resources of the Mississippi Basin and enhance agricultural profitability through reduced input and enhanced soil health, which results in higher soil organic matter, increased infiltration and water-holding capacity and nutrient cycling.

NRCS has identified the Mississippi River basin as a top priority due to water quality concerns, primarily related to the effects of nutrient loading on the health of local water bodies and, eventually, the Gulf of Mexico. The 13-state initiative builds on the cooperative work of NRCS and its conservation partners in the basin, and offers agricultural producers in priority watersheds the opportunity for voluntary technical and financial assistance.

Known as “America’s River,” the Mississippi River is North America’s largest river, flowing over 2,300 miles through America’s heartland to the Gulf of Mexico. It is the centerpiece of the world’s second-largest watershed. The watershed not only provides drinking water, food, industry, and recreation for millions of people, it also hosts a globally significant migratory flyway and home for more than 325 bird species.

More than 50 cities and 18 million people rely on the Mississippi River for their daily water supply. The Mississippi River is the main stem of a network of inland navigable waterways 12,350 miles in length.

Conservation staff in Mower County are passionate about working with farmers to plan and apply conservation on the land. For more information on conservation programs in Mower County, contact Brian DeVetter, District Conservationist, at 507-433-8429 or Mower SWCD staff at 507-434-2603.

For more information or to see maps of the watersheds, visit www.mowerswcd.org.