Maquoketa River Watershed Management AuthorityNewsletter |
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Executive Committee Field Trip For our July meeting, we met at the New Melleray Abbey in Peosta, for an update from Abbey Forester, John Schroeder. If you remember, he presented to our Board of Directors in March of 2023 with an extensive list of projects he was aiming to to complete on the ~3,000 acre property. On this visit, he showed us the first round of buffer installation along the row crop field to filter the water leading directly to streams on Catfish Creek followed by the future project on the Prairie creek side to remove 2-300 feet of row crops to install a buffer there, too! We also saw two analogue beaver dams (one on Catfish Creek side and one on the Prairie Creek side -which is our watershed). Beaver Dam Analogues (BDA) mimic actual beaver dam features by using material found nearby. In this case, John and his team used mainly boxelder trees and gathered rocks from the creek. Benefits: Low cost Traps fine sediment By adding multiple small dams spaced accordingly, the velocity of water is reduced during flashy rain events. Stores water across floodplain in desired locations Expands riparian vegetation growth Benefits landowners down stream
Really impressive work happening and thanks for the tour, John! |
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All Invoices for FY25 have been sent. Please check your inboxes! |
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Indian Creek Clean Up As part of being on the board for Iowa Rivers Revival (IRR), our watershed coordinator planned her first (of many) stream clean up. This particular one stemmed from a grant that IRR received from Wings 2 Water for a clean up in Eastern Iowa. She worked with awesome folks from Wings2Water and Great America, both who had staff willing to help, plus others from the City of Cedar Rapids Iowa Government.
This incredible group of humans walked a little over 2 miles of Indian Creek, in chest high deep, to shallow rocky water pulling a canoe loaded to the brim with tires, bikes, hundreds of golf balls and A LOT OF TRASH!
The highlight was watching a mink scurry across the rocky shore back and forth, then a doe and 2 fawns leap across the creek in front of us! Stay tuned for a stream clean up in the Maquoketa Watershed in 2025! |
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ECIA Fund AlertHello, below is a list of grants that may fit your community priorities. If you would like more information on a grant, contact Marla Quinn at mquinn@ecia.org. Due dates and program purpose are subject to change - always refer to the program website for up-to-date information. |
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Complete CRP Management Activities The PRIMARY NESTING SEASON is now over and all CRP management activities can resume. Spot treatment on CRP acres can also resume.
Producers with 2024 CRP management activities are encouraged to use the August 2 - September 30 window to get their scheduled activities completed.
Management activities can include: disking, spraying, burning and/or inter-seeding. Please consult with FSA or NRCS if you are unsure of what activity was planned for your CRP practice. If you are planning to burn CRP in the spring of 2025, NOW is the time to mow/maintain your firebreaks. 2025 CRP Establishment PLANNING- The fall window is a great time to prep for your upcoming spring CRP seeding. Planning your project on and off the field is important. Take this time to review your conservation plan, secure your seed, prep the ground, or line up a contractor if necessary. Questions about CRP management activities? Please contact the your local USDA office. |
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Come out to enjoy a free meal and see how the Stillmunkes have implemented no-till continuous corn and cover crops to increase their farm’s soil health. You will also have an opportunity to hear about the different cost share programs available. If you would like to attend, please RSVP by August 30th to the NRCS at 563-652-2337 Ext. 3 or email lori.schnoor@usda.gov. |
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Improving water qualityNortheast Iowa farmland owners have partnered with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Iowa Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), Farm Service Agency and Soil and Water Conservation District to develop multiple wetlands projects geared to improve water quality and wildlife habitat in scenic Winneshiek County. |
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Did you know our Watershed Management Plan (WMP) is now online? You can also access the interactive mapping tool that was created to assist with identification of watershed projects. Check them both out at the link below. |
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