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Fox River Ecosystem Development Project
The 136,822-acre project area is located in northeast Scotland and northwest Clark counties in northeast Missouri. There are approximately 555 landowners in the watershed area. Land use in the watershed is estimated to be 47% cropland, 33% woodland, 15% pastureland and 5% other. The other 5% includes small communities on the fringes of the watershed area and three public use areas owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Watershed land usage is as follows: 65,334 acres of cropland (floodplain and upland), 43,363 acres of woodland, 19,925 acres of pastureland and 5,988 acres of public use area.
Critical areas that have a major impact on water quality in the Fox River are as follows. The big head cut in the main Fox River channel has a high sediment delivery rate. Livestock waste enters the Fox River at several areas because livestock have free access to the stream itself. Intensively cropped land immediately adjacent to the main stream and its tributaries are a source of silt and chemicals in the water. A water quality problem identified on the 1998 303(d) list was sediment in the stream. The Fox River Basin Management Plan conducted in October of 1992 by the Missouri Department of Conservation and Soil Conservation Service indicated no streams in the basin were classified for whole body contact due to turbidity, silty substrates and poorly sustained flow. Loss of aquatic habitat has been one result of siltation in the Fox River Channel. The head cut in the main channel of the Fox River is contributing to the siltation problem. Losses of riparian corridor areas have caused an increase in stream bank erosion in some areas of the river. Siltation has resulted in loss of wildlife habitat, reduced or lost recreational value, and lowering of water quality in the Fox River.
The goals of the Fox River Ecosystem Development Project are to protect and improve the quality of water in the entire watershed. This will be accomplished by achieving six major objectives:
Objective # 1:
The first objective is to inform, educate, and demonstrate controlling herbicides, pesticide and fertilizer runoff by 50% through adoption of BMPs in the watershed. Three demonstration projects will be established with land users to demonstrate BMPs. Six underground outlet discharge options will be demonstrated following guidance from NRCS Technical Note 31.
Objective # 2:
The second objective is to inform, educate and demonstrate controlling nutrient and chemical runoff from cropland by using Nutrient Management Plans and Pest Management Plans. Incentive payments will be made to the land users to reduce nutrient and chemical run off from cropland.
Objective # 3:
The third objective is to inform, educate, and demonstrate controlling animal waste runoff and infiltration by adopting BMPs. The project sponsors will provide project funds not to exceed 75% of the cost for the installment of two animal waste facilities and provide incentive payments for the proper application of animal waste. The sponsors will monitor the stream tributaries in the watershed to ensure the objectives of the project are being met and to provide data to inform land users of the benefits of using BMPs.
Objective # 4:
The fourth objective of the project will be completed by utilizing existing programs to develop a wetland area and to demonstrate the role wetlands play in controlling pesticide, herbicide and nutrient runoff. Monitoring will be done down stream to validate expected results on water quality. This information will be used to inform and educate land users and the public on the importance of wetlands on water quality and restore 200 acres of wetlands.
Objective # 5:
The fifth objective of the project is to establish one demonstration riparian corridor area along bare stream banks. Filter strips and livestock exclusion will be included in the demonstration areas. One BMP will demonstrate the proper use of riparian corridor management. These riparian corridor areas will be used to inform and educate land users and the public on the importance of riparian corridor management, filter strips and livestock exclusion and control livestock on 50% of stream corridors. One demonstration practice will be used to help educate land users about stream bank stabilization. These stream bank stabilization demonstrations will be in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Objective # 6:
The sixth objective of the project is improving wildlife habitat. This will be accomplished by landowners adopting the BMPs to reduce chemical and fertilizer runoff, reduce soil erosion, reduce animal waste runoff, developing wetlands and establishing riparian corridors. As land users observe the benefits of BMPs through the demonstration projects, the sponsors feel that the land users will want to continue these beneficial programs by adopting BMPs on a permanent basis.
Those involved in the project include: Clark County SWCD, Scotland County SWCD, the Northeast Missouri RCandD Council, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), University of Missouri Extension Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, National Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever, Iowa State University, US Geological Survey, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and Scotland County Health Department.
Project period: February 15, 2003 - June 30, 2006
Sponsors: Northeast Missouri RCandD $299,509
EPA/DNR $449,263
Contact: Tommy J. Deberry, RCandD Coordinator
Northeast Missouri Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc.
Route 1, Box 73G
Memphis, MO 63555
Phone: 660-465-8551 Ext. 4
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