For Immediate Release: Tuesday, July 31, 2018
First
of its kind conservation inventory identifies practices that would cost an
estimated $6.2 billion to build
DES MOINES – A statewide effort to identify and map six
types of conservation practices (terraces, ponds, grassed waterways, water and
sediment control basins, contour strip cropping and contour buffer
strips/prairie strips) has been completed and provides the most comprehensive
inventory of conservation practices in the nation.
An analysis of the results shows the value of this public
and private investment in conservation would be $6.2 billion in today’s dollars.
Additional analysis work is underway to utilize the science of the Iowa
Nutrient Reduction Strategy to quantify the water quality impact these
practices are having in terms of reduced sediment and phosphorus loads to Iowa
streams.
“This mapping effort shows the scale and investment made
by farmers, landowners, state and federal agencies, conservation partners and
many others over several decades to reduce erosion and protect our natural
resources. While the practices identified are focused on reducing soil erosion
and phosphorus loss, seeing the progress that has been made illustrates how we
can make similar progress with a long-term focus and investment in proven
conservation practices targeted at reducing nitrogen loss,” said Iowa Secretary
of Agriculture Mike Naig.
Iowa is the first state to analyze every watershed within
its borders using LiDAR and aerial imagery to create a detailed assessment of
conservation practice implementation. This data allows for a much more detailed
and accurate analysis of soil conservation efforts focused on phosphorus
reduction because it includes all practices implemented by farmers, including
those done without government cost share.
Iowa DNR and researchers at Iowa State University lead
the 3-year effort to use LiDAR derived elevation data and aerial imagery to
identify and inventory the conservation practices present on the landscape. The
analysis is based on LiDAR data and imagery that was taken from 2007 to 2010.
With this inventory completed, it provides a benchmark
for measuring progress. Additional efforts are already underway to assess the
status of these practices going back to the 1980’s and also to assess the
recent status of practices from 2016-2018. Once completed, Iowa will have a
robust timeline to show the progress that has been made over time.
Maps and additional information about the project can be
found at https://www.gis.iastate.edu/gisf/projects/conservation-practices.
Not all of the information is available online yet as the Iowa DNR is still
finalizing the process of quality assurance/quality control. That process is
scheduled to be completed by next spring.
“This demonstrates that the consistent and persistent
effort, year after year, of all the Iowans needed to educate, inform, fund,
design, build, and maintain these practices can, practice by practice, change
the landscape for the better. I’m excited and encouraged to see what we can do
as we continue to scale up our collective efforts in support of the Iowa
Nutrient Reduction Strategy”, said DNR Director Bruce Trautman.
Potential benefits of the project and uses of the
information include:
·
Targeting resources where they are needed most
by comparing conservation potential with actual implementation
·
Accurately benchmarking efforts to quantify
nutrient reductions and compare with past and future progress
·
Creating a consistent, scientifically sound
dataset vetted by both Iowa State University and the Department of Natural
Resources
·
Detailed picture of all conservation structures
regardless of whether or not cost share was utilized
“The ability to provide an accurate accounting of the
progress being made under the Nutrient Reduction Strategy is a key mission of
the Iowa Nutrient Research & Education Council (INREC). Coupling thorough
assessments like this mapping project with the known science of conservation
practices allows us to clearly show the impact of farmer efforts on a statewide
scale,” said Shawn Richmond, INREC Director of Environmental Technology.
Practices mapped as part of the project include grassed
waterways, contour strip cropping, contour buffer strips/prairie strips,
terraces, ponds, and water and sediment control basins in 1,711 watersheds.
The initial number of practices identified by the mapping
project include:
·
114,400 pond dams
·
327,900 acres of grassed waterways
·
506,100 terraces stretching 88,874 miles
·
246,100 water and sediment control basins
stretching 12,555 miles
·
557,700 acres of contour buffer strips
·
109,800 acres of strip cropping
The project has garnered significant interest outside of
Iowa as well. ISU was recently awarded a grant from a national remote sensing
consortium to develop a handbook of the processes used for the project so other
states can conduct a similar inventory of conservation practices. “Other states
continue to look to Iowa as we set the standard for implementation of
conservation practices and science-based progress measurement,” Naig added.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa State
University GIS Facility, Iowa Nutrient Research & Education Council, Iowa
Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Nutrient Research Center, and
the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment provided the
resources to complete the project.
Contacts:
Dustin Vande Hoef,
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, 515-281-3375
Adam Schnieders,
Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-725-8403
Robin McNeely, Iowa
State University GIS Facility, 515-294-2087
Shawn Richmond, Iowa
Nutrient Research and Education Council, 515-262-8323
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