In this issue:  Neosho River - Rills and Ruts - Clark's Creek Delisted - Eagle Creek Adopted - Scott Jones - Melvern Lake WRAPs - Eviron-Ed Workshop - King of the Prairie - New Coordinator for FHRC&D - Soil Expo - Morris Co. Field Day - Calendar of Events

ARRA Fund Benefit Neosho River

The Kansas Water Office has received funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) and the State's Water Plan Fund to address sedimentation in the Neosho River basin.  The ARRA funds were channeled through the State's Clean Water Act State Revolving Funds.  For non-traditional borrowers implementing "green infrastructure" projects, such as the KWO streambank project, the principal was forgiven on these low interest loans.

An 8.3-mile reach of the Neosho River has been identified as a high priority area for streambank stabilization to reduce sedimentation.  The project has the potential to reduce the annual sediment load downstream by 50,000 tons.  Restoration of the riparian buffer adjacent to the stream is also a goal.

Twelve individual strambank stabilization projects make up the full 8.3-mile project reach.  Stabilization methods for these projects include reshaping of the bank to a more natural contour; willow planting on flood benches; installation of longitudinal toe rock protection; construction of veins and weirs to redirect flow away from the bank; and restoration of a forested riparian buffer.

The ARRA implementation area is just up stream of Neosho Rapids in Lyon County and runs up stream 8.5 miles.  The map below shows the project location and the individual streambank location sites.

The project is strictly voluntary and eminent domain was not used.  The project participants receive 100% cost-share as long as they agreed to maintain the riparian buffer.  All ten landowners in the corridor have agreed to participate in the project.

A monitoring assessment is also planned that will track the quality of water before and after it passes through restored corridor.  As of November 1st eight of the twelve sites had been completed with the stabilization phase.  Riparian buffers still need to be planted.  The photo below shows completion of the bank stabilization at one of the sites.  Riparian vegetation still needs to be planted.

For more information you can contact:

Susan Metzger

Kansas Water Office

901 S. Kansas Office

Topeka, KS  66612

785-296-1007  email

When Rills Become Ruts?

I have heard from a number of clients who have experimented with no-till farming that they gegin to see ruts show up in their fields after two or three years without tillage.  There are remedies for these ruts, and the overall benefits of no-till can out weigh the negative challenges faced.

Ruts of small gullies are the tertiary phase of soil erosion.  When a rainfall event occurs the soil will absorb the rainfall until it is saturated then sheet erosion begins to occur.  Based upon soil type and structure, slope of the field, and intensity of rainfall, this sheet erosion begins to form rills at some point.  Wikipedia defines a rill as "a narrow and shallow incision into soil resulting from erosion by overland flow."

When left untreated these rills will enlarge over time and become ruts and eventually gullies.  The soil loss from a field accelerates as the problem worsens.  Under a conventional tillage system these rills are erased with a tillage operation.  However, the soil that has been lost from the farm cannot be returned to the field.  So, how do you remedy this dilemma if you want to pursue the benefits of no-till?  There are a number of options to consider that will treat this erosion in a no-till system.

Rill Remedies on No-till Cropland:

1. Plant cover crops on erosion susceptible areas after harvest or prior to harvest.
2. Plant on the contour.
3. Install terraces and/or other structures to protect these critical areas.
4. Plant native grass buffer areas in susceptible areas.  The continuous CRP program can help pay for buffers such as these.
5. If you can manage these erosion prone areas for a few years, it is reported that soil quality (organic matter, and soil structure) will improve, due to not tilling, resulting in improved infiltration capacity, less runoff, and reduced erosion.

Soil leaving your farm not only reduces the productive capacity of your land but enters into streams harming aquatic ecosystems and reduces the water storage capacity in our public lakes and reservoirs.

Check with your local conservation district/NRCS office or WRAPs Coordinator to find out ways to keep your soil and improve your landscapes.

Clark's Creek Delisted

On September 16 a group of about 50 local landowners and agency personnel met in a tranquil oak grove just east of Herington to celebrate a very unique occurrence.  Since 1998 the local stream, Clark's Creek, has been listed on the state's impaired water list due to the presence of excess E-coli bacteria.  Since that time, the water has been monitored by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment on an ongoing basis.  In 2008 monitoring showed that the bacterial levels had dropped below critical levels and so KDHE applied to the Environmental Protection Agency to have the stream de-listed.  This makes Clark's Creek one of the first three waters in the state to be taken off the list.

The improvement in the water quality is due to the actions of the local landowners and producers who have voluntarily installed best management practices or changed some of their production techniques to help clean up this stream.

Efforts led by the Clark's Creek Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) project, which is sponsored by the Flint Hills RC&D, have been helping to get the word out about the need to improve the local water quality.

Speaking at the meeting were KDHE Secretary Roderick Bremby, Kerry Wedel, KDHE Watershed Planning Section; Tom Stiles, KDHE Watershed Planning Section; Greg Floey, State Conservation Commission; and Angela Beavers, Clark's Creek WRAPs Coordinator.  Each speaker reiterated the uniqueness of this event and complimented the initiative of the local landowners in bringing about this accomplishment.

Following a picnic meal the group was lead on a tour of best management practices that have been installed within the watershed.  A segment about this de-listing will be aired on Sunflower Journeys on December 9th on local public television stations.

Eagle Creek Adopted

The Flint Hills RC&D has adopted Eagle Creek Watershed.  This brings the number of WRAPs Watersheds administered by the RC&D up to 8.  The Coffey County Conservation District had been the WRAPs sponsor.  If you own land in Eagle Creek you will be receiving a letter in the mail in the near future announcing this adoption.

Eagle Creek is a sub-watershed of the Neosho Headwaters Watershed and takes in Lyon, Coffey, and a small portion of Greenwood Counties.

WRAPs Implementation:  2005

Watershed Size:  114 sq. miles

TMDL:  Dissolved Oxygen

Project Coordinator:  Scott Jones 3020 W. 18th, Emporia KS  66801

Phone:  620-341-0240

email

Scott Jones Joins WRAPs Team

November 1st the Flint Hills RC&D WRAPs; Team hired a new staff member.  Scott Jones is a Lyon County native growing up in the Reading area.  Scott recently finished a Master's Degree from Emporia State in earth science.  Prior to his graduate studies he worked in law enforcement and golf course management.  Scott will be coordinating the newly adopted Eagle Cree WRAPs.  In addition, he will be working on a new Cottonwood Streambank Initiative.  Scott's contact information is given above. - Welcome Aboard Scott!

Melvern Lake WRAPs Celebrates Ten Year Anniversary

On October 6th the Melvern Lake WRAPs Project Management Team gathered with about 40 local land owners and agency representatives to celebrate ten years of work.  In late 1999 a group of concerned citizens and agency personnel gathered in Reading to Discuss water quality issues in Melvern Lake.  A Project Management Team was organized in 2000 and a watershed assessment was conducted by Kansas State University.  In 2001 a coordinator was hired and implementation of conservation practices commenced.

Speakers at the event included Kerry Wedel, KDHE Watershed Management Section: Steve Schaff, EPA; and Paul Ingle project coordinator.  The event was hosted by the North Lyon County Community Center.  Melvern Lake WRAPs is the oldest watershed administered by the Flint Hills RC&D and it is the 3rd oldest on-going watershed project in Kansas.

"We Shall never achieve harmony with land, any more than we shall achieve absolute justice or liberty for people.  In these higher aspirations the important things is not to achieve, but to strive."

-Aldo Leopold.

Flint Hill's Teachers Get Their Feet Wet at Environ-Ed Workshop

On October 22nd and 23rd twelve teachers attended an Environmental Education Workshop at Camp White Memorial in Morris County.  One of the goals of WRAPs is education for not only adults but for grades K-12.  Budget cuts this year did not allow a large water festival for 4th and 5th graders so the Flint Hills Environ-Ed committee decided to do a workshop for teachers.

The workshop included a lot of hands on activities including having the teachers visit a nearby stream to get their feet wet while learning how to do a basic assessment for kids.  The workshop was conducted by the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE) with assistance from Lyon and Morris County conservation Districts and Flint Hills RC&D

On November 6th Greenwood County held Cattleman's Day.  Here Hazel Russell (right) receives the winner's certificate from Lexie Biering, Greenwood County Conservation District, for having the tallest big bluestem grass in the 'King of the Prairie' contest.  The winning bluestem was 10 ft 1 inch tall.

Flint Hills RC&D Has New Coordinator

In June the Flint Hills RC&D Council Welcomed in a new Coordinator.  Tom McGuire comes to Kansas from Missouri, where he worked with the US Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest.  Tom is still getting accustomed to living without so many trees, but he is excited to be learning so much about the tallgrass prairie.

If you are in the Emporia USDA office sometime, stop by and meet Tom.  Or you can also contact him via e-mail or telephone.  The RC&D Council is always looking for new rural development and conservation ideas.

Tom McGuire

3020 W. 18th St. Suite C

Emporia, KS  66803

620-340-1113 Ext-9

email

No-till Expo Digs Deep Into the Soil

Close to 200 no-till farmers and natural resource pros gathered in Emporia on September 10th.  Several world renowned soil specialists spoke in the morning session in the classroom about the importance of good soil biological and physical health.  In the afternoon the class headed out to Fuller Farms to work in a no-till soil pit laboratory.  Instructors pointed out the importance of soil structure and healthy biological activity.  The event was sponsored by No-till On the Plains, Flint Hills RC&D WRAPs, Lyon County Conservation District & NRCS, and K-State Research and Extension.

Dr. Kristine Nichols (USDA-ARS), and Dr. Jill Clapperton (Earthspirit Consulting), showed a number of interesting soil properties and processes at Gail Fuller's farm north of Emporia.  A rare NATIVE earthworm was discovered and passed around.  Large "night crawlers" are not native to Kansas.

Just kidding! This scene was really a range field day held in Morris County on a beautiful fall day October 16th.  About 20 ranchers and agency reps gathered out in a pasture near Parkerville to install a gully rehab project and to learn more about range management principles and practices.

While the adults were learning in one part of the pasture a group of high school youth was receiving training for the 2011 Envirothon.  They learned about forestry, range management and stream science.  Northern Heights, Council Grove, and White City school participated.

Calendar of Events

January 15, 2011:  Kansas Grazier's Association Winter Conference Junction City.  Register here or contact Mary Howell at 785-292-4955

January 20-21:  No-till On the Plains Winter Conference website or call Toll free (USA): 888-330-5142 or email

January 20-21:  Kansas Natural Resources Conference, Wichita Hilton. Theme: 'Through the Haze - The Role of Fire on the Prairie" website

"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runts through it." - Author Unknown