This is a joint release from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Poweshiek Soil and Water Conservation District.

Learn About Improving Walnut Creek at June 3 Event
Posted: May 20, 2008

MALCOM - The Poweshiek Soil and Water Conservation District will host an event for Poweshiek County residents and landowners June 3 at 11:30 a.m. to kickoff the Walnut Creek Watershed Project.

The Walnut Creek Watershed Project will receive a projected $567,919 over three years in local, state and federal funding to help improve water quality in the stream. It is one of seven watershed projects to receive a projected total of $5.4 million in local, state and federal resources to address water quality issues this summer.

The kickoff event will introduce the project and how it aims to work with locals to improve the stream that runs for 16 miles through Poweshiek County. A light lunch will be available at 11:30 a.m., followed by a short presentation. The event will also offer tours of farms in the area that are using conservation practices to help prevent pollutants from reaching Walnut Creek, as well as demonstration sites of rain gardens. The Iowa Learning Farm rainfall simulator will also be on-hand.

The project is a partnership between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship - Division of Soil Conservation (IDALS), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Poweshiek Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD).

As in most watershed projects, the local Soil and Water Conservation District works one-on-one with landowners to make changes in the watershed, which is the land that drains to a lake, river or stream. Those changes can help keep pollutants like excess sediment, nutrients and bacteria out of Iowa's waters. The watershed projects work with local landowners to complete a comprehensive assessment of the watershed's needs, whether it is control of erosion, sediment, bacteria or nutrients. The watershed funds target the most critical needs and then apply the appropriate conservation practices and measures.

The details of the event follow here:

What:	Watershed Partnership Recognition; Introduction to Project
Who:	Jeremy Saugstad, Walnut Creek Watershed Project Coordinator Greg Townley, NRCS District Conservationist Rachel Glaza, DNR Watershed Improvement Vince Sitzmann, IDALS Regional Watershed Coordinator Paul Valin, IDALS Division of Soil Conservation
Where:	Dennis Moon farm-place, 1657 Kent Church Road, Brooklyn Event to begin at Moon's machine shed; watershed tours to follow
When:	Tuesday, June 3, 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
How:	For more information about the event please contact Jessie Brown with the Department of Natural Resources at 515-281-5131 or Greg Townley with the Walnut Creek Watershed Project at 641-528-2065 extension 3.