Grand Forks County Soil Conservation District
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Grand Forks County Soil Conservation District
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Turtle River Watershed Project Implementation Phase: What is it? The Turtle River Watershed Assessment is complete. All that remains is to complete some final reports, and move on to the next phase. What is this next phase? The Implementation Phase quite simply is when the Soil Conservation District (and cooperating agencies such as NRCS, North Dakota Department of Health, and North Dakota Forest Service) will provide financial and technical assistance to land owners and operators in the Turtle River Watershed in order for them to implement Best Management Practices (BMP’s) that will improve water quality for the Turtle River and its tributaries. We are moving closer to the Implementation Phase, which will officially be called the “Turtle River Watershed Project”. The Soil Conservation District has formally submitted a proposal to the North Dakota Department of Health. This project proposal outlines the goals and objectives that we are hoping to achieve. Our overall goal is to improve the water quality of the Turtle River, its tributaries, and Larimore Dam by reducing the amount of pollutants entering our waterways, thus helping these water bodies comply with state water quality standards. If we are approved for this project, funding will be available starting next spring/early summer. The results from the Turtle River Watershed Assessment indicated that the Turtle River had a number of contaminants that were exceeding the state water quality standards (you can see more on this by referring to our Turtle River Data webpage). The District Board of Supervisors decided they wanted to pursue this additional project in order to help improve the water quality. We are in the process of having our proposal reviewed and hopefully approved this winter. Funding will then be available starting next spring/summer. What does this mean for the local land owners and operators? Interested people who own or operate land within the Turtle River Watershed will be able to apply for cost-share assistance through the Turtle River Watershed Project. We will be working to put in BMP’s that will improve water quality such as filter strips, grassed waterways, riparian forests, fencing cattle from waterways, putting in water tanks, stream bank restoration, and more. Most of the practices that Turtle River Watershed Project will utilize are also found through NRCS programs (contact our office for more information). Note: This funding is commonly referred to as “319 funding”. 319 funding is an EPA Non-Point Source Pollution program that provides cost-share assistance to projects that help improve water quality. These projects can be watershed assessments, education programs, or implementation projects. 319 funds provide cost share at a 60/40 rate (60% from 319, 40% local match). How can land owners get involved in this program? If you are interested in making improvements on your land, simply contact our office. NRCS and the SCD staff will talk with you about your land, find out what your concerns are, and work with you on putting together a conservation plan. We can come out to your site to see what is going on, and get your ideas as to what improvements can be made. This program is voluntary. Is every plan automatically approved for funding? Not every plan is guaranteed to be funded. Our project will have a certain amount of money that we can work with. Our SCD Board of Supervisors will receive all of the 319 plans that the SCD and NRCS staff work on. The Supervisors will decide which plans will be approved based on the amount of funding available. The goal is to put in as much conservation as possible for the money that we have. While the 319 funding is flexible as long as water quality issues are being addressed, we may not be able to approve everyone who comes through the door. How long is this implementation phase? Our initial proposal is for 5 years, starting spring of 2009. We will be able to apply for additional money as we move through the project. This implementation phase could go 5 to 10 years, maybe more, depending on how much interest there is and if improvements are being made or still need to be made. If you have any questions regarding the 319 program or the Turtle River Watershed Project contact Rhonda Olson, our Watershed Coordinator. 4775 Technology Circle Ste 1C Grand Forks, ND 58203 (701)-772-2321 ext 132 More Information: Turtle River Watershed Assessment Background English Coulee Watershed Assessment
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