Iowa to Host National Celebration of 50 Years of Watershed Protection

July 22, 2004

Conservationists will celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the national Public Law-566 Watershed Program on August 4 at the Stonehaven Hunting Lodge in Van Meter.

The 50^th anniversary celebration will begin with a tour of the Badger Creek Watershed at 10:00 a.m. Following the tour, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Bruce Knight, Congressman Leonard Boswell, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Patty Judge, Iowa NRCS State Conservationist Richard Van Klaveren, and National Watersheds Coalition Executive Director Dan Sebert are scheduled to speak. John Glenn, president of Iowa Watersheds, will present a proclamation on behalf of Governor Tom Vilsack. Lunch will follow the program.

PL-566 is formally known as The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program. It provides technical and financial assistance to state and local governments and tribes through NRCS to reduce flooding, control gully erosion, create fish and wildlife habitat, develop recreation and rural water supplies, and better manage land in the watershed.

In Iowa, of 60 authorized PL-566 projects, 21 projects are actively installing planned project measures. Another 39 have completed installation and are actively operating and maintaining the conservation structures.

The 50^th anniversary event is sponsored by Iowa Watersheds, Iowa NRCS, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Directions to Stonehaven:
Take the Adel/DeSoto exit off 1-80. Go south on Hwy 169 through DeSoto. Stonehaven is about three miles south of DeSoto on the west side of the road.

Contacts:
Jason Johnson
USDA-NRCS
Public Affairs Specialist
Phone: 515-323-2701
Email: Jason.r.johnson@ia.usda.gov

David Beck
USDA-NRCS
Planning Leader
Phone: 515-284-4135
Email: david.beck@ia.usda.gov

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