Allamakee County EQIP

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality.  This program is available to farmers and offers financial and technical assistance to install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land.

The following are Allamakee County Resource Concerns to be addressed by EQIP:

1. Water Quality – Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Surface Water
2. Water Quality – Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Ground Water
3. Water Quality – Harmful levels of Pathogens in Surface Water
4. Plant Condition – Forage Quality and Palatability
5. Plant Condition – Productivity, Health and Vigor
6. Plant Condition – Noxious and Invasive Plants
7. Soil Erosion – Sheet & Rill, Ephemeral Gully, Classic Gully
8. Soil Condition – Animal Waste and Other Contaminants (N, P, K)
9. Soil Condition – Organic Matter Depletion
10. Wildlife - Inadequate cover/shelter, Inadequate food and T & E species: Declining Species, Species of Concern
11. Domestic Animals – Inadequate Quantities and Quality of Feed and Forage
12. Domestic Animals – Inadequate Stock Water.
13. Air Quality – Excessive Greenhouse Gas (CO2)

These resource concerns address the following National EQIP priorities:

1. Reduction of non-point source pollution such as nutrients, sediment, pesticides or excess salinity in impaired watershed consistent with TMDL’s, where available, as well as the reduction of groundwater contamination and the conservation of ground and surface water resources.
2. Reduction of soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable high levels on agricultural land.

The goal of the locally led group was to recommend a ranking system that rewarded and gave priority to those producers that help most to address the above resource concerns that reduce soil erosion on cropland and improve water quality through livestock manure storage systems. The ranking will be completed for the specific practices to be applied through the EQIP contract. Sign-up is continuous at the NRCS field office. The ranking of the applications will be done periodically as funding allocations become available, will be announced through the NRCS State Office, and will be publicized by all levels of NRCS.

The local work group also recommended a list of conservation practices to be addressed, and the payment rates that are the most cost-effective, longest duration, and help most to address these priority resource concerns in the District.  They have also identified priority areas that include the Yellow River Watershed, particularly Ludlow Creek and Norfolk Creek, and manure management systems in the Upper Iowa Watershed.

For more information on EQIP and other NRCS administrated programs contact the Allamakee County USDA Service Center located at 635 9th St. NW, Waukon, IA 52172. Phone 563-568-2246. Fax 563-568-3322.

The following files require Acrobat Reader.

EQIP Practice List - 2009
EQIP Application Ranking - 2009   

EQIP Practice List - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only

EQIP Practice List - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only

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