Clarke 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 Clarke County resource concerns to be addressed by EQIP:

1. Soil Erosion – Sheet & Rill       
2. Soil Erosion – Ephemeral Gully
3. Soil Erosion – Classic Gully
4. Soil Erosion – Stream bank
5. Water Quality – Harmful Levels of Pesticides in Surface Water
6. Water Quality – Harmful Levels of Pathogens in Surface Water
7. Water Quality – Excessive nutrients and organics in Surface Water
8. Water Quality – Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water
9. Soil Condition – Organic Matter Depletion
10. Plant Condition – Productivity, Health and Vigor
11. Plant Condition – Noxious and Invasive Plants
12. Plant Condition – Forage Quality and Palatability
13. Fish & Wildlife – Inadequate Cover/Shelter/Space
14. Fish & Wildlife – T & E Species: Declining species, species of concern
15. Domestic Animals – Inadequate Quantities and Quality of Feed and Forage
16. Domestic Animals – Inadequate Stock Water
17. Air Quality – Objectionable Odors
18. Air Quality – Particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter
19. Air Quality – Excessive Greenhouse Gas-CO2
20. Air Quality – Undesirable Air Movement

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 watersheds consistent with Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), where available, as well as the reduction of groundwater contamination and the conservation of ground and surface water resources.
2. Reduction in 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 address the above resource concerns and focus efforts towards improving the water quality of the established lakes in the area. 

West Lake (320 surface acres) is the water supply for the city of Osceola (pop. 4,659) and the surrounding region. It has a drainage area of 6,400 acres and is listed on the EPA’s Section 303(d) list with the corn herbicide atrazine identified as the impairment. West Lake has been identified through a series of public meetings as the highest priority for EQIP funding. The practices listed to address the atrazine issue were derived in part from producer meetings.

Approximately 15,000 acres of Clarke County farm ground drain into Rathbun Lake. Water from this reservoir is used by the Rathbun Rural Water Association to supply one of the nation’s largest rural distribution systems. Soil erosion is the primary resource concern in this watershed.

The City of Osceola is anticipating that it will experience water quantity problems in the future. The planning process to identify a potential lake site on Squaw Creek in the northwest part of the county was initiated in 2004 and is nearly complete.  This lake will be used along with West Lake to provide an additional water supply to the city of Osceola as well as the surrounding area.  Sediment delivery from sheet, rill and gully erosion are expected to be the primary resource concerns for the lake.

The Whitebreast Creek Watershed in Clarke County (60,400 acres) is the upper portion of a 276,000 acre watershed that drains into Lake Red Rock. Whitebreast is thought to be one of the major contributors of sediment to Lake Red Rock therefore; soil conserving practices that prevent sediment delivery to the stream will be the primary emphasis in this watershed. A portion of the main channel is on the Iowa 303(d) Impaired Waters Listing with aquatic life identified as being impaired. Habitat alterations, sedimentation and low dissolved oxygen levels are thought to be the likely causes/stressors.

East Lake (320 acre drainage area), a small county owned lake located near Osceola is also in the Whitebreast Watershed. East Lake is included on the Iowa Section 303(d) Impaired Waters Listing with primary contact (recreation) identified as impaired. Turbidity and aesthetically objectionable conditions contribute to this impairment.

Five pools of funds will be set up with the county allocation each will be set aside to address the specific resource concerns.  These are listed below.

Priority watersheds (West Lake, Rathbun and Whitebreast Creek Watershed)

1. Summer construction of terraces and basins on cropland
2. Countywide
3. Plant condition & health
4. Soil erosion on cropland

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. Application ranking 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 NRCS may establish local, minimum ranking cut-off levels for funding selection.

The local work group also recommended a list of conservation practices that are the most cost-effective, longest duration and address these priority resource concerns in the district.

For more information on EQIP and other NRCS administrated programs contact the Clarke County USDA Service Center located at 709 Furnas Drive, Suite 3, Osceola, IA  50213. Phone (641) 342-2917. Fax (641) 342-2278.

The following files require Acrobat Reader.

EQIP Practice List - 2009
EQIP Application Ranking - 2009
EQIP Nutrient Management Intensity Options - 2009
EQIP Pest Management Intensity Options - 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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