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Clay 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 Clay County Resource Concerns to be addressed by EQIP:

  1. Soil Erosion - Sheet and Rill, Ephemeral Gully, Classic Gully               
  2. Water Quality - Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Surface water or Groundwater.  Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water        
  3. Plant Condition – Productivity, Health, and Vigor, Forage Quality and Palatability
  4. Domestic Animals - Inadequate Quantities and Quality of Feed and Forage, Inadequate Stock Water, Inadequate Shelter,  
  5. Air Quality - Adverse Air Temperatures, Particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM 2.5)
  6. Water Quantity - Snow Drifting, Inefficient Water Use on Irrigated Land
  7. Soil Condition – Organic Matter Depletion, Contaminants-Animal Waste and Other Organics (N, P, & K)

These resource concerns address the following National EQIP priorities:

  1. Reductions of non-point source pollution, such as nutrients, sediment, pesticides, or excess salinity in impaired watersheds consistent with TMDLs where available as well as the reduction of groundwater contamination and reduction of point sources such as contamination from confined animal feeding operations.
  2. Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable 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 most significantly address the above resource concerns and target producers in the Water Quality Beneficial Areas of Clay County (Willow Creek Watershed, Trumble Lake Watershed, Silver Lake Watershed, Clay Regional Water Recharge Area, and Spencer Municipal Utilities Well Recharge Area.). Additionally, the goals of the local workgroup included: open feedlots that have inadequate treatment; soil erosion and soil quality concerns by offering payments to encourage long-term no-till; and to address excess nutrients and organics contamination of ground and surface water.  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 conservation practices to be addressed that are the most cost-effective, longest duration, and help most to address these priority resource concerns in the District.  Based on statewide requirements, the payments are generally based on a payment rate schedule. The payments for land management practices are limited to the minimum amount necessary to encourage the producer to install and adopt the practices within Clay County. Based on agency directive, nutrient management standard 590 will be offered using the concept of management intensity which offers a larger payment for more environmental performance. Agency maximums have been incorporated for payments associated with Residue and Tillage Management Standard 329, 346, (No-Till/Strip-Till, Ridge Till) and Nutrient Management 590. The payment is limited to no more than 3 years.  For all individual practices, no more than $75,000 cost share will be permitted. Total of all grazing practices cannot exceed $50,000.  Conservation practices applied with EQIP funds are to be maintained for the service life of the practice, which may be longer than the term of the EQIP contract.

For more information on EQIP and other NRCS administrated programs contact the Clay County USDA Service Center located at 306 11th St SW Plaza, Spencer, IA 51301. Phone (712) 262-3432. Fax (712) 262-7127.

The following files require Acrobat Reader.

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

EQIP Practice List - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only
 EQIP Nutrient Management Intensity Options - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only

 EQIP Practice List - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only
 EQIP Nutrient Management Intensity Options - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only

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