Plan will be implemented

Not wanting to lose momentum in the process of improving the Upper Salamonie River Watershed, local officials made use of a state grant to bridge a one-year gap in funding. Now they’re ready for full implementation.

A Clean Water Act 319 Section Grant has been approved for implementation of the Upper Salamonie River Watershed Plan, and watershed coordinator Tim Kroeker hopes to have all paperwork signed and complete this week. It will bring about a total of $180,000 over three years for implementation of best management practices to be used in both rural and urban areas.

“Since about 80 percent of the watershed is agricultural, that’s where we decided to look at first, looking mainly at how can we reduce sediments,” said Kroeker, who developed the management plan in 2014 and ’15.

Eliminating the sediment itself is important to water quality, but the material also carries with it minerals such as phosphorus and nitrogen. Those cause problems downstream, from algae blooms in Salamonie Lake in Wabash County that resulted in an advisory from the state last year to similar problems in the Gulf of Mexico.

Because the application process for the 319 Grant for implementation could not begin until a management plan was in place, Kroeker instead secured a $33,000 Indiana Clean Water Grant early in 2016 to get the implementation process underway. That money was focused in three areas:

 •Promoting and planting cover crops — those that grow during the offseason that   help replenish nutrients while also keeping soil in place.

•Creating filter strips — vegetation near waterways that help slow erosion.

•Applying gypsum.

Under the 319 Grant, there will continue to be a focus on cover crops and filter strips.

That’s because most of the Upper Salamonie Watershed in Jay and Blackford counties is made up of land used for agricultural purposes.

The first step when the grant is in hand will be to hold a public meeting and form a steering committee — the group that created the plan included conservationists, local government officials, agriculture producers and concerned citizens — to create an implementation plan.

“We had a lot of different areas where people could get involved,” said Kroeker, adding that he’ll first go back to those who were involved in creating the plan but that he hopes to get as many local residents as possible involved. “The hope was that in the end we would have representation from all the different groups so this was truly a community-represented plan.”

The implementation plan, which he expects to come together quickly, will include priorities for how the money will be spent. Those will be used to score applications for the available funds.

Anyone who is interested in implementing best management practices, rural or urban, can apply. The targeted areas of greatest need include the northwest corner of the county and from about county road 500 East to the eastern edge of the watershed.

Whereas some grant programs require a commitment of several years, funding from the 319 Grant can give those interested a chance to try something out for a shorter term.

“It’s a good road to try something out if you’ve never done it before,” said Kroeker. “You’re only bound for that one year. Give it a try, get the feel for what it’s like. … It’s a great way to try something out.”

Those who find that they want to continue the best management practices after the one-year trial can either apply for 319 Grant funding again, move into a Natural Resources Conservation Service Program or fund them independently.

In addition to helping pay for cover crops or filter strips — the grant can cover up to 75 percent of the cost with the rest to be paid by the applicant — funding will also be used for educational events such as cover crop field days and workshops about septic systems.

Kroeker would also like the county to look into implementing some two-stage ditches, which are wider than normal and create a more natural ecosystem in an effort to slow down the erosion process.

“What you do is you create basically a mini floodplain,” said Kroeker. “Whereas (a regular ditch) might last a year or two, (a two-stage ditch) can last up to 20 years with no maintenance. … They’re very stable.”

As part of implementing the watershed plan, Kroeker and volunteers will also be taking water samples at 10 locations twice a year and doing river watch inspections at six sites four times a year. They’ll also be taking a sample of aquatic insects to get a guage of what kind of organisms are living in the watershed.

The plan’s target is to get more landowners and farmers involved in best management practices and then make their use a habit for for years to come.

“The idea would be to keep things coming if we can. I imagine people will move in to NRCS programs. But there’s still always going to be people who want to try something new who don’t want to commit too much, who want to get a feel for it, which I think is good.

“Ultimately what this is about is quality of life. That’s the big picture.”