On the fourth [business] day of Christmas, the Iowa Water Center gave to me…descriptions for the breakout session The Soil/Water Connection.
The following presentations will take place at the Iowa Water Conference in Ames on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Registration for the conference will open in January.
Farmed Potholes: Money maker or profit taker?
Adam Kiel, Environmental Programs and Services State Water Resource Manager, Iowa Soybean Association
This presentation will explore the agricultural productivity and profitability of pothole areas of the Des Moines Lobe landform region. Yield data from 2006-2014 was combined LiDAR elevation data, market prices and cost of production estimates to determine if profitable conditions exist in pothole areas.
Paying farmers to grow clean water: an analysis of the benefits of CRP lands in Indian Creek
Kris Johnson, Senior Scientist, North America Water, The Nature Conservancy
Targeted restoration of agricultural land is a critical strategy to improve water quality and provide other benefits. This presentation will share results from biophysical-economic analysis of the return-on-investment provided by Conservation Reserve Program lands in the Indian Creek watershed.
Status and Update on River-Floodplain Re-Connectivity Research near Green Island, IA
Greg Nalley, Associate Director, USGS, Iowa Water Science Center
Non-structural alternatives to rebuilding damaged levees such as allowing land to return to natural floodplain have several benefits. Some of these benefits include ecosystem services as well as nutrient cycling.
Improving Water Quality – One Ravine at a Time
Todd Shoemaker, Water Resources Engineer, Wenck Associates, Inc.
Since 2000, Wenck Associates, Inc. has studied more than 60 bank stabilization projects throughout the Upper Midwest. Our experience has identified a parallel between streams and ravines that allows us to adapt and design bioengineered solutions that address the root cause of destabilization and erosion. This presentation will highlight before and after conditions of recent projects.