Projects |
|
Outreach Animation Videos for Environmental Quality Incentives
Program (EQIP)
Water Management Practices NEW!
M&M Divide RC&D received a Conservation Innovation Grant from the
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to produce a series of videos that will educate landowners
and producers on practices that can assist in solving the nutrient
water quality issues in the Iowa Mississippi River Basin Initiative
(MRBI) target areas: North Raccoon River, Boone River,
Maquoketa River, and Cedar River.
The series - entitled
"Nabbing Nitrates Before Water Leaves the Farm"
-
consists of 4 animated videos illustrating what happens below
the ground to remove nitrates when the following conservation practices are
implemented: Conservation Drainage, Riparian Forest Buffers,
Working Wetlands, and Bioreactors.
Additional
funding and other support for the project was received from a number
of partner sponsors including:
Des
Moines Water Works, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Environmental
Council, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture,
Iowa Dept
of Agriculture - Soil Conservation Division, Agri Drain Corporation,
Raccoon River Watershed Association, Iowa Natural Heritage
Foundation,
Soil & Water Conservation Society, Carroll County
(IA) Extension Council, Carroll County (IA) Soil & Water
Conservation District,
Iowa Conservation Education Coalition,
Iowa Chapter - Soil & Water Conservation Society.
Conservation
Drainage (2 min 16 sec)
Smart Drainage: Tile drainage can be turned on
& off with water structures. |
 |
English Version |
Spanish Version |
Riparian
Forest Buffers (3 min 50 sec)
Cutting Nitrates:
Riparian buffers cut nitrates & phosphorus from both
overland flow and underground water. |
 |
English Version |
Spanish Version |
Working
Wetlands (2 min 55 sec)
At
Work: Working wetlands are designed to
specifically remove nitrates from runoff & tile waters. |
 |
English Version |
Spanish Version |
Bioreactors
(3 min 50 sec)
Trenched
Woodchips: Buried woodchips are the key to a
bioreactor. |
 |
English Version |
Spanish Version |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Raccoon River Basin Water
Quality Initiative
 M&M
Divide RC&D Inc. was awarded $250,000 by the Iowa Department of
Natural Resources to generate a plan to inform and guide watershed
residents and stakeholders as they seek to cooperatively improve
water quality in Iowa's Raccoon River Watershed.
M&M Divide RC&D partnered with Agren
Inc., a local Carroll agricultural consulting firm, who led the planning
process and developed the comprehensive Master Plan. The
Master Plan provides an overview of existing water quality, land use
and demographic data. Included is water quality modeling from
the Center for Agriculture & Rural Development which identifies high
priority subwatersheds and forecasts possible water quality outcomes
based on varying levels of implementation of agricultural best
management practices. Priorities identified in the Master Plan
are organized into 9 recommendations.
A full version of the Master Plan is
provided here
(click
here).
The Master Plan, session recordings and research
reviewed during the planning process can be found on
Agren's website for a limited time period.
|
Photo Database - Images along the Lincoln Highway Scenic Byway
|
M&M Divide RC&D was awarded grant funding by the Iowa D.O.T. to
help build a database of images that will be used to market scenic
byways for Iowa tourism. A professional photographer was hired
to complete the assignment of supplying high quality images
representing 6 segments of the western corridor of the Lincoln
Highway Scenic Byway:
1) Council Bluffs, Crescent, Honey
Creek, Loveland
2) Missouri Valley, Logan, Woodbine
3) Dunlap,
Dow City
4) Arion, Denison
5) Vail, Westside, Carroll,
Glidden, Ralston
6) Scranton, Jefferson, Grand Junction.
Volunteers also submitted images to M&M for the project. In
total, M&M Divide RC&D provided more than 300 photos for the
database project.
|
Photos by Mike
Whye. (Left to right) Scranton, Carroll, Dow City,
Crescent, Missouri Valley |
Best Management Practice Animation Videos
M&M Divide RC&D entered into a partnership with NRCS to initiate Best
Management Practices (BMP) Animation Videos. This multi-year project
resulted in the production of innovative 3-D computer animations of
agricultural best management practices. These videos are used as tools to promote
the function and benefits of these conservation practices to a wide range of
audiences. The project has strong potential to become a national
educational model for outreach and training for conservation practice
education.
 |
| Filter
Strip:
Stream-side perennial vegetation provides BIG environmental benefits.
5:00 min |
English |
Spanish |
|
Conservation Tillage:
Types, methods, pros & cons. 3:03 min |
English |
Spanish |
| Water
Erosion:
Outlines causes, types, and damages of errant water. 4:08 min |
English |
Spanish |
| Water
Quality: Common issues are described in getting and keeping clean
water. 4:00 min |
English |
Spanish |
| Wind Break:
Very short animation shows how windbreaks work. 0:32 min |
English |
Spanish |
| Wind
Erosion: Types and causes of wind erosion is explained. 4:08 min |
English |
Spanish |
| Watershed:
Explanation of a watershed and its benefits. 2:40 min |
English |
Spanish |
Other videos to view:The video series, “A
Culture of Conservation,” is available from the Iowa Learning Farm.
The series of six short videos explores the relationship humans have
with soil and water and offers ways for everyone to have an active
role in protecting and preserving the Earth’s natural resources.
Visit The Iowa Learning Farm's
"A Culture of Conversation Video
Series."
 Sustainable
Byways Project - Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway
The Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway runs East to West across the state
of Iowa. With 3-year funding from the Iowa D.O.T., the goal of this project is to
implement sustainable development, marketing and promotional
activities for the byway. M&M Divide RC&D managed the efforts for
the western portion of the highway that crossed
through Greene, Carroll, Crawford, Harrison, and Pottawattamie Counties. As
of mid-summer 2012, efforts for all portions of the highway running
through Iowa were consolidated under the management of one RC&D,
Prairie Rivers RC&D,
located in Ames IA (in the center of the state). Local volunteers assist with Byway projects. The Centennial of the
Lincoln Highway will be in 2013.
Carroll Farmers Market
 M&M
Divide assumed the responsibility of organizing and coordinating the
Carroll Farmers Market from 2006 until 2010 when they were able to run the
Market themselves.
|
