$1.6 million Awarded to Fox-Wolf for Water Quality

NEWS RELEASE – We are excited to announce that we were awarded over $1.6 million for two projects that aim to improve water quality in Lake Winnebago, the Fox River, and the Bay of Green Bay. The funds are part of $9 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding distributed by the EPA across 14 organizations working to reduce nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff and stormwater sources in the Great Lakes Basin.

The two projects that will be funded with the $1.6 million in grant dollars will take place in the Pipe Creek watershed, Fond du Lac County the Plum and Kankapot watershed, Outagamie County. The projects aim to reduce excess nutrient runoff from farms through innovative methods of manure management and accelerate the adoption soil health improving methods of crop production while fostering farmer-led outreach and education.

“Pipe Farmers: Manage Nutrients, Improve Soil and Protect Water”, Fond du Lac County

 The EPA awarded the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance $748,000 to partner with Fond du Lac County. The County has been working with producers to overcome barriers to reducing nutrient runoff from farms. The award will enable Fond du Lac County LWCD to hire a full-time conservation professional to work directly with farmers to increase adoption of agricultural conservation practices by producers in the Pipe Creek watershed.

Agricultural conservation practices are listed as management recommendations in the Winnebago Waterways Lake Management Plan and the Pipe Creek Nine Key Element Plans as ways to work toward improving water quality. Pipe Creek watershed was chosen for this project because of the potential to build upon existing momentum among producers. Successful implementation of the project is expected to result in a reduction of 1,314 lbs. of phosphorus to Lake Winnebago, the Lower Fox River and Green Bay.

“Fox Farmers: Accelerating Adoption of Nutrient Management through Farmer-led Outreach and Education”, Outagamie County

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance was also awarded $912,000 to partner with Outagamie County. The County will use those funds to expand conservation and the promotion of soil health in the Plum Creek and Kankapot Creek Watersheds in the Lower Fox River Basin and help to fund additional demonstration field days and producer meetings. The project aims to assist producers in their efforts to overcome adoption barriers of enhanced nutrient management, including consistent use of cover crops and no-till practices.

These watersheds were chosen as part of a strategic implementation strategy in the Lower Fox Basin. The project is expected to reduce loadings of 1,107 lbs. of phosphorus and 167 tons of sediment annually to the Lower Fox River and Green Bay.

Conservation Champions Lead the Way

After working with producers in the Plum and Kankapot Creek watershed for the past 4 years, conservation professionals report seeing a change in the attitudes towards conservation. While a significant amount of conservation best management practices have been installed, there is still a long way to go to see the results expand as broadly as needed for improved water quality.

To increase wide-spread adoption of agricultural conservation practices, both Fond du Lac and Outagamie Counties will be partnering with producers who have been chosen to serve as Conservation Champions. These producers will implement cover crops, no-till, and low disturbance manure injection consistently for 3-years for a total of 450 acres in Fond du Lac and 650 acres in Outagamie. These farmers will share their stories of working through barriers to consistent implementation of cover crops, no-till, and low disturbance manure injection nutrient management with other area producers.