Increase Adoption of Soil Health Conservation Systems in the Rat River Watershed

Rat River Watershed Soil Health – Project Background

The Winnebago Lakes drain over 5,900 square miles of land from the Upper Fox and Wolf River Basins. The surface water runoff that comes from that huge area of land carries with it large amounts of phosphorus and sediment pollution to the lake. In addition to surface water runoff, the lake also receives phosphorus and sediment pollution from urban stormwater, wastewater discharge, and streambank/shoreline erosion.

Phosphorus and sediment pollution negatively impact water quality of the lakes and rivers in the Winnebago System. This has resulted in poor water clarity, degraded habitat, and harmful algal blooms. These impairments reduce recreational enjoyment, potentially limiting economic potential from tourism dollars in the area.

The Rat River Watershed in Winnebago County is at the top of the priority list for targeted efforts to reduce phosphorus pollution in the Winnebago Waterways Lake Management Plan. The Plan serves as a strategy for region-wide, multi-partner efforts to restore the health of the Winnebago Lakes.

To help address these issues, the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, through their Winnebago Waterways Program, applied for and received a $199,366 grant award from the Great Lakes Commission (GLC). The funding is through the GLC’s Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program. We then used those grant dollars to partner with the Winnebago County Land and Water Conservation Department (LWCD),

Through the Fox-Wolf Farmer Champion program, Winnebago County LWCD is working with three local Fox-Wolf Farmer Champions to overcome hurdles of installing cover crops, no-till, and low-disturbance manure injection for 3-years on 272 acres of cropland. The soil health practices that will be implemented by these Fox-Wolf Farmer Champions will reduce approximately 484 pounds of phosphorus and 72 tons of sediment pollution each year.

These practices, while great for water quality, are also highly beneficial for the farm’s operation.

Rat River Watershed Fox-Wolf Farmer Champions:

• Lydell Pethke of Ledgerock Farms
• Dan Rieckmann of Rieckmann Farms
• Larry Engel of Engelwood Farms

The ultimate goal is to increase adoption of these conservation practices by the Fox-Wolf Farmer Champions and other farmers for the long-term through on-farm demonstrations and other outreach activities. In areas where these practices have been consistently implemented multiple years in a row, farmers have found significant benefit to their business’s bottom line and soil health while also helping to protect local water quality. This results in win-win scenarios for our lakes and farming communities.

CLICK HERE for project brochure