The Miller Creek Water Quality Improvement Project, led by Black Hawk SWCD, targets both the Miller Creek watershed (HUC-12 070802050905) and the Headwaters Miller Creek watershed (HUC-12 070802050904), two of Black Hawk County's most intensely farmed watersheds. Taken together, these watersheds represent over 66 square miles or 42,000 acres in south-central Black Hawk and north-eastern Tama Counties. Through the course of the three-year project, which began in January 2014, we intend to increase all producers and landowners collective knowledge of conservation practices designed to improve water quality by reducing nutrient runoff from non-point sources. Outreach activities that were conducted in 2014 include field days, webinars, and informal producer led events titled "Coffee Shop Hours." And they will then be convinced to install a suite of conservation practices that are supportive of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. The practices included in the project are no-till/strip-till, cover crops, nitrogen application rate management, bioreactors, saturated buffers, drainage water management, and nitrification inhibitors. Evaluation of our project will be assessed through the use of surveys, an Iowa Soybean Association Edge-of-Field Performance Evaluation Program, and the Haney Soil Health Test.

Project Results

Through outreach and education, evaluation, and cost-share opportunities, producers and landowners in the Miller Creek Watershed will acquire a better understanding of approved practices contained in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. Stakeholders outside of the designated watershed will have the opportunity to take advantage of our outreach efforts to gain an understanding of the water quality issues in Miller Creek, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico.