By Mike Surbrugg
msurbrugg@joplinglobe.com
CARTHAGE, Mo. — It’s wait-and-see for the Jasper County Soil and Water Conservation District, which is seeking about $1.5 million in federal funding to improve water quality in the North Fork of Spring River.
The goal is to lower sediment getting into the stream by up to 35 percent by implementing a variety of streamside and watershed management projects.
Money is being sought from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. In addition to this grant, the project could be eligible for $1.9 million in matching funds (including in-kind services) and $37,326 in other federal money. The total project cost would be around $3.4 million.
A delegation from the county’s SWCD board met Nov. 15 in Jefferson City with state and federal representatives and University of Missouri Extension officials.
Speaking for the project were Jim Honey, Jasper County commissioner; Robert Paul, Natural Resources Conservation Service district conservationist; Ed Browning, with University of Missouri Extension, Carthage; and landowners and county SWCD board members Gay Lynne Dawson, Steve Hunter, Lynn Dawson and Sue Rush.
Paul said DNR will decide after the first of next year which applications will advance. DNR will then assign somebody to work with these proposals.
The proposed project would seek voluntary participation from landowners to lower sediment in the stream.
A meeting was held Nov. 8 in Lamar, where Paul said the application addresses only non-point pollution issues such as those from fields. It does not include private or public septic systems or trash issues.
Paul said the stream has a lot of sediment and fewer microinvertebrates than does Coon Creek in Jasper County or Little Drywood Creek in Vernon County.
Grants could be provided to landowners for:
n Tillage management on 8,000 acres.
n Sediment basins, grade stabilization structures, field terracing, ponds and permanent berms.
n Grass waterways, filter strips, field borders and grazing management to reduce the amount of water flowing off fields.
n Improved irrigation systems and irrigation management.
n Alternative livestock watering systems to keep animals from drinking out of the stream.
n Riparian stream protection and plans to control nutrient and pest management.
Grant funds would pay for extensive soil testing in project sites to establish nutrient needs, Paul said.
Watershed
The watershed for the North Fork of Spring River includes 251,360 acres in Dade, Lawrence, Barton and Jasper counties. Row crops are grown in 47 percent of the watershed, grass covers 41 percent and less than 1 percent is urban. The Natural Resources Conservation Services estimates about 60 percent of the land has high erosion problems or the potential for high erosion.
