March 8, 2017

Headwaters of the North Raccoon

Headwaters of the North Raccoon Water Quality Initiative

The Headwaters of the North Raccoon River project is located in northern Iowa’s Buena Vista and Pocahontas Counties. Managed by those two counties’ Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), the project is working side-by-side with local farmers and partners to promote management techniques, land use changes and edge-of-field practices outlined in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy to decrease nutrient loss and improve water quality.

Situated in a highly productive agricultural area, 85 percent of the watershed is in row crop production. Farmers, trusted agricultural advisors and retailers are working together with SWCD experts to demonstrate, adopt and evaluate practices.

In addition, the project works with their urban counterparts through the City of Storm Lake. The project is unique in that it targets four adjacent watersheds and has an active advisory team consisting of ag retailers, city leaders and farmers.

Partners

Buena Vista County Soil & Water Conservation District

Pocahontas County Soil & Water Conservation District

Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance

Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

City of Storm Lake

USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service

Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Iowa Pork Producers Association

Iowa Corn Growers Association

Iowa Soybean Association

Ag Partners Cooperative

Farm Nutrients

First Cooperative Association

Antares Group, Inc.

U.S. Department of Energy

Iowa Farm Bureau Federation

Iowa State University Extension