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
