Soil Health & Watershed Groups

Middle Cedar River Watershed

East Central Iowa

Iowa State graduate students learning about saturated buffers
Iowa State graduate students learning about saturated buffers at a USDA research site in the Middle Cedar Watershed

Contact

Contact: Clark Porter - Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

Phone: (515) 318-9857

Social Media:

Mission

Our project is aligned with state goals to reduce nutrient pollution we contribute to the Upper Mississippi by 45%. We work in collaboration with federal, state, county, private and local groups and individuals, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, county Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the City of Cedar Rapids. Our primary focus is expanding agricultural practices that improve water quality. We are rapidly expanding edge-of-field projects: i.e. wetlands, saturated buffers and woodchip bioreactors.

News & Stories

Watershed or Service Area Map

About Us

Growing a Group:

  • Active group 5+ years
  • Book sharing
  • Farmer-led group
  • Formed a new group
  • Fundraising
  • Grant writing
  • Member-led project planning
  • Neighbor to neighbor mentoring
  • Personal invitations to neighbors to grow the group
  • Other

Collaboration:

  • Actively participated in local watershed planning process
  • Collaboration with agriculture or conservation organizations
  • Collaboration with local ag retailers and/or crop advisors
  • Collaboration with local civic groups
  • Collaboration with local college or university
  • Other

Outreach:

  • Engage local schools
  • Media interviews
  • Presentation to groups
  • Promotion to media outlets
  • Social media cultivation
  • Video Development
  • Website Development
  • Other - Letters and phone calls

Land & Water:

  • Bioreactors
  • Cover crops
  • Crop diversification
  • Floodplain restoration
  • Grass waterways
  • Grazing
  • Nutrient management & retention
  • Perennial crops
  • Prairie strips
  • Saturated buffers
  • Stream buffers
  • Stream restoration
  • Water retention basins
  • Wetlands
  • Other

Assessment & Data:

  • Agronomic data collection
  • Field edge data collection
  • Field walkovers
  • Stream monitoring
  • Other

Events:

  • Fishing event
  • Farm field days
  • Paddle event
  • Upstream or downstream connections/visits
  • Booth at local event
  • Other - Conservation Fair

Fishers & Famers Partnership Program Participation:

  • Workshop
  • Neighbor to Neighbor Radio Podcast
  • Boots on the Ground Online Conversation
  • Group Presentation
  • Project Tour
  • Featured in a Story
  • Featured in a Video
  • Meetings
  • None

Additional Photos

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