For the past 15 years, an application has been in place with the Federal government for funding the watershed, and just recently it was approved with construction beginning this year. Soil and Water Conservation Officer Ralph Tuck said, A lot of this was locally driven.
Farmers are quite concerned with preserving the soil.
A 65 percent cost share will be available to farmers to help them implement soil conservation measures like contour strips. These upland treatment measures are necessary before construction of the structures can begin. Tuck said, 75-80 percent of the area is highly erodible cropland. There is still a high need for that land to be treated. Since flooding consistently occurs in the bottom of the watershed, landowners in Iowa have the the most to gain from the project.