DOVER, Del. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced funding for the National Water Quality Initiative to help farmers in select watersheds improve water quality through conservation measures on their agricultural operations. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is investing more than $30 million this year in 201 high-priority watersheds across the country.
USDA NRCS selected the Clear Brook-Nanticoke Watershed as a high-priority watershed in Delaware. Additional financial assistance will be targeted to help Sussex County farmers within the selected watershed make improvements on their land to improve water quality.
The NWQI encourages farmers to implement voluntary conservation practices to reduce the runoff of nutrients, sediment and pathogens from agricultural land that can flow into waterways. Eligible practices include nutrient management, manure storage structures, composters, no-till, cover crops and filter strips.
The goal of NWQI is to concentrate conservation practices within select watersheds to maximize gains in an effort to improve water quality. Now in its seventh year, NWQI builds on efforts to target high-impact conservation in areas such as the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
The Clear Brook-Nanticoke Watershed is located in the western region of Sussex County between Bridgeville and Seaford and is part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Of the 24,000 acres that make up the watershed, 14,000 acres or 60 percent are in agricultural land. The watershed is on the State of Delaware’s list of impaired watersheds due to excess nutrients.
NRCS accepts applications year-round but makes funding selections at application cut-off deadlines. Producers with applications in before Feb. 16 will have a higher chance of application approval as funding is limited. An additional application cutoff date is set for May 18.
The National Water Quality Initiative is an initiative under NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which provides farmers with one-on-one personalized advice and financial assistance to address a broad range of natural resource concerns. For more information on NWQI, contact your local USDA Service Center. In Sussex County, call 302-856-3990, ext. 3. Additional information on all NRCS programs and services is available online at www.de.nrcs.usda.gov.
— USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
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