Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, and Conservation Learning Group (CLG), is hosting a free virtual field day on Thursday, January 18 at 1 p.m. CT. Join us for a live discussion with Sara McMillan, professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University, and Karen Wilke, Associate Director of Freshwater at the Nature Conservancy.
The virtual field day will explore an oxbow in Kossuth County, including how it naturally formed and the restoration process so far. Located within an actively used pasture, the restoration process took into consideration factors like livestock safely accessing the water. These pastured oxbows help improve overall forage production by providing a place for water to collect and reduce flooding within the pasture. Additionally, by providing a water source out of the stream, these systems improve water quality through the reduction of direct contributions of bacteria from livestock in the stream and the maintenance of streambanks that help retain sediment and phosphorus.
“When we are designing these pastured oxbows, we want to be sure that we are doing a seeding plan that will be successful for livestock and the wetland,” noted Wilke. “We’re looking for something quick to establish and stabilize those banks and is hardy as well. When possible, we also use natives as they can be as nutritious and palatable to livestock as other types of pasture grasses.”
Participants may be eligible for a Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit. Information about how to apply to receive the CEU (if approved) will be provided at the end of the event.
Catch up on webinars you might have missed last month before harvest season starts!
Bee Health in Iowa’s Agricultural Landscape: Bees in Iowa need our help! Native bees and honeybees have many stressors and no matter where you live in the state you can help. A great way to get started is by planting native wildflowers. Watch this webinar to find out more we can all do to protect bees.
How do Cover Crops Impact Residual Herbicides in Corn and Soybean?: The number of herbicide resistant weeds is on the rise. Cover crops are great at suppressing small-seed weeds like waterhemp, but what other beneficial effects are created by planting cover crops? If you’re a new or experienced cover crop user, give this webinar a watch!
Comparing Infiltration Between Prairie Strips and Row Crop Fields Across Iowa: Prairie Strips aren’t just beautiful; they add great benefits to fields in Iowa too. Eric Henning gives an explanation of continued research conducted on prairie strip and row crop acres. Biggest conclusion: prairie strips help out greatly outside of growing season to protect soil and water quality.
CAFO Impacts, Costs, & Rulemaking in Iowa: Iowa Environmental Council’s (IEC) Alicia Vasto, spoke about current CAFO regulations and how IEC along with other groups are writing proposals for the Administrative Procedure Act. Tune in to find out more about the process.
Corn Stover Harvest Impacts in Central Iowa: Corn stover, people harvest it but why? Well, we have a lot more of it than we used to and it doesn’t decompose as easily. Check out this webinar to see how corn stover harvest affects yield, soil compaction, soil organic matter, and nitrogen amounts.
Blast from the Past: August 5, 2020 – Scaling up Oxbow Wetland Restorations for Multiple Benefits: Why should Iowans care about oxbows? They do a lot of good for wildlife and for us as well! Think floodwater storage, water quality improvements, and recreation access to name a few. Tune into this webinar to find out the how and why of oxbow restoration.
Join us weekly at 12pm CT via zoom for a live webinar or watch any webinars from our archive.
Today’s guest blog post comes from water resources intern Sarah Brackett. Originally from Cary, Illinois Brackett will be graduating from Iowa State University with a major in Environmental Sciencethis December.
When I initially applied for this internship, I had no clue what to expect. However, I could not have asked for a better opportunity to learn so much about Iowa conservation and meet many amazing people. As an Environmental Science major, I have learned a lot about conservation in the classroom, but this internship has allowed me to apply what I have learned and teach it to other people.
Recently, we visited several wetlands throughout central Iowa to learn about the different purposes and components of wetlands and see what makes them unique. We saw various plant and animal species, like the red-winged blackbird, blue heron, and deer.
One of the first we visited was an oxbow wetland, which are former stream meanders that are cut off from the main river. The amount of water in the oxbow wetland depends on the time of the year and weather events. Unlike other types of wetlands, the oxbow wetland can be home to different fish species, including the endangered Topeka shiner.
Another wetland we visited was a prairie pothole. Prairie potholes were formed by glaciers and are found across the Des Moines Lobe. Typically, they have tile drained and turned into agricultural land, but the one we visited has been preserved. The water in this wetland is relatively shallow, typically one foot deep, but prairie potholes can greatly improve water quality through denitrification and sediment deposition, as well as provide wildlife habitat.
The final type of wetland we explored was a stormwater wetland, which is fed by the stormwater runoff of Webster City. The water enters the wetland, where sediment and pollutants in the water can settle out before it flows into the Boone River. We saw a mixture of prairie and wetland plants, like cattails and duckweed. I thought this wetland was super interesting, as it was a conservation practice for urban areas that I had not heard about before.
Experiencing this wetland tour was incredibly beneficial as I have been traveling with the Marsh Madness trailer, teaching youth and adults about different wetlands one may find in Iowa. I have loved traveling to all corners of Iowa and speaking with a large variety of groups of people.
Presenting the wetland models at the 2022 Cedar County Fair
This internship has provided me with a lot of knowledge and valuable skills that I know will be incredibly beneficial to my life post-college. I have had countless genuine conversations with people across Iowa and have learned much about conservation and Iowa agriculture.
Whether you are looking to improve your understanding of wetlands, wanting to add wetland content to your class lesson plans, considering adding a wetland to your farm, or looking for an educational display to have at a community event, there is a good chance that a wetland educational resource exists that will fit your needs. Resources come in a variety of formats including written, video, and hands-on demonstrations. Here are just a few resources that can help get you started on your wetland educational journey.
If you are looking for a quick way to learn about wetlands in Iowa, check out a recorded webinar or virtual field day. These recordings have information ranging from basic material on wetland ecosystems to research being conducted in Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) wetlands. Here are a handful of webinar recordings and virtual field days from the past few years:
Educators wanting to incorporate wetland content into an agriculture or environmental science class might be interested in the Wetlands and Wildlife: Watershed-Based Conservation Case Study Training Kit. The wetlands and wildlife case studies were designed to be used in a classroom setting at the high school or college level but can be adapted for other audiences and age groups. Students are tasked with the role of a conservation professional developing a plan for the construction or restoration of a wetland on a client’s property. Students need to use a combination of included and outside resources to make conservation and land management decisions taking into consideration the cost and benefit of wetland restoration and construction and the impacts a wetland would have at the farm level and watershed scale.
Farmers and landowners considering adding conservation practices to their land will find useful information in the Whole Farm Conservation Best Management Practices Manual. The manual provides a summary of conservation practices and practice adoption decision trees for improving water quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat. Those interested in adding a wetland to their farm should take a look at the Edge of Field Conservation Practices that Work section of the manual, as well as the following decision trees: Could Edge-of-Field Practices Work for You; Choosing the Right Edge-Of-Field Practice for Water Quality Improvement; and Is a Wetland Right for You. The manual was designed to help decision makers select and incorporate conservation practices that are most appropriate to their land, farming operation, and preferences.
For those looking for an in-person demonstration at an event, consider reserving the Conservation Station Marsh Madness trailer. The inside of the Marsh Madness trailer, launched in May 2021, immerses attendees in the sights and sounds of wetlands. The trailer also includes stand-alone 3-D wetland models of a prairie pothole, treatment, and oxbow wetland. All models were 3-D printed using actual elevation data collected in Iowa and have running water to demonstrate the wetland’s hydrology. The prairie pothole wetland model has a rainfall simulator, the treatment wetland receives water from tile drainage, and the oxbow wetland was designed to mimic both a natural oxbow receiving water from a river and a multi-purpose oxbow designed for nitrate-nitrogen removal receiving tile drainage water. The Marsh Madness trailer is free to reserve for outreach events.
This summer, an educational wetland video series will be launched focusing on wildlife and water quality benefits of Iowa wetlands. A total of 12 short videos will be created using drone footage and a narrative voice-over. The first video will provide an overview of wetland types in Iowa. Subsequent videos will focus on either a specific wetland type or wetland use. Some of the drone footage was debuted at the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in February 2022. Below is a sneak peak of a video clip from the Riverside Stormwater Wetland in Webster City, Iowa. This silent clip gives a bird’s eye view of an urban stormwater wetland and will eventually be part of the narrated wetland video series. The videos will be posted on the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Agriculture and Natural Resources YouTube page.
I hope you find these resources useful and are inspired to learn more about wetland ecosystems.
In the webinar, “Better Utilizing the Field Edge: Saturated Buffers and Bioreactors,” Helmers will take a look at the benefits from edge of field practices in general, and then focus in on how saturated buffers and bioreactors can address the increasing nitrate levels being found in drainage water from tile systems.
The session will also highlight educational tools that can be used to improve understanding of these practices and factors to consider in selecting and siting practices for success.
“Edge of field practices such as bioreactors, saturated buffers, wetlands and oxbows have potential to remove nitrate before it can be delivered to the stream, but must be utilized in the correct sites and circumstances,” said Helmers. “The good news is that there are so many different edge of field practice options, there should be at least one good match for every farm, field or situation. I am looking forward to sharing some tricks and tools that have been developed to facilitate practice and site selections to deliver the most beneficial outcomes for water quality and farm productivity.”
Participants in Iowa Learning Farms Conservation Webinars are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.
Webinar Access Instructions
To participate in the live webinar, shortly before noon CST Jan. 12:
The webinar will also be recorded and archived on the ILF website, so that it can be watched at any time. Archived webinars are available at https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/page/webinars.
A Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit (CEU) has been applied for. Those who participate in the live webinar are eligible. Information about how to apply to receive the credit will be provided at the end of the live webinar.
While the weather prevented us from being at an oxbow restoration in progress, the indoor field day offered a great opportunity to discuss whether every oxbow needs to be restored to be able to provide benefits to water quality and wildlife.
Did you know? Iowa has over 40,000 acres of oxbows!
Boone River Oxbow. Photo Credit NickWalters, The Nature Conservancy Iowa
Oxbows were meanders that were cut off when the river or creek path changed, either naturally or through channel straightening. They provide critical habitat for fish, including the federally endangered Topeka Shiner, birds, frogs and other amphibians, as well as insects, mammals and microorganisms. Oxbows can also provide floodwater storage and improve water quality through denitrification. Monitoring of oxbows in the Boone River Watershed has shown a 42% reduction in nitrate concentration in the water that is routed through them.
So what does it take to determine if an oxbow should be restored?
According to presenter Darrick Weissenfluh, private lands fish and wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the decision to restore relies on the answers to the questions below.
What are your goals?
Is the oxbow degraded?
Is restoration feasible?
Determining goals for the oxbow is a critical first step in the process. Is the aim to improve wildlife habitat, provide a drinking water source for livestock out of the neighboring water body, store floodwater or treat tile drainage water to reduce nutrient loss? All of the above? The goals will guide what, if any, actions need to be taken to meet the intended target.
Secondly, visitng the oxbow throughout the year can help determine if the site is degraded based on observed plant communities. In some cases, the oxbow does not need to be excavated if the tree canopy around the area is opened to increase the sunlight in the area and decrease the contribution of leaf plant materials to the system. In other situations, improving the connection channels to the neighboring water body will in turn improve the oxbow function.
Lastly, it is important to consider the feasibly of restoration both financially and the impact of the excavation equipment on the surrounding area. Restoration can cost up to $25,000, depending on the volume of soil excavated and how far that soil needs to be transported. There are many funding assistance programs available to offset some or all of the costs. If you are interested in possible oxbow restoration on your land, email ejuchems@iastate.edu and I will connect you with the staff at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
So why not just restore all the oxbows?
Without in-field practices like cover crops and no-till, the restored oxbows can refill with sediment over time and decrease their benefits. It takes both in-field and edge-of-field practices, working together to improve water quality, reduce flooding and ensure wildlife habitat for now and years to come.
We have a series of in person field days lined up for November and hope to see you there! Be sure to RSVP to 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu to help ensure adequate space and food.
November 10: Restoring Oxbows for Improved Water Quality And Wildlife Habitat 12:00-2:00pm 1905 110th Street Lu Verne, IA 50560 Flyer Press Release
Restoring oxbows creates a multitude of benefits to the landscape including improving water quality, offering flood storage capabilities and providing crucial wildlife habitat to a wide range of creatures including endangered species like the Topeka Shiner. Join us for a tour of a newly restored oxbow and conversation with Karen Wilke, Iowa Freshwater Specialist & Boone River Project Director for The Nature Conservancy, Darrick Weissenfluh, private lands fish and wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Brandon Iddings, Iowa Soybean Association Conservation Resources Field Services Program Manager.
November 11: Cover Crop Field Day 11:30am-1:30pm Borlaug Learning Center 3327 290th St Nashua, IA 50658 Flyer Press Release
Cover crops continue to grow in popularity in Iowa due to their ability to reduce soil erosion, capture nutrients and improve infiltration. This field day will focus on new research funded by the Iowa Nutrient Research Center examining the potential for using perennial ground cover like Kentucky bluegrass, as well as cereal rye and early interseeded cover crop mixtures in a corn system to reduce runoff, enhance soil organic matter and reduce nitrogen leaching.
November 16: Interseeding Cover Crops Field Day 11:30am-1:30pm ISU Northern Research Farm 310 S Main St Kanawha, IA 50447 Flyer Press Release
Cover crops offer many benefits to producers and landowners – reduced soil erosion, potential weed suppression, improved infiltration, reduced nutrient losses, increased soil organic matter and more! Join us for this field day highlighting new research examining the potential for early interseeded cover crops like cowpeas and cereal rye, as well as mixtures in a corn system to reduce runoff, enhance soil organic matter and reduce nitrogen leaching.
November 17: Cover Crop and Saturated Buffer Field Day 12:00-2:00pm Mike Paustian’s Farm 6520 215th St. Walcott, IA 52773 Flyer Press Release
Mike Paustian returned to the family’s heritage farm in 2008 which encompasses nearly 1,400 acres and a 1,200 sow farrow-to-finish hog operation. In addition to utilizing no-till and minimum till, the Paustian’s have added cover crops to hold soil in place, while scavenging nutrients from the soil and fall applied manure. Their goal is to build long term soil health and organic matter in their fields and improve water quality. In the past two years, they have increased their use of cereal rye and oats to cover nearly all of their acres. Taking the next step to reduce nitrate loss from their farm, the Paustians installed a saturated buffer just north of their home in the summer of 2018. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Mike and are encouraged to ask questions about their family’s experiences with the saturated buffer, cover crops and more.
Join us as we explore a few different wetlands and oxbows in the state! We will examine funding programs and hear about the water quality benefits measured through the latest science-based techniques. In addition, we will look at how these water quality enhancement wetlands and oxbows can be used as part of risk management and nutrient reductions plans, as well as providing needed wildlife habitat in key locations. This highly interactive virtual field day will be a discussion between landowners, scientists, and wildlife specialists and virtual field day participants.
Featured speakers include Dr. Matt Helmers, Director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, Dr. Kay Stefanik, Assistant Director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, Dr. Adam Janke, ISU Extension Wildlife Specialist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, farmer Heath Stolee, of Nutty Farmer Chestnuts, Radcliffe, Iowa and Casey Judge, Environmental Specialist Senior with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
To participate in the live virtual field day at 1:00 pm CT on October 21 to learn more, click HERE or visit www.iowalearningfarms.org/page/events and click “Join Live Virtual Field Day”.
Or, join from a dial-in phone line:
Dial: 1.312.626.6799 Meeting ID: 914 1198 4892
The field day will be recorded and archived on the ILF website so that it can be watched at any time. The archive will be available at https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/page/events.
Participants may be eligible for a Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit (CEU). Information about how to apply to receive the credit will be provided at the end of the live field day.
This summer The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with three priority watersheds: Cedar River Watershed, Boone River Watershed, and Des Moines River Watershed, released an oxbow restoration toolkit.
An oxbow wetland is a meander of a stream, river or creek, that has become separated from the flow of water. Oxbow wetlands store excess water that might otherwise lead to flooding, filter water to improve water quality and provide habitat to a variety of wildlife. Over time, some oxbows fill in with sediment due to erosion of soil in surrounding areas.
This toolkit serves as a step-by-step guide for conservation professionals, landowners, and farmers to learn how to restore oxbow wetlands. The toolkit pools cross-agency standards for restoration, with expertise and review from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Soybean Association, The Nature Conservancy, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The creation of this toolkit was funded by the Resource Enhancement and Protection Conservation Education Program (REAP CEP). The toolkit and its creators do not guarantee the ‘success’ of restoration projects and are in no way liable for any projects created by using this toolkit. We assume users have background education in a natural resources management field, experience implementing restoration projects, will seek technical assistance when questions or uncertainty arises, and will implement oxbow restorations to address specific resource concerns or conservation objectives. Although the toolkit offers best practices for oxbow restorations, information is subject to change – make sure to check for up-to-date standards, permits, and practices. Please also reach out to the developers to provide feedback and ideas for improvement during future updates.
Kay Stefanik | Assistant Director, Iowa Nutrient Research Center
Happy American Wetlands Month! May is a wonderful time to recognize and celebrate all the benefits that wetlands provide to humans and the environment. Wetland plants are beginning to bring a lush green back to the landscape, complementing the serene blue water that has been present in many areas since late winter. With the new plant growth comes the familiar sights and sounds of increased animal activity. Take a walk around a wetland this month and you are likely to see and hear flocks of migratory waterfowl, red-winged blackbirds, leopard frogs, and maybe even catch a glimpse of a painted turtle.
It is easy to see that wetlands provide wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities, but they also provide benefits that are harder to observe. Wetlands help to retain water after rain and large storm events, which can contribute to a decrease in flooding downstream. Wetlands also help to improve water quality by reducing sediment and nutrient loads. Through a process called denitrification, microorganisms in wetland sediment take up nitrate dissolved in water and convert it to nitrogen gas. This nitrogen gas is lost to the atmosphere, which is about 78% nitrogen, effectively preventing the nitrate from moving into other surface waters where the nitrate could have contributed to increased algal growth or even harmful algal blooms.
For landowners and farmers looking to reduce nitrate loss from their row crop acres, wetlands are an effective practice that not only improves water quality, but also adds beauty, wildlife habitat, and floodwater storage. There are multiple types of wetlands that can be used to reduce nitrates, including the traditional CREP nitrate removal wetlands, multipurpose oxbow wetlands, pothole wetlands in low profitability zones of fields, and tile zone wetlands.
Many people are likely familiar with CREP wetlands. CREP wetlands are constructed in the Des Moines Lobe, an area of land that was once a mosaic of prairie and wetland habitat formed during the last glaciation event. Today, the Des Moines Lobe is predominantly an agricultural landscape underlain with an extensive network of tile drainage. Tile drainage water is diverted into CREP wetlands to reduce nitrate loads leaving the field. Wetlands that receive tile drainage water have been shown to reduce nitrate loads by an average of 52%.
Gaining popularity in Iowa are multipurpose oxbows, a practice approved for nitrate reduction by the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy Science Team in 2019. Oxbows are wetlands that form when a meander of a stream gets cut off, either naturally or artificially, from the main channel. Oxbow wetlands would normally only receive large inputs of water during flood events, when the river overflows its banks and floods the oxbow. Multipurpose oxbow wetlands are a little different as they are restored and designed to have an additional water source, water from tile drainage. This tile drainage water carries dissolved nitrate that is then removed through the process of denitrification within the wetland. In addition to reducing nitrate, the wetlands also serve as important habitat for fish, such as the Topeka shiner, making them multipurpose in the sense that the act as both treatment wetlands and wildlife habitat.
While less common, it is also possible to situate a wetland on row crop acres that are frequently too wet to be considered profitable. These low spots in fields can accumulate higher concentrations of phosphorus and nitrate due to surface runoff and subsurface water flowing into the area. By planting wetland vegetation and converting the land to a wetland, conditions in the soil can favor microbial denitrification, helping to reduce nitrate loss from the field. Nitrate removal of wetlands situated in wet spots can be increased by diverting tile drainage water into them. These wetlands are referred to as tile zone wetlands. As current research improves our understanding and the effectiveness of these types of wetlands, we will likely see more popping up around Iowa.
Wetlands are an effective tool that can help Iowa reach the 45% nutrient reduction goal laid out in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. If you are looking for a nitrate reduction practice that also has wildlife habitat, can help with floodwater retention, and increases the beauty of your property, I recommend considering a wetland.
Once again, happy American Wetlands Month. I hope you all get the chance to visit a wetland and enjoy the benefits wetlands provide.
Iowa Learning Farms 