Soil & Water funds can help improve water quality on farms
Deadline to sign up is July 30
Do you have water quality concerns on your agricultural land?
The Alexander Soil & Water Conservation District has funds to help.The Conservation Sign-up Period runs through July 30, 2021.
The Alexander Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) has received the first allocation of funding from the North Carolina Agriculture Cost Share Program for the 2021-2022 program year. These program dollars are allocated from the state to address non-point source pollution from agricultural activities. They are available to assist farmers in the installation of conservation practices which help decrease the amount of sediment, animal waste, nutrients, chemicals, and other potential pollutants from entering the surface and ground waters of the state. Landowners and operators that were in agricultural production prior to July 2018 may apply for cost share assistance to install Best Management Practices (BMPs) on their farm. These BMPs include: sediment & erosion control, streambank stabilization, litter storage structures, poultry composting facilities, livestock exclusion from streams in conjunction with alternative watering systems, stocktrails and heavy-use areas for livestock in confined areas, and other practices that benefit water quality.
The Alexander SWCD office began the annual sign-up period on July 1st and will accept applications through July 30th. At the end of this sign-up period, all applications will be prioritized according to a locally adopted ranking process based on water quality parameters. The applications providing the most water quality benefits will be approved for funding in priority order. Any applications not funded from the last program year can be rolled over for this program year by contacting the Alexander SWCD before the July 30th deadline. Contact the staff at the Alexander Soil and Water Office and they will be glad to assist you with the application process or any other conservation needs you may have.
SWCD has also received additional funds to be used specifically for the upper section of the Lower Little River Watershed area. This section of the Lower Little River is considered impaired by the state of NC and this additional funding is to further assist with the water quality issues in that area. This section includes the Town of Taylorsville and portions of Sugar Loaf, Ellendale, and Wittenburg.
If you would like more information on any of the conservation programs or want to apply for the NC Agriculture Cost Share funds that are available this year, give SWCD staff a call at (828) 632-0638 or stop by and visit the staff at the Alexander SWCD office. It is located in the Alexander County Services Center located at 151 West Main Avenue, Taylorsville, NC 28681.
