The Rathbun Land and Water Alliance recognized the 2016 Rathbun Lake Protectors Sept. 22 at their Farm to Faucet Landowner Appreciation held at Rathbun Regional Water Association’s new water treatment plant south of Moravia.
Robert and Marilyn Arndorfer of Humeston were selected to represent Clarke County for 2016 and were nominated by the Clarke County Soil and Water Conservation District. The Rathbun Lake Protector Program annually recognizes landowners for their conservation practices – past, present, and planned – that protect Rathbun Lake.
In presenting the Arndorfer’s with the award, RLWA president and RRWA CEO, John Glenn, said the Arndorfer’s have worked with the Clarke County Soil and Water Conservation District since 1989 and has completed either a state cost shared construction project or ACP project each year from 1987 through 1999.
“The Arndorfer’s were the first Clarke County landowners to participate in the Protect Rathbun Lake Project in 2005 to build terraces and basins on their farms,” said Glenn. “That commitment continues today as the couple recently completed additional terrace work on one of their farms in April of this year. Besides the many terraces, basins, and grassed waterways they have built over the years, they also utilize no-till.”
The purpose of the Farm to Faucet Landowner Appreciation event was two-fold – to highlight the soil saving and water quality protection practices installed on the farmers’ land who work with the Alliance and to give them an opportunity to tour the facility that treats the water that comes from the lake they help protect.
Nearly 600 landowners in the Rathbun Lake Watershed counties of Appanoose, Clarke, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe and Wayne have worked or are working to protect Rathbun Lake through the installation of conservation practices.
In order to accommodate that many landowners, beginning with this event, Glenn said the Alliance invited only a portion of the farmers but will continue to invite landowners during subsequent years until all landowners have had the opportunity to attend.
Glenn explained since the Alliance began working with watershed farmers in 2004, nearly 2 million feet of terraces have been installed as well as 650 grade stabilization structures, which are commonly referred to as ponds.
“The contaminants that no longer reach Rathbun Lake due to the action of these landowners is staggering,” Glenn said. “These and other conservation practices installed by landowners prevent 49,484 tons of sediment and 213,204 pounds of phosphorus from entering Rathbun Lake each year.”
During the last 12 years Alliance members and partners have provided significant financial and technical support for the organization’s efforts. Close to $31 million in financial support has been contributed to the protection of Rathbun Lake water quality – of which nearly $5 million was invested by the landowners to install best management practices.
In addition to keeping the soil on the farm, the practices protect Rathbun Lake, the water source for RRWA that provides drinking water to 80,000 people in southern Iowa.
Those in attendance broke into groups and toured RRWA’s new water treatment plant.
Since 2007, RRWA has invested $40 million in improvements to the Association’s drinking water system which includes the new water treatment plant.
The first water treatment facility was built in 1975 and supplied drinking water to four counties. The utility has seen steady growth and now provides clean drinking water to 18 counties and 51 communities in southern Iowa and northern Missouri.
The capacity of RRWA’s first water treatment facility was four million gallons per day (MGD). An expansion in 2000 increased daily capacity to 8.8 million gallons and the new plant’s capacity is six MGD but is designed to allow for expansion to nine MGD.
For more information about the Rathbun Land and Water Alliance, visit rlwa.org.