There is a purpose behind the grass waterways and berms people see in fields and ditches when driving through farm country. Chad DeWyre, soil conservation engineer for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) describes the benefits of having grass waterways and knowing when to implement them.
“Grass waterways are very important due to multiple reasons as they protect the soil,” explains DeWyre. “Once grass is established within the grass waterway, it actually acts like shingles and folds over and protects the soil. Grass waterways can also filter out sediment.”
When you see gullies in a field, they can be corrected by implementing a grass waterway. The waterway would be designed through the NRCS or a private engineering firm to store the proper capacity and put up with the proper velocity to make sure that that waterway is stable.
DeWyre adds, “The process of putting in a grass waterway is very simple. You’d contact your local office and they would make a field visit for an initial consultation. They would evaluate the resource concern and then go from there.”
Upland management is very important and similar to humans. You take care of your body, you will live longer, same as the grass water. You take care of your upland management, protect it, put in buffers, implement no-till, and your grass waterway is going to last longer and be a lot easier to manage for future generations.
“Working with the NRCS to put in a grass waterway has a twofold value,” says DeWyre. “Number one, you get a very organized design produced that is designed for capacity and velocity, so the waterway would be stable. The second one would be we would issue an incentive payment if you are eligible to get that grass waterway out there.”
The NRCS has a few funding options when it comes to implementing waterways. One of them is the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). That is the main funding avenue that is used most commonly. Additionally, Conservation Innovation Grants are available through the NRCS.
“I think the awareness for grass waterways and the husbandry of farmland has come leaps and bounds for the last 20 years,” adds DeWyre. “In general, farming has come a long way and I can’t wait to see what it does in the next 20 years.”
Leave a Reply