Q2 Update – More Projects Approved
We continue to meet with landowners around the watershed to explore soil and water conservation projects through our cost-share program. Most of our recent inquiries have come from homesteaders and small operations. This is largely due to the hilly landscape – areas suitable for farming tend to be small and are often surrounded by forested hills. Many properties have a combination of fields and forests that lend themselves well to small farming ventures (market garden, chickens, bees, or maybe a few beef cattle) sometimes in combination with forestry projects.
This spring we approved two new projects. One is a heavy use area pad for a small beef cattle operation and the other is a series of trail improvements for a forested site. Both projects will reduce soil erosion, reducing the amount of sediment that flows towards Lake Monroe. The heavy use area pad will also help improve manure management, reducing the amount of manure and associated bacteria flowing into streams that feed Lake Monroe.
There are about a half dozen other projects in the pipeline. Most are focused on improving small livestock operations. A couple are looking into converting farm fields to wildlife habitat and pollinator plantings. All of the interested landowners are passionate about doing the best they can to protect their land while keeping it productive.
One of our other initiatives is outreach. This year marks the ten-year anniversary of Friends of Lake Monroe and we are very excited to showcase all that we have accomplished over the last decade. We continue to give presentations at events throughout the watershed and are also hosting a series of our own events including kayak trips, shoreline cleanups, a hands-on science cruise, and our fifth annual Lake Monroe Day celebration.
Please consider joining us! We also welcome suggestions for events where we could share information. If you know someone in the Lake Monroe watershed who might want to work on a project, please encourage them to contact Maggie Sullivan at watershed@friendsoflakemonroe.org or 812-558-0217 to schedule a free consultation.
