Waterway Construction
Conservation Reserve Practice (CRP) eligible waterways are eligible for 50 percent cost share with an additional 40 percent practice incentive payment and rental payments for approximately 10 years.

Cost share is available for the construction, seeding, fertilizing and installation of fabric checks to reduce water flow.

Wildlife and Conservation Security Program
For operators who have CSP contracts in the Turkey River and Wapsipinicon River watersheds, wildlife habitat became key to entering into a Tier 3 contract.

Anyone entering into a Tier 3 contract needs 3 to 5 percent of the total farmland left to wildlife habitat. This can be non-crop areas less than 10 acres, CRP filter strips, waterways, riparians and wetland restorations.

All streams need to be buffered with grass at least 30 feet to meet the minimum requirement for a Tier 3 contract.

Living Snow Fences
Snow fences have been an effective barrier to catch snow from drifting onto roadways for many years. The CRP has a practice available called the living snow fence. The practice allows one to three rows of trees and shrubs to be planted 150 to 180 feet on the north and west side of the road.

The snow catch area is also eligible to be enrolled into CRP. The area could be planted to native grasses for added snow catch and enhanced wildlife habitat.

CRP Filter Strip Promotion

This program pays an annual rental payment up to 15 years and has cost share available for seeding the area.

The rental rates are based on the top three soil types within the buffer and may range from $130 to $160 per acre. This is also a one-time signing incentive payment of $100 per acre at the time of signup.

No-Till Incentive Program
Operators who are interested in doing no-till for both corn and soybeans may recieve a $30 per acre one-time payment as long as they agree to plant no-till for five years. The maximum number of acres operators may enroll is 500 acres.