As water drains off our land and enters our rivers and streams, it can bring with it both nutrients and pollutants from soil, fertilizer, animal wastes, and even sewage.
So making sure we filter our water on our land the best we can may help the environment overall.
In Monday’s Eye on Ag and Energy segment, we’ll hear how to limit pollution and keep our waterways clean in the process.
When you are watering a farm, some of the water stays, while a lot of water flows away into our waterways. But according to the USDA, underground pipes, ditches, and a storage reservoir could capture some of that runoff, saving the water for later. This system allows time for nutrients and sediments to settle in the reservoir, which provides good irrigation water for the crops.
For ranchers, keep cattle away from entering streams and rivers too. Keep their water supply readily available away from a running stream or river. The federal government also is available to help.
“We develop a contract with that producer based on the conservation plan to address those resource concerns that he needs to address to be able to treat that land to be able to filter that water before it goes to the streams,” said Salvador Salinas, a conservationist at the USDA.
Source: kxnet.com
Photo Credit: gettyimages-zms
Categories: North Dakota, Sustainable Agriculture