Agren Projects

Watershed Assessment

The Challenge:

Data collected in recent years by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Geological Survey at a monitoring station near Sioux City, IA, indicated that the nitrate concentrations in the Floyd River were very high. Of the more than 60 sites monitored by the Iowa Geological Survey, the Floyd River ranked in the top 15 percent of concentrations for nitrate statewide. Local residents identified the need to protect water quality in the watershed by reducing sediment delivery and nutrient loading to the Floyd River.

Agren's Solution:

Agren worked with partners from the Floyd River Watershed area to research and write a proposal to address this concern. The purpose of the proposed project was to minimize the impacts to surface water from non-point source pollution, in this case row-crop production and livestock operations.

Among the project's goals were to identify key leaders; inventory the resources of the watershed and analyze the data; facilitate development of a community vision, cooperative spirit and goal setting through a series of public meetings; and determine alternative solutions and potential funding sources to assist the community in reaching their identified goals.

Our staff wrote the grant application to fund the Floyd River Watershed project. However, the project was not funded.