Register Now for LCW!
This season the Landscaping for Clean Water Program will include
10 Introductory Workshops, 10 Design Courses,
and 3 Maintenance Classes!
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Project Spotlight
Kimber Contour Farms
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In the summer of 2019, a 3-inch torrential rain event - over the course of 45 minutes - caused significant overland flooding across portions of Dakota County. Not only was this a tremendous amount of rain in a short time frame, but 2019 overall saw record setting rainfall totals. Kurt Kimber, who operates Kimber Contours farm (an organic farm owned by Kurt and his two sisters), has witnessed the  increasing frequency and intensity of rainfall events and decided to take action by installing prairie strips to make the farm more resilient against the changing weather patterns. Kimber brought together experts and funding from Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District, Iowa State University’s Prairie STRIPS program, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Northern Iowa University’s Tallgrass Prairi e Center and Xerces Society to install 19.3 acres of prairie strips across the farm. The prairie strips were planted along the contours and in areas prone to erosion. Each strip is.30 feet wide, with 240 feet between strips for efficient equipment operation. The prairie strips help to reduce erosion, build soil health, protect water quality and provide crucial habitat to wildlife – especially pollinators. It was a challenging and intense fall harvest season for the Kimbers, but they still managed to get the prairie strips installed within the deadlines they were facing. Kimber states “good stewardship is very important to us”. Kimber is a leader in taking steps towards creating a more resilient farm and being an example of a great steward of the land.
Photo top right: Red areas show where prairie strips were planted across the 240-acre farm.
Photo bottom left: Example of how Kimber's prairie strips will look next summer. Photo from Iowa State University's Prairie STRIPS Program website.
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USDA Announces Enrollment for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
What s the Conservation Reserve Program?
CRP is a land conservation program administered by USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA). In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. Contracts for land enrolled in CRP are 10-15 years in length. The long-term goal of the program is to re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat.
Why is CRP important?
Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, CRP is one of the largest private-lands conservation program in the United States. Thanks to voluntary participation by farmers and land owners, CRP has improved water quality, reduced soil erosion, and increased habitat for endangered and threatened species.
For additional information on the Conservation Reserve Program click HERE.
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2019 Cover Crops
Planting cover crops on cultivated farm land offers a lot of ecological benefits. The vegetation helps anchor the soil, reducing erosion; it can add nutrients and beneficial microbes and insects to the soil; and it helps water infiltrate into the soil rather than running off. There are immediate and long-term benefits to local water quality, and long-term benefits to soil health and the land. Planting cover crops costs money, but can also provide long-term returns to the farmer that vary based on the specifics of their operation.
In 2019, thirteen Dakota County landowners placed approximately 1,000 acres of cultivated land into cover crops through the SWCD's Cover Crop Incentive Program. Several of these program participants will be using cover crops over multiple years
A few landowners chose to aerial seed their cover crops this past fall. The photos below show the plane being loaded with seed and then aerial seeding a field.
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Ask a Resource Conservationist!
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Hello again! We have another great reader question!
>>>
Dear Dakota SWCD,
Could you describe the geological hx (history)of the area?
Thank you,
Rocky
>>>
Dear Rocky,
Thanks for the solid question! Let’s start with a quick overview of Minnesota’s geologic history.
At the origin of the planet until roughly 1,100 million years ago the state’s Precambrian bedrock was formed by volcanic action and the deposition of sedimentary rock that was moved around by faulting, folding and erosion. During this period a rift formed from what is now the Great Lakes arcing through Duluth, the Twin Cities and following the Minnesota River. Had the earth’s surface not stopped shape shifting, that rift may have been the split for a new continent!
Next there were repeated incursions and run-off from the sea that formed many layers of sedimentary rock. Yes, Minnesota once had a tropical climate! Small marine animals lived in the sea and creatures resembling crocodiles and sharks could be found.
About 1.8 million years ago glaciers formed. The glaciers moved and retreated over the state eroding previous rock formations and depositing deep layers of glacial till over all but two of the state’s regions including southeastern Minnesota. Since the last glaciation did not cover this area there is no glacial drift to form subsoils, giving the region the name of the Driftless area. In Dakota County the Driftless area starts as a narrow sliver against the Mississippi, widening to the west as one goes south (staying East of State Highway 56).
Click on thumbnail image for the Glacial Geology of Dakota County.
From all that commotion over millions of years, Dakota County was left with the following Geologic Units:
Lower Ordovician at surface, covers 55 % of this area. Made up of dolostone, sandy to silty dolostone, and sandstone and includes the:
- Shakopee Formation, and
- Oneota Dolomite of the Prairie du Chien Group.
Middle and Upper Ordovician at surface, covers 35 % of this area. Made up of shale, dolomitic limestone, and sandstone and includes the:
- Decorah Shale of the Galena Group, the Platteville and Glenwood Formations, and
- the St. Peter Sandstone.
Upper Cambrian at surface, covers 10 % of this area. Made up of sandstone, siltstone, shale, and dolostone and includes the:
- Jordan Sandstone and St. Lawrence Formation, and
- the Mazomanie, Lone Rock, and Davis Formations of the Tunnel City Group.
Click on thumbnail image for the Bedrock Geology of Dakota County.
Now, a little Dakota County Geography for good measure...
The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, sloping to the river valleys. Its highest point is near the SW corner, at 1,037'. The county has a total area of 587 square miles, of which 562 square miles is land and 25 square miles (4.2%) is water.
Dakota County maintains a land use mixture of 1/3 urban, 1/3 suburban and1/3 rural. This combination of land use and the confluence of two major rivers (the Mississippi and Minnesota) that form the county's northern and eastern borders makes Dakota County a unique geographic area.
- Your friendly local resource conservationist
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Winter Wonderland Trivia!
How well do you know snow? Try the questions below!
1. What is a "snow eater"?
A) Weather that accelerates the meltdown of snow cover
B) A dog who likes to eat snow
C) A new Dakota County snow plow
2. On which other planet in the Solar System have scientists observed
snow falling?
A) Jupiter
B) Mars
C) Venus
3. How much snow is equivalent to an inch of rainfall?
A) 6 inches
B) 13 inches
C) 20 inches
4. What weather factor mainly determines the shape of a snowflake?
A) Amount of moisture in the snow
B) The air temperature
C) The time of day it snows
5. In which year was the Walt Disney film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
released?
A) 1935
B) 1937
C) 1939
Answers are at the end of the newsletter!
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Upcoming Events
February 4: 12th Annual Nutrient Management Conference | The 12th annual Nutrient Management Conference, hosted by University of Minnesota Extension, the Minnesota Agricultural Water Resource Center, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, will include updates on Minnesota efforts, planned and underway, to reduce nutrient loads in surface water and protect groundwater. Researchers will present findings on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium management. A farmer panel will discuss on-farm conservation practices.
Learn more: https://extension.umn.edu/event/nutrient-management-conference
February 18: 6th Annual Nitrogen Conference | University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Agricultural Water Resource Center (MAWRC)’s Nitrogen: Minnesota's Grand Challenge and Compelling Opportunity Conference brings experts together to focus entirely on this valuable input. Current topics in crop production and environmental stewardship will be relevant and informative for today's agricultural producers and professionals and anyone else who appreciates high-quality, research-based information. Learn more: https://extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events/nitrogen-conference
February 20: Volunteer Training for Landscaping for Clean Water | Are you looking for volunteer opportunities in the evenings, to help local water quality and pollinator habitat? Learn how to assist people in designing raingardens and native gardens by becoming a Landscaping for Clean Water volunteer! Interested and eligible volunteers must attend training. Contact us directly for more information.
Wednesday, March 4, 9 am - 1 pm: 14th Annual Crops Day! | Crops Day will bring specialists to Dakota County to share local research results and crop management strategies with producers and other agricultural professionals. This event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is requested. Please RSVP to Jackie at 651-463-6319 or jbauer@dakotaelectric.com.
Wednesday, March 4, at 5 pm: Free Garden Maintenance Workshop | Join us in Mendota Heights for a free workshop on maintaining your raingarden, native garden or shoreline planting. Learn what to do in each season and how to handle common challenges. Learn more.
Monday, March 9, at 6 pm: Free Landscaping for Clean Water Workshop | It's the first of ten educational, introductory workshops on native plants, raingardens, and restoring shorelines! The workshop is free, and you'll gain access to hands-on design classes and grants! Learn more.
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You can now follow us on social media!
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Reader Survey
We want to know who's reading our newsletter!
Whether you're a regular reader or this is your first newsletter; whether you read the whole thing or just skim through; help us out by taking a short survey using the button below. It'll take you just 3-5 minutes, and will help us tailor future newsletter content.
Thanks to the many of you who have already taken the survey!
You do not need to take it more than once, unless you have new feedback!
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We will be be ready for warm weather and looking forward to sharing Dakota County SWCD updates in our Spring Newsletter!
Want to share some of these stories or photos with your friends, neighbors, or community? Please do - we love seeing our news traveling throughout the region.
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Trivia Answers:
1. A. Weather that accelerates the meltdown of snow cover.
2. C. Snow has been observed on Venus.
3. B. 13 inches of snow
4. B. The air temperature
5. B. 1937
How did you do?
Do you have an idea for a great trivia question for a future newsletter? Share it with us!
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