Project Grant 97796802

DESCRIPTION:THIS AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT (IIJA) TO THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS AGREEMENT IS TO SUPPORT AND ADVANCE THE GULF HYPOXIA ACTION PLAN THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECIPIENT'S NUTRIENT REDUCTION STRATEGY. MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, AS THE CURATOR OF THE MISSOURI NUTRIENT LOSS REDUCTION STRATEGY, WILL IMPLEMENT TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS UNDER THIS GULF HYPOXIA PROGRAM WORKPLAN THAT ACHIEVE ACTIONS PROMISED UNDER THE STATE'S NUTRIENT STRATEGY. PROJECT DELIVERABLES INCLUDE CONTINUED FUNDING OF WATER QUALITY MONITORING ESTABLISHED UNDER THE PREVIOUS WORKPLAN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PILOT FILTER STRIP/ FIELD BORDER PRACTICE, A PROJECT FOR BLIND INLET INSTALLATION, AND A TWO-STAGE DITCH NUTRIENT REDUCTION PROJECT. ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: PROJECT 1 - CONTINUED FUNDING OF MISSOURI'S AMBIENT NUTRIENT MONITORING THIS FUNDING WILL ENSURE THE CONTINUED OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS) WATER QUALITY MONITORING STATIONS FUNDED UNDER THE PREVIOUS GULF HYPOXIA PROGRAM GRANT WORKPLAN. THE FOUR STATIONS WERE SELECTED TO BETTER CAPTURE AND CHARACTERIZE THE WATER QUALITY CONDITIONS OF KEY SUB-SECTIONS OF THE MISSOURI RIVER, MISSISSIPPI RIVER, AND GRAND RIVER. PROJECT 2 -INNOVATIVE NUTRIENT LOSS REDUCTION CONSERVATION PRACTICES THIS FUNDING WILL BE USED TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF THREE DIFFERENT NUTRIENT LOSS REDUCTION BMPS ACROSS THE STATE OF MISSOURI. THE FIRST PRACTICE WOULD BE TO EXPAND UPON THE EFFORTS IN NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND ESTABLISHING TWO-STAGE DITCHES IN THE BOOTHEEL REGION OF MISSOURI. WE BELIEVE THE SIMILAR GEOGRAPHY AND FARMING PRACTICES FROM THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF MISSOURI TO THAT OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS WILL TRANSLATE TO A SIMILAR APPLICATION AND BENEFIT THAT ARKANSAS HAS SEEN WITH THIS PRACTICE. WE WILL ALSO USE THE 'BATCH AND BUILD' APPROACH WITH THIS PRACTICE FOR THE EFFICIENCY TO CONTRACT AND INSTALL MULTIPLE PROJECTS TO SIMPLIFY THE INSTALLATION AND PROJECT APPLICATION. THE SECOND BMP IS TO EXPAND UPON AND INCENTIVIZE AN UNDERUTILIZED PRACTICE PROVIDED IN THE DEPARTMENT'S SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM (SWCP). CURRENTLY THE SWCP HAS AVAILABLE A FILTER STRIP PRACTICE, WHICH PROVIDES AN OUT OF PRODUCTION INCENTIVE. IN THIS PROPOSAL, WE WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE THE INCENTIVES AND REDUCE THE MAINTENANCE LIFE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PRACTICE TO MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE AND TO HELP PROMOTE THIS BMP. THIS WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE IN CROPLAND ALONG RIPARIAN AREAS WHERE SEDIMENT, NUTRIENTS, AND CHEMICALS ARE AT RISK OF LEAVING THE FIELDS AND ENTERING THE RIPARIAN AREAS OR WATERWAYS. WATER QUALITY PROTECTION AND REDUCTION IN NUTRIENT LOSS WILL BE DERIVED BY THE FILTERING OF POLLUTANTS AND BY PROVIDING EROSION AND STREAMBANK CONTROL FROM THE VEGETATION HOLDING THE SOIL IN PLACE. THE THIRD PRACTICE MISSOURI WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE IS INSTALLATION OF BLIND INLETS AS A REPLACEMENT OF THE TRADITIONAL HICKENBOTTOM INLET IN TILE TERRACE SYSTEMS. THIS PRACTICE IS CURRENTLY BEING STUDIED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI; THE RESULTS ARE PROMISING BY HELPING TO REDUCE THE SEDIMENT AND PHOSPHORUS LOSSES FROM CROP FIELDS BY FORCING WATER TO PASS THROUGH A FILTER MATERIAL BEFORE MOVING THROUGH THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM. THE UNIVERSITY HAS BEEN STUDYING THE PRACTICE ON A SMALL SCALE AND WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND THE PRACTICE TO ADDITIONAL DEMONSTRATION SITES. SUBRECIPIENT:PROJECT 2 -INNOVATIVE NUTRIENT LOSS REDUCTION CONSERVATION PRACTICES THIS FUNDING WILL BE USED TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF THREE DIFFERENT NUTRIENT LOSS REDUCTION BMPS ACROSS THE STATE OF MISSOURI. THE FIRST PRACTICE WOULD BE TO EXPAND UPON THE EFFORTS IN NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND ESTABLISHING TWO-STAGE DITCHES IN THE BOOTHEEL REGION OF MISSOURI. WE BELIEVE THE SIMILAR GEOGRAPHY AND FARMING PRACTICES FROM THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF MISSOURI TO THAT OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS WILL TRANSL