August 10 , 2010
By PEGGY HUGEN
Annual awards given by the Polk Soil and Water Conservation District highlight those who are good stewards of the land – and those who plan wisely.
The 2010 awards, given July 21 during the Polk County Fair, went to Steve Lee of Lincoln Township, the city of Ankeny and the Iowa Storm Water Education Program.
Conservation farmer of the year
Lee has practiced no-till farming since the late 1980s.
Lee, who farms in the Polk City area, was named 2010 conservation farmer of the year.
Paul Miller, conservationist with the Polk Soil and Water Conservation District, said Lee has been a leader in practicing conservation programs on the farms he operates.
“With no-till, you plant directly into last year’s residue,” Miller said. “When very little tillage is done on the farms, it helps save soil, time and fuel.”
Lee said he started no-till farming because of a federal mandate.
“In the late 1980s, the USDA farm program farm bill had a cross-compliance, highly erodable land provision in it,” Lee said. “So if you had highly erodable land, you’d have to no-till it, or at least limit the soil loss. That’s what really got me started on it.”
So why has he continued it?
“The soil savings is the big thing,” he said. “But I can also save quite a bit of fuel and maybe a little bit of time.”
Lee said the award was a surprise.
“It’s a nice honor to be recognized for trying to do things – I would say the right way – in my mind,” Lee said. “Trying to save some soil and the runoff that the residue would stop.”
Lee farms more than 1,100 acres with a corn and bean rotation. He also grows alfalfa hay for his herd, he said.
Lee works with seven landlords. He has encouraged them to work with conservation programs and erosion control.
“We’ve rebuilt some waterways that needed some work,” he said.
He has worked with the landowners to put these practices into place to benefit the landowner and the land, Miller said.
“He’s been doing it quite a while and he does a good job,” Miller said. “He works well with his landlords to improve the land he farms. So it was more recognizing the good efforts he does.”
Urban steward award
The city of Ankeny received the 2010 urban steward award for its leadership in stormwater management projects, said Jennifer Welch, urban conservationist with the conservation district.
“They’ve been really good partners with the soil and water conservation district on a lot of different areas dealing with stormwater and how it relates to water quality and development,” Welch said.
Amy Bryant, civil and environment engineer with the city, said it’s an honor to receive the award, and city leaders are grateful.
“My hope is that the city will continue to learn and make changes, and our citizens will, too, as to how we address rainwater,” she said. “So it’s not considered a waste product, but valued as a natural resource.”
Welch said the city is proactive in its approach.
“They also have been working with a comprehensive plan, looking where water will be flowing through the community in the future as more development occurs,” Welch said.
Some of the things the city likes to highlight, Bryant said, are the stormwater reimbursement program, improvements to West First Street and the addition of biocells in that area. Biocells collect and infiltrate water instead of the water going directly into the storm drain, Bryant said.
Summerbrook Park in Ankeny also will be used as a teaching tool for the community.
“They’re retrofitting the park to have a lot of different stormwater practices that individuals can use on properties, as well as new business and new development can use,” Welch said.
“What we’re hoping with this project is that we can show people that stormwater features can be incorporated into their landscaping, and you don’t even know that they’re there,” Bryant said. “They just look beautiful and … they’re functional, too.”
Installations will begin this fall, weather permitting.
Welch said the Prairie Trail development is another way the city has been proactive.
“They’ve started that quite differently, addressing the environmental issues first,” Welch said. “They’re looking at where the water flows and building around that.”
The city has been taking a forward-looking approach in a lot of areas, Welch said.
“When you put all of that together, it made sense and made them shine as leaders in those different areas,” Welch said of the award.
Partner of the year
The Iowa Storm Water Education Program received the partner of the year award. ISWEP addresses the educational needs of cities and groups affected by stormwater regulations.
Welch said the group creates materials to share, instead of cities doing the same research each year.
ISWEP, an Ankeny-based group, also holds workshops and training sessions to get people up to speed on current issues, Welch said.
Copyright (c) The Des Moines Register. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Co., Inc. by NewsBank, inc.