Nature Conservancy Hires Aquatic Ecologist

Des Moines, IA—March 10, 2006 To enhance conservation work in Iowa streams and rivers, the Nature Conservancy recently hired George Cunningham as an aquatic ecologist. Cunningham’s first responsibility will be to complete an ecological assessment document on the Boone River watershed to determine the current ecological condition of the watershed.

Additional work in the watershed will involve working with one of the Nature Conservancy’s partners, Iowa State University’s Center for Agriculture and Rural Development to develop a watershed model for the Boone River. This modeling will incorporate alternative farming practices and a variety of scenarios for land-use options and propose results that balance good ecological outcomes with good economical outcomes.

The Nature Conservancy’s partners in the watershed, such as Prairie Rivers RC&D, Iowa Soybean Association and private landowners, will use this ecological assessment model as a conservation tool guiding watershed conservation in the future.

Watershed conservation activities such as that in the Boone River will go a long way to improving the ecological health of Iowa’s rivers and streams. Excess nutrient runoff and sediment are serious concerns in Iowa that affect not only fish and mussels species in the state, but also affect the integrity of aquatic environments as far away as the Gulf of Mexico.

“When we look at improving watersheds, we try to come up with solutions to reduce the nutrient and sediment inputs to streams and rivers. This is done by controlling runoff, combating erosion, and addressing the altered hydrology that most streams and rivers experience today. This involves proactive nutrient management and hydrologic restoration,” said Cunningham.

The Nature Conservancy is working with the Iowa Soybean Association to address nutrient levels and best farming practices with the help of landowners and farmers in both the Boone and Lower Cedar watershed areas.

“Once we complete the ecological assessment, we can then move forward with conservation abatement strategies to address specific stresses within the watershed,” said Cunningham.

Some abatement strategies might include creating alternative ditch designs, which will convey water at reduced rates; creating a series of small wetlands to serve as a filter for sediments and nutrients before they enter streams and tributaries; and by efficiently reducing nitrogen applications while not affecting the producer’s yields.

“We are working with landowners and producers to figure out the best strategies to use. What we learn and how we work with the agricultural community can be applied to farming and best land-use practices here in Iowa, the Midwest, and throughout the world. We have to come up with solutions that will give us both clean water and productive farming,” said Cunningham.

This aquatic ecologist position, funded primarily through a generous grant by Cargill, Inc., is a vital part of the Nature Conservancy’s Upper Mississippi River (UMR) program. The primary focus of the UMR program is to conserve freshwater biodiversity in the Upper Mississippi River basin. Approximately 66 percent of the basin has been converted to agriculture. Conversion of the native ecosystems in the UMR has resulted in the direct loss of land-based and freshwater habitat and has altered the hydrology of the streams in the basin, which has lead to increased sedimentation and degraded ecological conditions.