The Milford Lake Watershed Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is a financial assistance program to help improve water quality conditions in the Milford Lake Watershed and is entering the second year of availability for producers. To help improve nutrient management, funding is available again this year and producers are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity and help reduce runoff from precipitation events and nutrient loading in the watershed. The Milford Lake Watershed includes portions of Jewell, Republic, Washington, Mitchell, Cloud, Clay, Riley, Dickenson and Geary Counties.
During the first year of the RCPP, contracts were written in Clay, Cloud, Jewell, Republic and Washington counties covering over 25,000 acres with conservation practices (see map). The map shows all Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and RCPP practices from 2015 -2019 with the light pink dots representing Milford RCPP contracts for 2019.
The funding is available through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) - EQIP and non-federal project partners to implement practices such as: nutrient management; residue management; or cover crops to address water quality concerns with the goal to reduce the nutrient loading in the Milford watershed by 31,000 pounds of phosphorus annually.
RCPP program participants have found these resources to help improve their bottom line and stretch their conservation dollars. EQIP can provide a significant funding source for implementing new practices with certain core practices eligible for additional funding through RCPP partner contributions.