What is the background to your Elgin Clean Water Program Project?
During heavy rainfall water would collect in an area of low-lying land around a small pond on my farm. The excess water in my field caused erosive runoff, impacting the water quality downstream of my farm. Since water pooled in this area, the land was marginal for crop growth resulting in poor yields. For this reason, my family and I decided to make a change on our land that would be beneficial in terms of water management and biodiversity.
What sort of project was finally undertaken?
The existing pond on my farm was restored and expanded into a much larger wetland that would more effectively capture, filter, and slowly release water. Native prairie grasses were seeded and trees were planted along the perimeter of the wetland to provide additional wildlife habitat.