JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Thousands of tons of valuable topsoil will be saved and water quality improved in northeast Missouri due to the efforts of the Audrain County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers has recognized Audrain County Soil and Water Conservation District for its outstanding progress in addressing gully erosion. Jim Macy, director of the department’s Field Services Division, presented the district with the Director’s Award for Outstanding Progress in Addressing Gully Erosion on Agricultural Land at the district’s annual meeting Wednesday, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center in Mexico.

“Soil and water conservation districts have made great strides in controlling erosion and improving water quality in Missouri,” said Childers. “We should all recognize them for their important contribution to the sustainability of our agricultural land.”  
     
Audrain County Soil and Water Conservation District addressed 45 different sites with active gully erosion occurring above tolerable soil loss levels in fiscal year 2007. When water runoff creates deep, large crevices it is called gully erosion. The primary practices used in Audrain County in fiscal year 2007 were sediment retention, erosion or water control and grade stabilization structure practices, which prevents erosion and improves water quality by creating a shorter slope, slowing water running over the land. On average, each structure saves 398 tons of topsoil each year.

Other soil and water conservation districts recognized for their outstanding work in soil and water conservation are the Ozark County district for implementation of Best Management Practices on grasslands, the Pettis County district for treatment of sheet and rill erosion and the Stoddard County district for progress in implementing its Agricultural Nonpoint Source Special Area Land Treatment project.

Missouri’s 114 soil and water conservation districts work with agricultural landowners and the public to conserve the state’s soil and water resources. The districts are funded by the one-tenth-of-one-percent parks, soils and water sales tax.

For more information, contact the Department of Natural Resources’ Soil and Water Conservation Program at (573) 751-4932 or the department toll free at 800-361-4827.