Conservation seems to be paying off
Staff writer
Improving water quality in Marion County starts long before water reaches a creek, river, or reservoir.
From no-till farming and cover crops to grass buffers and precision nutrient management, a growing number of producers are adopting practices designed to keep soil and nutrients on the land and out of waterways.
Those efforts, led through partnerships between the Marion County Conservation District and watershed restoration programs, focus on preventing pollution rather than reacting to it downstream.
“We’re the headwaters for much of the Neosho River system,” Lisa Suderman said.
She is both the Marion County Conservation District clerk and coordinator for local Watershed Restoration And Protection Strategy, or WRAPS, programs.
“What leaves the ground here eventually moves through the system, “ she said, “so our goal is to improve everything that comes out of Marion County.”
Runoff from unprotected fields remains one of the largest sources of water pollution locally, Suderman said.
When heavy rains fall on bare or heavily disturbed soil, sediment and nutrients can be carried into nearby streams, contributing to long-term water quality issues.
To address that, landowners have shifted away from traditional tillage.
No-till practices, once considered unconventional, are now widely adopted across the county. By limiting soil disturbance, no-till farming helps keep soil in place while improving the land’s ability to absorb and hold water.
Cover crops also have become more common. Planted between harvests, these crops keep living roots in the ground for more months of the year, stabilizing soil and reducing erosion. Not harvested, they play a critical role in protecting water resources.
“If you have a living plant out there, it’s going to stay in place,” Suderman said. “That soil doesn’t move the way it does when the ground is bare.”
In addition to changes in crop management, grass buffers along creeks and rivers serve as natural filters.
Water flowing off fields passes through grassed areas before entering waterways, allowing sediment and nutrients to settle out.
Grassed waterways within fields perform a similar function, slowing water movement and reducing erosion during storms.
Participation in water-focused conservation programs continues to increase, Suderman said.
The conservation district actively pursues federal and state funding to help offset costs for producers interested in adopting new practices or expanding existing ones.
Rather than focusing on a single issue, the district takes a “holistic approach,” Suderman said, when working with landowners to improve soil health, water quality, and long-term farm viability.
That can include conservation planning, cost-share assistance, and technical support.
Recent efforts also have expanded into areas like on-farm energy efficiency.
Technical service providers can conduct energy audits to help producers evaluate how electricity is used on their operations and whether renewable options, like solar, may reduce costs.
While water quality remains a central concern, Suderman said, the broader goal is sustainability for future generations.
“How are you wanting to improve the operation, and how are you wanting to leave it for the next generation?” she said.
One of the biggest misconceptions about local water issues, Suderman said, is current farming practices are solely responsible for problems such as algae blooms in area lakes.
In reality, she said, nutrients like phosphorus remain in sediment for decades, causing today’s conditions often to be influenced by land use from generations ago.
“What people are seeing now is the result of what happened 40 or 50 years ago,” she said. “The producers farming today are doing things very differently.”
Those changes are visible.
Sedimentation rates at Marion Reservoir are significantly lower than projected when the lake was built, Suderman said, helping preserve water storage capacity over time. Compared to other reservoirs in the state, Marion’s rate of sediment buildup is unusually low.
“That tells us the practices being used upstream are making a difference,” she said.
Much of the work focuses on specific watersheds that feed directly into the reservoir, including the North Cottonwood River and its tributaries.
By concentrating conservation efforts where water flows most directly into the lake, officials can maximize their impact.
The success of conservation programs often depends on trust and relationships, Suderman said.
Adoption spreads more easily when producers see neighbors using new practices successfully.
“It’s easier when you already have a few people doing it,” she said. “They talk to each other.”
While some resistance remains, particularly among older generations accustomed to traditional methods, Suderman said attitudes are shifting.
Younger producers facing tight profit margins and rising input costs often are more open to practices that reduce expenses while protecting land and water.
At its core, conservation is about understanding what motivates each producer, Suderman said.
“It’s like sales,” she said. “You find out what matters to them — profitability, the environment, their kids — and you build from there.”
As weather patterns become more unpredictable, protecting water at its source will remain essential.
The work may happen quietly on fields and along creek banks, but its effects extend far beyond property lines.
“This is long-term work,” Suderman said. “But it’s work that matters.”