Provided by funding through the one-tenth of one percent Parks and Soils Sales Tax of Missouri, the Agricultural Nonpoint Source Special Area Land Treatment (AGNPS SALT) program is offered through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Soil and Water Conservation Program. The program allows county Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) to direct technical and financial assistance to landowners with land identified and prioritized by the district as problem areas within the water-shed These areas must address agricultural nonpoint source pollution problems such as sedimentation from soil erosion, mismanagement of pastureland, nutrient and chemical loading from cropped areas, improper management of animal waste and utilization, decreased water quality of irrigated cropland, and degradation of riparian areas.

In order to apply for an AGNPS SALT project, several criteria must be met:

• The project area must be a complete topographic watershed or subwatershed of manageable size, preferably 20,000 to 60,000 acres or 14-digit hydrologic unit (HU).

• The project should focus on the control or prevention of nonpoint sources of water pollution related to production agriculture.

• Project length must be five to seven years.

• The maximum budget amount is $750,000 per project, which includes the planning grant, management grant and all incentives.

• A steering committee, consisting of key stakeholders within the watershed area, must be active for the project.

• Project objectives should include the prevention or treatment of agricultural nonpoint source pollution through the use of information and/or education activities, technical assistance and water quality incentives that may include cost-share or loan-interest share.

• Methods to measure success toward achieving the objectives of the project must be identified.

• Local support for the goals of the project must be demonstrated.

AgNPS SALT Addresses Total Resource Management

• Soil erosion, which results in sediment in streams

• Excessive nutrient loading from improper fertilizing practices

• Increases pathogenic organisms in water supplies caused by improper waste management

• Excessive chemical loading from runoff in cropped areas

• Improper grazing practices and woodland grazing

• Excessive nutrients due to ineffective nozzling or excessive field runoff

• Improper closing of wells and cisterns

• Degradation of riparian zones and livestock accessing streams

A call for AGNPS SALT proposals will be announced by the Soil and Water Conservation Districts Commission. Upon notification of the call, districts are to begin the application process. The first step is submittal of the preliminary application. The preliminary application should include general information about the watershed, a map of the watershed, the water resources to be protected or restored, characteristics of the land, crop production and livestock, the water quality problems and solutions, the goals and objectives of the project, the practices and incentives proposed, a summary of the budget and the partners of the project.

All preliminary applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by the Soil and Water Conservation Program staff. Once reviewed, districts whose projects are awarded preliminary approval will begin the final application phase.

The final application should include the information included in the preliminary application, in more detail, in addition to the measures of progress, the information and/or education activities, other nonpoint source control projects within the SALT area, dockets, progress summary sheet and a long-term budget summary.

All final applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed and ranked by the AGNPS SALT Review Committee, a committee consisting of agricultural and natural resource professionals. Once reviewed, the applications are presented to the Soil and Water Conservation Districts Commission for approval. Districts whose projects are awarded final approval will begin implementation on July I of the fiscal year.

• Traditional state cost-share practices

• Nutrient and pest management

• Composting Facilities

• Riparian protection practices

• Waste management systems

• Alternative livestock watering systems

• Irrigation practices

• Streambank stabilization

• Exclusion of livestock

• Well and Sinkhole Protection

 

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