The Vermilion Headwaters watershed is a 305,426-acre rural watershed encompassing parts of Livingston, Ford, Iroquois, and McLean counties in Illinois. This watershed has been identified as one of the top five, non-point source nitrogen loading watersheds in Illinois and is a major contributor to nitrogen loading in the Mississippi River.
The Vermilion Headwaters Watershed Partnership is a group of stakeholders including farmers, community leaders, government agencies, research institutions, and nonprofit organizations working to reduce the loss of nitrogen from farmland in the watershed. The adoption of conservation cropping systems, such as reduced tillage, cover crops, nutrient management, and tile water treatment, can help protect water quality and improve a farmer’s bottom line.
Funding for priority practices, like cover crops, nutrient management, and reduced tillage is available through the Mississippi River Basin Initiative. In fiscal year 2021, one contract was awarded a total of $250,000, supporting reduced tillage, cover crops, and soil stabilization practices on nearly 300 acres. In fiscal year 2022, eight contracts were awarded a total of $341,066, spanning 1,270 acres.
Efforts are underway to complete a watershed-based plan for the Vermilion Headwaters watershed, and AFT convened the Steering Committee on a quarterly basis to discuss plan updates. AFT hosted one field day in 2021 focused on strip tillage, cover crops, and constructed wetlands; and two field days in 2022 focused on cover crops and weed control. Collectively these events reached over 200 people.
For more information, see farmland.org/vhw.
