Willow Creek Watershed Project Coordinator, Kris Binder holds a map of the watershed with District Conservationist Dean Gronemeyer.

Clay County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Commissioner Jerry Crew announced late last week that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has awarded a grant to the district designed to aid in the development of water quality strategies in the Willow Creek Watershed.

Crew, chairperson of the Clay County Soil and Water Conservation District said, "We are pleased to be given this important grant. We will use the grant to define some of the water quality challenges we face in Clay County, specifically the Willow Creek Watershed, and come up with the best plan to improve and protect our water resources."

The Willow Creek Watershed is comprised of about 60,582 acres located primarily in southwest Clay and parts of eastern O'Brien Counties. Willow Creek quietly meanders through some of Iowa's most productive farm land in a watershed that is relatively flat and planted to row crops. Approximately 84 percent of the land in the watershed is utilized as cropland, with 15 percent in grassland.

A 14-mile segment of Willow Creek is included on the EPA's 303d List of Impaired Waters. Willow Creek outlets directly into the Little Sioux River, which is one of the few High Quality Resource streams in Western Iowa.

Iowa's Soil and Water Conservation Districts were asked to submit proposals to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Division of Soil and Water Conservation. Clay District was one of five counties selected statewide to receive the Watershed Development Grants.

A project kick-off meeting was held on April 9 in Rossie with the check being presented to the District by Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Karey Claghorn.