Vermillion – Projects
Clean Water Projects
Vermillion River Watershed Restoration Project
The McCook Conservation District was awarded a Clean Water Grant of $117,000 to begin to assist landowners in the Vermillion River Watershed to install conservation practices that reduce water pollution. During 2009
this project was extended through 2011, and the budget was amended to $450,000, to include funds from projects ending in the watershed. The Vermillion River Watershed Project will continue to assist landowners
with livestock agricultural waste management, and with improving riparian areas through land use agreements, fencing, and alternative water developments.
The McCook Conservation District manages this project by contracting experienced staff of the South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts. The Vermillion River Watershed has a surface area of approximately
1.43 million acres covering portions of fourteen eastern South Dakota counties, including all six Vermillion River RC&D Applicant area counties. The basin is about 150 miles north to south, and varies in width from 12
miles in the north to 36 miles in the south. A watershed assessment of the project area was completed by the Vermillion Valley Water Development District in 2006.
NEW to the project for 2010 and 2011 is the Riparian Area Management (RAM) Program that will provide land use agreements to landowners to complement the Conservation Reserve Program CP-22 Riparian Buffer or CP-30 Marginal Pastureland Wetland Buffer practices where riparian areas are involved. The RAM payment is a onetime, up front, land rental representing 15 years times a yearly rental rate/acre for the non-CRP acres included in a CRP contract to protect the riparian area, specific to the Vermillion River. A steering committee representing Clay, McCook, Miner, Turner & Yankton Counties ranked 18 RAM applications taken from Clay, McCook, Turner & Yankton Counties in Fiscal Year 2010, potentially affecting 205 acres to enhance or protect the Vermillion River.
Missouri River Futures
The South Dakota/Nebraska partnership group, Missouri River Futures, funds a full time project staff to assist landowners with conservation planning along the National Missouri Recreational River. Vermillion RC&D Council staff, along with over 30 other organizations, provide input to the Missouri River Futures’ overall project management through meetings and input on specific projects. The 2009 summer steering committee meeting at Vermillion included a river boat tour to show progress on river projects such as easements with landowners, emergent sandbars construction, and river bank stabilization.
Other Vermillion Watershed RC&D Applicant Area 2010 Activities Included:
City of Parker Athletic Field Tree Planting – the Parker Athletic field project was installed with financial assistance from a SD Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry Grant. The project included the planting
of 38 trees of 8 varieties for a total project cost of $3711. Community members identified this tree planting as an important need for the existing as well as for the recent athletic field complex expansion to provide shade,
wind protection and to improve the overall beauty for their community athletic complex gathering area.
Salem Urban & Community Forestry project – was also completed with assistance from a SD Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry Grant. The project included the removal of two aged trees located on the boulevard adjacent to city hall, and the installation of one “Crimson Cloud” Hawthorne & one “Fairview” Norway Maple as their replacements. In the Salem City Park, two “Accolade” Elm & two “Fairview” Norway Maple were planted to improve the recreational and aesthetic resources of the community park.
Two mini grants, for $250 each, were awarded by the Vermillion Watershed RC&D Applicant Area Council to the Fedora Community 125th Celebration to promote their celebration. The second grant went to the Canova Gang
Baseball Team to make improvements to the bleachers, and for steel siding to improve their concession stand. Canova, a Miner County community of 140 residents, strives to promote and preserve its rich history of amateur baseball. The home town park heralds Canova Gang SD State Amateur Baseball Championships from 1966, 1971, 1979, and its most recent from 2009. Duane Miller, Canova, a 2010 SD Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, has served as a player, coach & voice of the Canova Gang, including assisting with the inception of the team in 1946.
Vermillion Watershed RC&D Council Applicant Area Marketing Effort
The Vermillion Watershed (VW) RC&D Applicant Area secured funds to develop marketing materials to inform area citizens of their mission and activities. Funds of $2,000 were used to acquire a pull-up display, create banners and to develop a brochure. The marketing brochure was developed in January of 2010. It will be used as an educational tool targeted for distribution in the VW applicant area sponsors’ communities.