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Soil Conservation District
Bear Creek, Bonehill Creek, and Main Stem James Assessment Project Timeframe: 2002 to 2004 Objective: Improved management of the acreage within the James River watershed and maintenance of the river’s water quality have long been priority issues for the LaMoure County Soil Conservation District (SCD). As a first step toward addressing these priority concerns, the LaMoure County SCD Board recognized the need to more clearly define the water quality effects of current land uses within the watershed. To obtain this information the SCD must develop a Water Quality Monitoring / Assessment Plan. The primary goal is to gather sufficient data to determine an approximate nutrient / sediment budget for the Bear Creek, and Bonehill Creek and to identify potential pollutant sources within the watersheds. Information collected during this two-year development project will be used to provide direction for future management decisions regarding land use and water quality maintenance in the watersheds. Watershed
Description: The contributing watersheds - Bonehill Creek, Bear Creek, and the Main Stem of the James River are characterized by highly fertile uplands, primarily used for row-crop, small grain and livestock production. These watersheds cover approximately: 216,960 acres in Bear Creek, 104,960 in Bonehill Creek, and 725,120 in the Main Stem James River. Potential pollutant sources consist of livestock concentration areas located within the watershed and low residue cropping systems. Several small towns are scattered throughout these watersheds and could be potential pollutant sources. Main
Stem James objective: With approval and
completion of the Bear and Bonehill assessment project the Main Stem of the
James River is all that will remain in LaMoure County that will not have any
form of assessment completed. This area is very large and encompasses many
counties and could if needed continue into South Dakota. The Main Stem James
River will require more organization and communication between neighboring
counties. At this time the main goal in the Main Stem James would include
organizational meetings and development of a working group between LaMoure,
Dickey, Stutsman, Barnes, and possibly Ransom and Sargent Counties. Developing
these relationships will be a major undertaking themselves.
The paramount objective of the District is to insure the wise use of our natural resources. It is our intent and purpose to manage natural resources such as soil, water, grasslands, forests, minerals and wildlife so they can be used wisely by the greatest number of people over the longest period of time. In each generation, each persons share of the world becomes smaller because our population is growing rapidly. We have a real duty to use resources wisely and preserve them for the future.
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