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Indiana conservation efforts driving water quality improvements across the state

The program manager with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture says a new initiative is helping improve water quality across the state.  

Julie Harrold says the State Nutrient Reduction Strategy tracks runoff levels.

“It also outlines the practices that can be used to reduce point source and non-point source pollution in both urban areas and agricultural areas,” she says.  “Having a system approach of conservation practices treats nutrients more effectively.”

She tells Brownfield farmers are using a variety of sustainable ag practices.

“We are seeing progress in reducing both phosphorus and nitrogen,” she says. “We’ve seen bodies of water that has seen such improvements that they have been removed from the impaired waters list, but more work needs to be done.”

Harrold says the strategy also calls for an expanded use of voluntary on-farm conservation incentive programs both at the state and federal levels.

AUDIO: Julie Harrold, ISDA