Over 11,000 Pounds of Phosphorus Kept Out of Red Cedar Watershed Due to Cost-Shared Farming Practices in 2024
- WFU Blog
- Sep 30
- 3 min read
by Daniel Zerr
WI Division of Extension
Regional Natural Resources Educator
Phosphorus levels in the Red Cedar River are declining, in large part due to farming practices aimed at decreasing runoff from farmland. This includes over 11,000 lbs. of phosphorus kept out of water bodies in 2024 due to the cost-share programs that exist that help farmers pay for soil health practices that also improve water quality. This figure represents an improvement over the reductions from cost-shared practices the previous year. Other farmers in the river’s watershed are implementing such practices without any cost-share, also contributing to a decrease in runoff. Additionally, lake groups are working hard to address local issues at their lakes, and counties and agencies are helping others to address runoff/water quality issues on farms and other managed lands. According to the 2024 Annual Report from the Red Cedar River Water Quality Partnership, these and other activities are all helping to successfully implement a plan to address water quality issues in the Red Cedar Basin.
The Red Cedar River watershed includes parts of nine counties in Northwest Wisconsin, with Barron and Dunn County comprising most of the watershed (see map). Water quality in the Red Cedar River, its tributaries, and its numerous impounded lakes has been a problem for decades, especially in the lower reaches of the watershed, most pronounced in Lakes Tainter and Menomin, with many other water bodies listed as impaired by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The water quality issues include algae blooms that can cause fish kills, foul odors, decreased use of the lakes and rivers for recreation, threats to human and pet health, and decreased property values near impaired lakes and rivers.
In 2016, the Wisconsin DNR and the US EPA approved a ten-year plan authored by the Red Cedar River Water Quality Partnership to address water quality issues and help minimize the soil and nutrient runoff that fuels harmful algae blooms. The Partnership implements this plan and includes several county Land Conservation departments, several lake districts/associations, the City of Menomonie, DNR, farmer-led watershed groups, University of Wisconsin-Division of Extension, UW-Stout, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and many other stakeholders.
Some of the other highlights in the Partnership’s 2024 Annual Report include:
• Phosphorus effluent goals continuing to be met by wastewater treatment plants in the watershed.
• UW-Stout providing valuable research and assistance with stakeholders through their LAKES-REU program, as well as other research and data collection done by University faculty and students.
• Lake Associations and Districts organizing and implementing efforts to address local issues such as invasive species, and providing educational materials for lake users and residents.
• Numerous grants awarded through DNR to address runoff and pollution issues in many parts of the watershed.
• Testing the stratification of phosphorus in farm fields to determine how best management practices effect how much phosphorus stays close to the surface (and thus prone to running off into water bodies) or how much it infiltrates into the soil.
• A trend showing decreasing phosphorus levels between 2010 and 2023 below the Lake Menomin dam (2024 data is not yet available).
Other activities and partners are listed in the Annual Report which can be found at the Red Cedar River Watershed website, under the “Maps and Publications” page.
For more information, contact Daniel Zerr, Regional Natural Resources Educator with University of Wisconsin Madison – Division of Extension.
Comments