Herbsigwil Farms ALUS Riparian Perennial Grass Buffer

Kleefeld

Benefits

  • Captures nutrient run-off
  • Erosion Reduction
  • Carbon Capture
  • Wildlife and pollinator habitat.

Characteristics

  • Mixture of lowland grasses is planted to help stabilize soil and capture nutrient runoff
  • Grass is either cut and baled or flash grazed once a year for nutrient removal
  • Removal of grass is done after mid-July to protect possible wildlife nesting sites found within the buffer.

Project Overview

Herbsigwil Farms found that portions of their farmland along the South Lateral Drain were prone to flooding during high precipitation events. During these events, much of the crop along the drain would be drowned out reducing their yields. The SRRWD ALUS provided funding for Herbsigwil Farms to establish perennial grasses along the South Lateral Drain and provides them with an annual payment for changing the land-use from annual cropping to perennial grass.  Nutrient runoff is of high priority in these areas; grass buffers/water retention help keep nutrient loss down.