Unless you are a local farmer or teacher, chances are you don’t know much about Mountain Castles Soil and Water Conservation District. The district, which serves Botetourt and Craig, is one of 47 soil and water districts located throughout Virginia.
Funded by grants from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, with small contributions made by the two county governments, Mountain Castles SWCD implements the Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share and Tax Credit Program. Eligible farmers can get up to 80% of their costs reimbursed for certain conservation practices, such as installing stream exclusion fencing for livestock and planting soil-conserving cover crops.
Since 2014, Mountain Castles SWCD has reimbursed local farmers over $725,000 for the implementation of conservation practices. Since farmers often hire local contractors to build fences, drill wells, and install pipeline, the money stays in the community.
Yet the district understands that farmers need more than just “feel-good” conservation practices that help keep nutrients, sediment, and bacteria out of local creeks. The most popular stream exclusion practice provides an alternative livestock watering system specifically designed for each participating farm. This conservation practice also contains a grazing land management component. Cross-fencing creates additional grazing paddocks on the farm which allows for more efficient use of pasture resources.
“The idea is to create a win-win situation,” says Marlon Old, conservation technician for the district. “We want farmers to see that conservation practices can increase the farm’s bottom line and reduce water pollution at the same time.”
Conservation “buy-in” is becoming more and more important for all citizens across the Commonwealth. Much of the land in Botetourt and Craig drains to the James River and then to the Chesapeake Bay. After years of little improvement, Bay clean-up efforts initiated by the multi-state Chesapeake Bay Program are finally seeing some positive results.
The most recent “State of the Bay” report issued by the nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Foundation in 2016 and the 2017 “State of the James” report issued by the James River Association show improving trends in water quality. The Chesapeake Bay Program released it’s “Bay Barometer” report in early 2018 which cited data indicating a healthier and more resilient Bay.
Yet the positive news from these reports is tempered by a call to address sediment and bacteria pollution throughout the watershed. Gains resulting from “Best Management Practices” used in farming have been offset by more pollution attributed to urban and suburban development.
Conservation districts have responded by offering a cost-share program for homeowners. Through the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program, cost share is available for homeowners interested in adding rain gardens, rainwater harvesting systems, and conservation plantings to their yards. A residential septic cost share program is also in the works.
Whether you live on a farm or in a subdivision, awareness of water quality issues is more important than ever if Virginia is to achieve its pollution “diet” goals by 2025.
“Education is key to our eventual success,” says Tim Miller, the education and outreach coordinator for the district. “Adults, including government leaders, have to be better informed and young people need to grow up with a conservation mindset.”
Mountain Castles SWCD attempts to be proactive on both fronts. Along with Valley Conservation Council, they co-sponsor a monthly “Backyard Botetourt” program for adults at the Fincastle Library. A “Farm & Float Tour” in September provided the opportunity for more than 30 participants to see numerous conservation practices being implemented on Oxbow Farm, then paddle a section of the James, now an officially designated scenic river throughout Botetourt County.
Comprehensive and systemic “environmental literacy” for K-12 students has been advocated from the Governor’s office and is an essential component of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s desired outcomes. The Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) program helps teachers and schools increase students’ age-appropriate understanding of the watershed through field investigations and action projects.
Thanks to a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund, whose funding results from sales of the Chesapeake Bay license plate, Mountain Castles SWCD has formed a partnership with Roanoke Cement to utilize their farm as an outdoor learning lab. All Botetourt County 6th graders visit the farm on Catawba Creek to investigate factors that contribute to water quality. Craig County students in grades 6-8 journey to Craig Creek to conduct their own watershed investigations.
Meanwhile, students at both Botetourt County middle schools are implementing conservation projects on their school grounds.
Mountain Castles SWCD is working to expand its MWEE program into high school ecology classes.
“If you want kids to feel connected to water, then they need to have the opportunity to get their feet wet,” says Miller.