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Under the Cedar River Clean Water Partnership Project, ESE provides professional engineering services to the Iowa Department of
<br /> Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation and Water Quality, in support of the implementation of both
<br /> saturated buffers and denitrifying bioreactors in accordance with NRCS conservation practice standards. The project was initiated in
<br /> January 2019,and amended in August 2022 to add additional work for ESE to perform. The total cost of ESE's technical services
<br /> over the life of the project cannot exceed$190,959.
<br /> ESE's technical services to support the implementation of saturated buffers and denitrifying bioreactors is composed of three
<br /> phases, as follows: Phase 1(Practice Design and Layout), Phase 2(Practice Management and Maintenance Plan),and Phase 3
<br /> (Construction Oversight and Checkout). The project employs the "Batch and Build"approach.
<br /> 3. Planning,Technical Assistance and Outreach to Improve Water Quality in Minnesota Thru In Field and Edge-of-Field Managed
<br /> Tile Drainage System Conservation Practices(Minnesota):
<br /> Key Contact: Dave Jones,State Conservation Engineer
<br /> USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
<br /> 375 Jackson Street
<br /> St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1854
<br /> Phone Number: 651-602-7882
<br /> Email Address: dave.jones@usda.go•,
<br /> ESE's multi-year, multi-county project with Minnesota NRCS was successfully completed on May 31, 2023 and expended$808,180
<br /> (90%NRCS funding and 10%ESE in-kind contributions)for the planning,design, and installation of 37 conservation drainage
<br /> practices that benefited 1,600 tile-drained cropland acres and reduces annual nitrogen loading by an estimated 17,880 pounds.
<br /> Through the project,ESE provided"turn key"services(site investigation/surveys,planning and design,and full implementation with
<br /> land improvement contractors)at no cost to producers. In addition to the installation of 18 automated and manual drainage water
<br /> management systems,the project resulted in 14 saturated buffers totaling 13,165 linear feet and 5 denitrifying bioreactors totaling
<br /> 1,340 cubic yards. ESE was responsible for all aspects of this project,with NRCS only carrying out is inherently governmental
<br /> functions(HELC/WC Compliance,site cultural resource assessments,and producer Adjusted Gross Income determinations). The
<br /> project was innovative in reducing bureaucratic barriers for producers and in addressing producer conservation drainage needs in a
<br /> rapid timeframe with work of the highest quality. The"turn key"project model used by ESE in Minnesota and funded by NRCS was
<br /> so successful that NRCS Minnesota selected ESE through a competitive process for a second$1.2+million"turn key"project in
<br /> Minnesota,initiated in October 2023. ESE's innovative model approach is also mirrored by NRCS in Delaware and by Ohio EPA in
<br /> Western Lake Erie Basin with new projects both involving ESE in the new 2024 federal fiscal year.
<br /> ESE's Key Project Personnel
<br /> ESE's technical staff are recognized industry leaders in conservation drainage,with expertise in project management,conservation
<br /> drainage planning/design and implementation,and innovative strategies for automated drainage water management. Staff hold
<br /> professional engineering licenses in Iowa and Minnesota,advanced degrees in civil engineering, hydrology and hydraulics,
<br /> agricultural systems,and natural resources management, and certifications as NRCS Technical Service Providers(TSP)for various
<br /> conservation drainage practices in many states.
<br /> The ESE technical staff that would be actively engaged with this project if funded by the City of Decatur are as follows: 1)Dr.Andrew
<br /> Craig,Conservation Engineering Lead/Licensed Engineer/Certified TSP,2)Ben Reinhart,Conservation Planner,and 3)Andrew
<br /> Mackrill,Conservation Planner. Conservation Engineering Lead Andrew Craig is a state-licensed professional engineer in both Iowa
<br /> and Minnesota. He also is a certified Technical Service Provider for the following NRCS conservation practices: Design and
<br /> implementation Activity 164,Drainage Water Management 554,Structures for Water Control 587,Denitrifying Bioreactors 605,
<br /> Saturated Buffers 604,among other conservation practice. Conservation Planners Ben Reinhart and Andy Mackrill are certified
<br /> Technical Service Providers in multiple states.
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