Rangeland Ecology & Management

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CONSERVATION PRACTICES ASSESSMENT OF THE BAD RIVER WATERSHED IN WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA
Author
Braithwaite, Hope
Bateman, Tim
Villalba, Juan J.
Veblen, Kari E.
Thacker Jr, Eric T.
Burckhard, Suzette
Reitsma, Kurt
Mousel, Eric M.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2014
Body

This project investigated the impact of rangeland Best Management Practices (BMPs) and producer behavior in the Bad River Watershed located in the mixed-grass prairie of western South Dakota. Our objectives were to 1) assess the potential long-term impacts of one of the most successful rangeland implementation projects in the Great Plains; 2) determine producer perceptions 5 years after the termination of the implementation project; and 3) evaluate the social and economical factors influencing continued maintenance of BMPs following the project termination.  Demonstration, education, research and implementation of rangeland BMPs were conducted in this watershed from 1990 to 2006.  Within targeted watersheds, rangeland BMPs were implemented on greater than 95% of the lands.  Sediment concentration at the mouth of the Bad River prior to the BMP implementation period (1972-1994) was 1.6 times greater than the implementation and post BMP period (1995-2011).  The cost of BMPs implemented during this time was estimated at $6.3 million.  Almost 90% of the participants were “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” on practices implemented on their ranch.  Different types of conservation practices were adopted during the project and many of those are still maintained and their mean level of satisfaction was very high. Practices like pipelines and tanks had been adopted by 44% of the participants. More than 90% of those have been maintained and their satisfaction mean was very high (4; scale 1 to 5). More than 30% of respondents had adopted conservation practices like deferred grazing, proper grazing use, cross fencing, wells, and livestock ponds. More than 80% of those have maintained those practices. Our assessment of the Bad River Watershed project (16 years of implementation, demonstration and education) 5 years after termination has successfully demonstrated that rangeland BMPs have resulted in watershed improvements and positively influenced producer attitudes of the BMP adopting population.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Orlando, FL