Macomb, IL – Nutrient levels are too high in Macomb's Spring Lake, so federal money is paying to develop a management plan for the watershed. Duane Mansir of the Soil Conservation Service says an EPA study revealed too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the water. He says the goal will be to convince landowners to change the way they use their property. He says this might include fertilizer management plans or the development of more grassland or wildlife habitat. He says the goal is to prevent the nutrients from washing off the land into the lake. Mansir says a watershed plan adopted in the early 1980s brought in $800,000 in grants which were used mainly for conservation structures. He says having the plan will allow farmers to have 60 percent or more government funding for new practices to help retain nutrients on the land.
Watershed to get New Management Plan
