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Grassed waterways part of environmental verification
A Michigan farmer says grassed waterways have prevented significant soil erosion on his highly erodible land.
Jay Williams farms 1,500 acres in Hillsdale and Lenawee County, in Southeast Michigan. He tells Brownfield the waterways follow the flow of surface water during rainstorms.
“We install the waterways sometimes with a tile underneath to get some of the water off the surface into a tile so it’s less likely to erode the surface, sometimes without, but we install the grassed waterway to slow down that water and take it down the slope in a controlled fashion so it’s not washing out the soil with it.”
He says filter strips along open ditches also prevent nutrient runoff on his farm. Williams says stewardship has always been an important driver in his farming business and becoming verified with the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program has helped him address risk areas like soil and nutrient runoff in the process.
AUDIO: Interview with Jay Williams (5:31 mp3):
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