It takes both soil and water to grow any crop. Therefore the conservation of soil and water is of utmost importance.

The conservation of soil includes the use of Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as fieldstrips, buffers, waterways, terraces, and tillage practices; as well as many others. The goal is to prevent soil erosion from occurring in crops and fields. When erosion occurs, runoff water carries the soil into local streams and water supplies.

This has a direct effect on water conservation and quality. When cropland soils erode into nearby streams and water supplies, the soil is taking nutrients with it. Sometimes these nutrients may be good for plants, but not good for water quality. These nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and pesticides, are actually polluting the water supply, potentially harming local wildlife as well as humans.

Kansas State University Contact:

Dan Devlin, Professor and Extension Specialist, Environmental Quality

Kansas State University

2014 Throckmorton

Manhattan, KS 66506

785.532.0393

Incentive Programs:

Water Resources Program - State Conservation Commission (SCC) - State Cost Share

Nonpoint Source Pollution Program (NPS) - State Conservation Commission (SCC) - State Cost Share

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) - United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Water Conservation Planning - Kansas Water Office Programs

Kansas Clean Waters - Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) - Apply for a grant!

Publications:

K-State Research and Extension

Soil and Water Conservation

Maintaining Grass Waterways 

Nutrient and Pesticide Management - Website

Effects of Conservation Practices on Water Quality: Sediment

Streambank Revetment

Establishing Riparian Buffers

Assessing the Effectiveness of Various Riparian Buffer Vegetation Types

Value of Crop Residue

Water Quality Best Management Practices, Effectiveness, and Cost for Reducing Contaminant Losses from Cropland

Considering Strip-Tillage

Terrace Maintenance 

Soil Conservation

Reclaiming Flooded Land with Tillage 

Soil Compaction - Problems and Solutions 

Soil Nutrient Management After the Flood 

Best Management Practices for Phosphorus

Phosphorus Facts— Soil, Plant, and Fertilizer

Effects of Nitrogen Fertilizer On Soil

Water Conservation

Water Quality Protection: Best Management Practices for Cropland

Phosphorus and Water Quality in Kansas

Suspended Solids: A Water Quality Concern for Kansas

Water Conservation in the Home Landscape  

Dollars Down the Drain? Conserving Water in the Home 

Developing New Water Conservation Technologies: An Investment in the Future of Kansas 

Search for other soil and water conservation related extension publications.

Other publications:

Kansas Water Resource Institute (KWRI) - Website

Water Conservation and Use - Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment (KCARE)

Water Conservation and Management in Crop Systems - Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment (KCARE)

Health Education Facts: Water Conservation - Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)

Understanding Grazing Land and Water Quality - Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)

Water Conservation - Kansas Water Office

Water Conservation - Ogallalah Aquifer - State Conservation Commission (SCC)