2017 Fall Watershed Academy Resources, Presentations and Handouts

Presentations

	Communicating Watershed Data and Information Using Story Maps Jessy Van Horn with the National Lab for Agriculture and the Environment describes how to use ArcGIS Story Maps to tell the story of your watershed. By viewing this presentation, you will be able to: Recall the basic elements needed to make a Story Map Compare the capabilities of using an ArcGIS public vs. organizational account and instructions for uploading files through each option Summarize the different Story Map templates that are available and benefits of each option Use a step-by-step process of how to create a Story Map application to design your own Story Map
	Conservation Sales Catherine DeLong with Conservation Districts of Iowa and Jamie Benning with ISU Extension and Outreach explain how to "sell" conservation. By viewing this presentation, you will be able to: Assess the personality type of the person you are trying to “sell” conservation to in order to be successful Recall tips for positioning your product – be brief, compelling and repeatable Apply how to reframe and message common reasons why farmers say they can’t do conservation
	Evaluating Soil Health Using Tea Bags Stefan Gailans with Practical Farmers of Iowa shares research on using tea bags to measure indicators of soil health. By viewing this presentation, you will be able to: Identify specific methods used to measure soil health (specifically the biology) and drawbacks of each Explain how the tea bag index can measure soil health and how the tea bag index study was set up in 2017 Recall how to obtain supplies for your own on-farm tea bag study and an overview of the procedure you will follow
	Introduction to Conservation Planning - 1 Kevin Kuhn with the Iowa NRCS covers how to become a certified conservation planner. After viewing this presentation, you will be able to: Identify the main conservation planner role designations and what a person is allowed to do in this role Explain what the national certified conservation planner database is Use Ag Learn to view requirements for a planner role designation and view which courses you have already taken Get more information on the Job Approval Authority (JAA) and how the database will be used to identify employee training needs (system update from 2017 to 2019)
	Introduction to Conservation Planning - 2 Mark McCurdy with the Iowa NRCS explains typical resource concerns and applicable conservation practices.
	Maintaining and Increasing Cover Crop Acres in Iowa Sarah Carlson with Practical Farmers of Iowa provides a background on how to maintain and increase cover crop acres in Iowa. By viewing this presentation, you will be able to: Explain in your own works why the Corn Belt is considered a “leaky” system Recall the general goals and focus of Practical Farmers of Iowa Summarize research findings from PFI on-farm research
	New Tools For Watershed Coordinators Laurie Nowatzke with Iowa State University provides new tools and resources for watershed coordinators. After viewing this presentation, you will be able to: Summarize findings of the 2017 online survey for WQI reporting that summarize the total attendees, number of outreach events and number of cover crop acres in WQI watershed project areas Summarize findings from watershed coordinator “call log” reports
	One Water Approach - 1 Roger Wolf with the Iowa Soybean Association introduces the One Water approach to thinking about water quality. By viewing this presentation, you will be able to: Explain what the One Water approach is and what the one water framework is List the four Arenas for Action associated with the One Water approach Recall examples of partnerships within the One Water approach and consider how the One Water approach could be further applied
	One Water Approach - 2 Watershed coordinators Shane Wulf and Lee Gravel share how they have incorporated the One Water message in their watershed.
	Source Water Protection - 1 Catherine DeLong with Conservation Districts of Iowa provides a brief history of source water protection and why it is important. By viewing this presentation, you will be able to: Recall the definition of source water and explain how it applies to conditions in Iowa Describe how communities in Iowa can generally approach nitrate in their source water List specific examples of how communities in Iowa have addressed nitrates in their source water List funding options in Iowa to fund source water protection projects
	Source Water Protection - 2 Chad Fields with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources digs deeper into source water protection in Iowa. In this presentation, you will be able to: Explain the history of source water protection before 1985 and how the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 relates to source water protection Recall how the 1986 Wellhead Protection program and the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act affected source water protection in the state Identify how 1996 amendments to the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act provided funding through the SRF program Describe the more recent history of source water protection in Iowa today and how several communities have advanced through Phase 1 assessments and Phase 2 plans
	Watershed Assessment Tools Showcase - 1 Antonio Arenas Amado with IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa, describes flood modeling for the Iowa Watershed Approach project. After viewing this presentation, you will be able to: Determine how BMP analysis can catalog where conservation practices exist out on the land Describe how the ACPF can model where it is suitable to place different conservation practices Recall new modeling efforts to create community based inundation maps
	Watershed Assessment Tools Showcase - 2 Craig Just with IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iowa, discusses how to use new flood models to identify social vulnerability to flooding for the Iowa Watershed Approach project. From this presentation, you will be able to: Summarize what the IWA Flood Resilience Team seeks to accomplish Describe how interactive flood damage estimates can increase the flood resiliency and social resiliency of communities List the type of products that are being developed to increase flood resiliency and highlight social vulnerability to flood risks
	Watershed Assessment Tools Showcase - 3 Brian Gelder with Iowa State University's Daily Erosion Project describes the data that powers this impressive tool. From this presentation, you will be able to: Recall the data that drives the Daily Erosion Project List the planned updates to the Daily Erosion Project in 2018 Use the general instructions for how to use the Daily Erosion Project website to use the website and generate data
	Watershed Planning 101 Mary Beth Stevenson with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources provides information on the watershed planning process. By viewing this presentation, you will be able to: Explain why having a watershed plan is important List common watershed plan components Summarize what should be considered in the environmental inventory of a watershed plan Describe tools to use to gather data and perform analysis for a watershed assessment Compare a goal versus objective in a watershed plan Recall tips for creating successful action steps, implementation strategies and monitoring plans
	Closing Message Clare Lindahl closes the Fall 2017 Watershed Academy with an uplifting presentation that introduces her new role with The Soil and Water Conservation Society. By viewing this presentation, you will be able to: Recall the SWCS mission and history Summarize SWCS publications and professional development opportunities Describe how SWCS supports the work of watershed coordinators through advocacy