Formation of Firesteel watershed committee aims to advance progress in watershed reducing runoff
Apr. 22—MITCHELL — A committee has formed to tackle the challenges of reducing runoff in a 350,000-acre watershed that drains into Lake Mitchell.
The city's newly formed Firesteel Watershed Committee held its first meeting on Thursday, which saw 20 people join. Among the group were area agriculture producers, officials with the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS), Mitchell residents, city officials and Lake Mitchell enthusiasts.
As the leader of the committee, Public Works Director Joe Schroeder was pleased with how the first meeting went.
"I thought it went well. Ultimately, we want to use all the tools we can to bring more successful projects in the Firesteel watershed," Schroeder said.
While some committees have appointed members, Schroeder said the Firesteel Watershed Committee is open to the public. To be a part of the committee and attend monthly meetings, Schroeder asks anyone interested to contact a city official by phone or email. The city's website, www.cityofmitchellsd.gov, lists Schroeder's email and office phone.
"The first couple meetings we will be fact finding. We'll have Steve Donovan join us at some point to talk about our NAWCA grant in the watershed and NRCS officials," he said.
Considering the runoff from Firesteel Creek significantly contributes to Lake Mitchell's algae woes, city leaders have been shifting their focus to the watershed. The city's goal of building wetlands and seeing more runoff-reducing projects unfold in the massive watershed that stretches northwest from Mitchell to Wessington Springs area is bound by the city forming agreements with landowners and producers in the watershed.
Schroeder said a key goal of the committee is to make projects in the watershed more accessible and user-friendly to the producers and landowners.
"The amount of paperwork that can come with some projects can turn some producers off. We want to help ease that for them," Schroeder said.
Mitchell Mayor Bob Everson, who came up with the idea of forming a committee dedicated to the watershed, has emphasized the importance of forming good relationships and working with landowners in the watershed.
In attendance at Thursday's meeting was Brent Greenway, a major producer who farms crops and raises livestock along the watershed. City officials hope Greenway's agriculture knowledge will educate the committee on the list of programs and runoff-reducing farming practices that have been effective for the family-owned farm he helps operate in Mount Vernon.
"We want to bring in producers who farm along the watershed to help explain some of the programs they use and why they do. It will help everyone, including people who attend the committee meetings and don't have much farming background, learn more about what programs work for them and what programs don't," Schroeder said. "There are a lot of producers out there in the watershed who are doing good things in terms of farming practices."
After learning of the formation of the committee, council member Jeff Smith said it was "another great step in the right direction" for progress in the watershed.
The city's first major watershed project will begin this summer when crews start constructing a 37-acre wetland along a piece of land surrounding Firesteel Creek.
The wetland will be equipped with sediment traps and cattails to filter out the phosphorus and runoff funneling through the creek toward Lake Mitchell.
In addition to the wetland, the city recently acquired 17 acres of land directly west of Lake Mitchell where the creek abuts the lake. Schroeder said the land will set the city up for another big project aimed at reducing runoff working its way down from the watershed.
