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USDA updates board on TIG-funded nutrient-reduction projects in Louisiana
Summary
USDA updated CPA on four TIG-funded nutrient-reduction projects — two dairy projects, grazing/agriculture conservation work and a winter-water project in rice/crawfish areas — and said monitoring shows reductions in suspended solids and phosphorus at project sites.
A USDA representative updated the board on four restoration-investment (TIG) projects intended to reduce nutrient runoff in priority watersheds across Louisiana.
John Morgan, representing USDA's restoration and watershed programs, said two dairy-focused projects in St. Helena and Washington parishes are actively enrolling producers and include water-quality monitoring at multiple stations. USDA projects are voluntary and rely on NRCS conservation practices; the agency said it can provide up to 100% cost-share for eligible on‑farm practices under the TIG funds.
Other projects include grazing-and-conservation practices ("Bolts" project) and a winter-water program in southwest parishes aimed at rice and crawfish operations that incentivizes leaving water on fields through February to improve habitat and reduce nutrient transport. Morgan said monitoring at several sites shows measurable reductions in suspended solids and phosphate concentrations where water-management practices were implemented.
Funding and expansion: Morgan said the dairy projects initially received about $1.5 million each and USDA is seeking an additional $2 million to expand watershed coverage; the winter-water project is funded at roughly $4.2 million after an augmentation. USDA and partners (including Ducks Unlimited and state soil‑water districts) are pursuing further monitoring and potential expansion under the next restoration plan.
Why it matters: the projects aim to reduce nutrient delivery to coastal waters that contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and to provide on-the-ground conservation support to producers using voluntary, cost-shared measures.
