The following article appeared in the Winter 2009 Piedmont View.

New incentives for farmers to create riparian buffers will help restore water quality in the Hazel, Rush & Thornton Rivers.

New incentives make it free for farmers to fence livestock away from streams-helping to restore water quality in the Hazel, Hughes, Rush and Thornton Rivers.

Mike Beniek, who raises cattle, chickens, pigs, turkeys and vegetables at Belle Meade Farm in Rappahannock-which also features a bed and breakfast and a farm school-says that the main reason he decided to fence his livestock away from the farm's four streams is that it's the "right thing to do."

"It protects the water," he says. "It keeps your soil from eroding. And I think it helps build a higher water table."

What's good for the water is good for the livestock. Now, instead of lapping at the streams where they're standing (and defecating), the cattle at Belle Meade Farm drink clean, cool well water from fountains installed in their pastures. Studies have shown that providing an alternative water source for livestock increases weight gain and keeps the animals healthier.

All the same, the costs of installing fences along waterways and constructing alternative water sources can present a major obstacle for farmers-even with government cost-share programs to cover part of the expense. So, PEC is working with conservation partners to provide additional incentives that make livestock exclusion fencing cost-free for farmers in the Upper Hazel River watershed in Rappahannock, Culpeper and Madison. The new incentives add to government cost-share funding for agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) in order to cover 100% of the costs of the fencing.

The Krebser Fund for Rappahannock County Conservation, which is affiliated with PEC, initiated this unique public-private partnership by offering the added incentives to farmers within the Upper Hazel River watershed in Rappahannock. Then, PEC obtained grant funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Federation to expand the incentives to the whole watershed, including parts of Madison and Culpeper Counties.

The Upper Hazel River watershed includes the Hazel, Hughes, Rush and Thornton Rivers and their tributary streams as they flow out of the mountains of Shenandoah National Park toward the Rappahannock River and the Chesapeake Bay.

Many of the tributaries of this watershed are currently listed as "impaired" by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality because of bacterial contamination in a number of stream segments. The primary goal of the new incentives is to restore water quality so that these streams and rivers run clean again and can be removed from the impaired waters list.

Don Loock, PEC's Land Conservation Officer for Rappahannock County, says, "With the Upper Hazel watershed, restoring excellent water quality is an achievable goal since these headwater streams originate right here in the mountains of Rappahannock and Madison County where they're not exposed to very much pollution from urban or suburban runoff. The bacteria loads found in these streams are primarily from failing or improper septic systems and from farm animals. Through cost-share programs for homeowners, we have seen improvements of septic systems in the watershed but to reach water quality goals we also need to provide ample assistance to farmers who want to create riparian corridors."

Cleaner rivers directly benefit local residents who play, swim and fish in them. The benefits also flow downstream, as cleaner water enters the Rappahannock River-a Virginia Scenic River, a source of drinking water for the City of Fredericksburg, and a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.

Modeling based on estimated participation in the first two years of the increased incentives shows that the resulting riparian buffers would prevent the following amounts of pollution from entering the Cheasapeake Bay watershed each year: 4,458 pounds of nitrogen, 616 pounds of phosphorus and 198,000 pounds of sediment.

Cleaner rivers within corridors of trees and shrubs are also a boon for wildlife. For example, bald eagles thrive in woody riparian habitats. Native brook trout, a favorite of anglers, need cool water to survive and will benefit from increased shade over streams and less body heat from wading livestock.

There are also considerable practical benefits for farms that install the fencing. A recent study by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation entitled "Streamside Livestock Exclusion: a tool for increasing farm income and improving water quality" states: "Potential benefits from livestock ingesting greater quantities of cleaner water include increased milk and butterfat production and increased weight gain." Other economic benefits to farmers come from reduced incidents of livestock diseases and improved public image.

Still, from a farmer's perspective, riparian fencing involves some give and take. Mr. Beniek, who enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) in conjunction with donating a conservation easement on his 138-acre farm, saw some concrete advantages to putting in the fences. On the one hand, the sturdy permanent fences make it easier for him to set up temporary paddocks for his cattle, which move every day as part of the farm's rotational grazing system. Also, he can supply water to pastures where there formerly was none; the water is cleaner; and the supply is more secure, less likely to dry up in drought conditions. On the other hand, he converted over a dozen acres of good farmland to wildlife habitat and he took on responsibility to manage a complicated new project.

The new incentives through PEC and the Krebser Fund aim to tip the balance, giving riparian fencing a clear advantage for farmers who are weighing the costs and benefits.

To qualify for the additional incentives, farmers must be enrolled in an active government conservation program. The additional incentives consist of $0.50 per foot of fencing with an additional $0.10 per foot available to participants who are enrolling in a conservation program in for the first time. The Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District, which administers these programs locally, is a major partner on this project, providing technical assistance and authorizing the reimbursements. Another major partner, Rappahannock County, will serve as the fund custodian. PEC will be conducting an outreach campaign to encourage participation.

Nicholas Lapham, the chair of the Krebser Fund, who is also the owner of Sunnyside Farm in Washington, Virginia, says, "This funding aims to remove the financial burden for any farmer wishing to establish riparian buffers along key waterways. While cleaning the Upper Hazel watershed must be a priority, so too must be maintaining agriculture as part of our economy and heritage. This program aims to serve both goals."

Read more articles from the Winter 2009 Piedmont View.