Proceedings available at: http://www.extension.org/67574 Farming in the driftless region of Wisconsin where the steep fields and waterways are all connected to rivers and streams can have signficant risks to water quality. Sediment and nutrient movement into streams, rivers, and lakes in this part of the state has always been an issue, and agriculture has been identified as the largest contributor. This talk is given by a farmer living and farming in one of the most challenging areas of the country.

1. Practices to Increase Infiltration
and Reduce Runoff
Joe Bragger
Livestock Farmer
Buffalo County, WI

2. North Basin
• 416 total acres
• 139 Crop acres
• 234 Forest acres
• 43 grass/pasture
South Basin
• 234 total acres
• 125 forested acres
• 97 grass acres
• 12 crop acres

5. How do I minimize losses?
• There are a number of conservation practices
that I have incorporated into my farming
system
• I believe that all of these practices contributed
to reducing the losses on my farm!

6. How do I minimize losses?
1. I maintain the waterways on our farm and
install them in areas of concentrated flow.

10. How do I minimize losses?
1. I maintain the waterways on our farm and
install them in areas of concentrated flow.
2. I have worked with my county LCD to install
dams that slow runoff.

13. We have installed
a number of dry
dams at the
bottom of
ravines.
They are not
designed to hold
water for long
periods of time.
My father started
installing them.

14. How do I minimize losses?
1. I maintain the waterways on our farm and
install them in areas of concentrated flow.
2. I have worked with my county LCD to install
dams that slow runoff.
3. Implemented a no-till farming system which
works well on my soils.

18. How do I minimize losses?
1. I maintain the waterways on our farm and
install them in areas of concentrated flow.
2. I have worked with my county LCD to install
dams that slow runoff.
3. Implemented a no-till farming system which
works well on my soils.
4. Improved and maintained our streams.

23. How do I minimize losses?
1. I maintain the waterways on our farm and
install them in areas of concentrated flow.
2. I have worked with my county LCD to install
dams that slow runoff.
3. Implemented a no-till farming system which
works well on my soils.
4. Improved and maintained our streams.
5. Plant cover crops.

28. Contributions from non-farmed areas

33. Everyone on this farm works to protect our water