NRCS Helps Protect City Water Supply    

Haralson County native Bill White has lived on a farm his whole life. “I have spent all of my 77 years on a farm and been involved in farming since I was old enough to milk a cow,” he said. Concentration of livestock around White’s feed barn resulted in erosion and nutrient runoff to an adjacent creek--upstream of the city of Bremen’s water supply reservoir.

Concentrated runoff from the roof of the barn across the bare areas resulted in accelerated erosion. After learning about the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) at a local FSA office, White contacted District Conservationist Sam Sharpe. Sharpe recommended Heavy Use Area Protection to stabilize the traffic areas around the barn.

Roof runoff management was also recommended to collect the flow from the roof and transport it to a stable outlet. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was used to assist the landowner with installation of the conservation practices. “Mr. White...will be a role model for others in this area,” said Carl Brack, Georgia Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor. “Anything worth doing is worth doing right,” said White, the last surviving male in his family.

Both of his brothers were involved in farming. White said he liked the EQIP program because: “It provides funding to farmers that might not otherwise have the funds or incentive to install conservation practices on their own. “We only have one time around on this earth and there is only one world so we can not afford to waste either. As my father said, If you leave it, leave it like you found it.”

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