The Iowa Nutrient Research Center and the Conservation Learning Group join Iowa Learning Farms on Thursday, January 18th, to discuss Oxbows. Sara McMillan, professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University, and Karen Wilke, Associate Director of Freshwater at the Nature Conservancy, will share how an oxbow formed naturally in Kossuth County and the process to restore it.

Located within an actively used pasture, the restoration process took into consideration factors such as livestock safely accessing the water. Pastured oxbows help improve overall forage production by providing a place for water to collect and reduce flooding within the pasture. Additionally, by providing a water source from the stream, these systems improve water quality through the reduction of direct contributions of bacteria from livestock in the stream and the maintenance of streambanks that help retain sediment and phosphorus.