PHEASANTS, SOIL, AND WATER
            Plain and simple. The habitat that is good for pheasants is good for soil and water. Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District has long considered the Highland Chapter of Pheasants Forever as a significant partner in the district’s goal to improve soil and water quality with conservation practices.
            The residents of Stephenson County and most rural areas of Illinois are dependent on wells for fresh water. Wells are recharged from the surface of the land – some freshwater coming from close by and some coming underground from long distances away. Water quality is affected by what happens on the surface. Some effects come from urban land use (roads, roof, and parking lots). Where agriculture is the predominant land-use, adding necessary chemicals to the land to maintain production and not controlling erosion can affect water quality. Much of the soil in Stephenson County is considered highly erodible and corn and soybeans are the dominant crops.
Pheasants thrive where a habitat of native plants is maintained. The benefits of native plants as a system to cleanse nitrates from the ground is well documented. “Native grasses and wildflowers have complex, deep root systems which capture nutrients from a wide area. The plants not only slow down the flow of water, the complex root system captures such things as nitrates, potassium and phosphorous from surface water running down through the soil, and then uses these fertilizer components for growth. That action keeps the nitrates and other fertilizer components from reaching the wells,” reports Julie Probasco-Sowers in “Water Wells”, Pheasants Forever Fall 2009.
            A Pheasants Forever chapter in partnership with the Iowa Department of Source Water Protection and the Natural Resources Conservation Service has recently planted native grasses and wildflowers on 70 newly acquired acres surrounding city wells in Remsen, Iowa (northeast of Sioux City) in order to protect the well against rising levels of nitrates.
Remsen Utilities Director Steve Pick is quoted in the Audubon article: “We came to the conclusion that the best way to protect the well field was to purchase the land and then control that area with habitat.” The necessary groundwater studies, land acquisition, and continuing maintenance are far less costly than a nitrate removal system and subsequent maintenance. Hunting is not allowed because of the proximity to the city.
            Each well, community or private, is affected by the land-use around it a little differently depending on the soil type, landscape, and hydrology around it. Nevertheless we all can appreciate the soil and water benefits from the planting of native grasses and wildflowers – good pheasant habitat.
            The staff at Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District (815.233.4488 ext 3) can get you more information about the Highland Chapter of Pheasants Forever active in Stephenson County and northwest Illinois.

Della Moen, Earth Team Volunteer, NRCS/Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District, an equal opportunity provider and employer, 09/09/09 for publication on 09/19/09 in the Journal Standard, Freeport, Illinois) Della can be reached at info@stephensonswcd.org