CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (CREP)

What is CREP?
In 1998, the largest, private-lands conservation effort in the state began on the Minnesota River. The purpose of the effort was to improve the river’s water quality and restore wildlife habitat. In just four years, more than 100,000 acres were secured into permanent conservation easements through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

The Minnesota River CREP combines the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) with the state’s Reinvest in Minnesota Reserve Program (RIM) to set aside environmentally sensitive land in the 37-county Minnesota River Basin. Targeted acres included frequently flooded cropland in the Minnesota River Valley and its principal tributaries, riparian buffers along cropland identified as major pollution sources, and wetlands that could be restored to provide water quality and wildlife benefits. In addition, CREP improved the producers’ bottom lines by paying competitive rates for marginal cropland. CREP officially ended in the Minnesota River Basin in September 2002.

CREP in the Little Cottonwood River Watershed
CREP was a popular option for Little Cottonwood River Watershed residents with marginal cropland—especially for those acres that experienced frequent flooding. Landowners enrolled more than 2,300 acres of marginal cropland, with the majority of the acres located in the 100-year floodplain of the river, along ditches, and in wetlands. In exchange, the landowners received $1,900 to $2,900 an acre.

Promotion of CREP by watershed staff began in January 2001. Landowners with eligible land received proposals that included aerial photos of the proposed easements and quotes for the dollars they would receive in exchange for enrolling the land. Many landowners also received follow-up phone calls and/or on-site visits to answer questions about the program.

Prior to promotion of CREP, the Little Cottonwood Watershed had 11 easements and slightly more than 381 enrolled acres. Between the time when promotion of the program began in the Little Cottonwood River Watershed and when the program ended in the Minnesota River Basin, 200 landowners had been contacted and supplied with proposals and/or aerial photos. Thirty-five easements had been signed, and 1,556 acres had been enrolled, bringing the watershed total to 1,937 acres, exceeding the original goal of 1,500 acres. More than 80 percent of the easements are located on marginal farmland within the active floodplain of the Little Cottonwood River.

Watershed staff installed CREP signs on some of the easements in the watershed, identifying the areas as CREP land and private property. Additional signs will be installed on request of participating landowners.

CREP proved to be the single most effective tool available to deal with flooding, habitat loss, and water pollution problems in the watershed.