Stokes one of four counties applying for river grant

It wants land-management practices put in use to reduce silt in Dan

(Winston-Salem Journal) - Stokes County Soil and Water Conservation District officials are leading a four-county effort to improve water quality in the Dan River.

They say the river is one of Stokes County’s most valuable natural resources and are making plans to keep it that way.

Along with Rockingham, Caswell and Person counties, Stokes will apply for a grant of $385,000 or more for implementing land-management practices aimed at reducing the amount of silt getting into streams feeding the river, said Tom Smith, a district watershed conservationist.

To reduce erosion, water-conservation officials want to help landowners plant grass and trees, put up fences to keep livestock out of streams, and plant field crops in strips with grass buffers in between, Smith said.

The county will know if it will get the money by early next year.

The water conservation district would pay for 75 percent of project costs, and landowners would be responsible for the rest, Smith said.