On a clear day in Adams County, Washington, you can see the 14,410-foot volcano Mt. Rainier 150 miles in the distance. But when strong winds blow, it may be difficult to see even 150 feet. Adams and surrounding counties in the Columbia Basin have finely-textured soils containing volcanic ash deposited over centuries. Soils with fine particles, smaller than 10 microns, are called PM-10 soils. They create a health hazard if they become airborne. For this reason, land with a high concentration of PM-10 soils was included in a conservation priority area under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in Washington in 1997. Since then, farmers in the Columbia Basin like Mike Schrag and Steve Becker have reduced wind erosion -- and health hazards -- by enrolling their most fragile soils in CRP.

Mike Schrag farms land northeast and west of Ritzville in Adams County. Much of his CRP land lies west of Ritzville in a dry, semi-desert. On average, the area receives seven inches of annual precipitation. Schrag has 1,543 acres enrolled in CRP.

Schrag enrolled a limited number of acres in CRP in the first or second sign-up. It was marginal land which had difficulty producing enough of a crop to leave much wheat stubble. The soil had a tendency to blow due to the combination of fragile soils, little residue, wheat-fallow rotation, and strong Columbia Basin winds. Some of that acreage was within a couple of miles of major roads, and blowing soil created a hazard for motorists. As Schrag realized he could target input costs to his more productive ground, he enrolled more marginal ground in CRP.

"Some of this ground probably should never have been broken out," Schrag said. "I'm putting this land back the way it should have been." It was broken out of grass and put into grain production about 100 years earlier, when it took more acres to produce the same amount of wheat than can be produced on just a few acres today.

Schrag noted that dust storms used to be quite common in Adams County. Due to the prevailing winds, those dust storms affected the air quality in the urban area of neighboring Spokane County. Since CRP, the Adams County farmer has noticed less blowing dust and decreased soil erosion from water in the draws of fields. Wildlife abundance, however, has increased.

Like many farmers in the Columbia Basin, in the 1990's Schrag replaced early stands of crested wheatgrass on half the acreage in his CRP fields with grasses and shrubs preferred by local wildlife. The new vegetative cover "was more difficult and expensive to put in," he said. "I hope to be able to keep it in." He has noticed more deer and elk in the county. The local newspaper even reported a moose in Ritzville. "I've lived here all my life and didn't see wildlife like we have now," said Schrag.

"Economic, environmental, and wildlife issues are three CRP covers very well," Schrag said. In addition to reducing erosion and increasing wildlife, the program benefits farmers economically. "The program is certainly helping some producers stay in business," said Schrag. "My average dollar return per acre has gone up. Now I can put more fertilizer and inputs on my more productive ground." He noted that although Adams County has reached the maximum acreage cap of 25 percent for the county, it doesn't mean that farmers are using 25 percent less inputs. Those inputs are being used on the productive ground.

For Steve Becker, who farms northwest of Ritzville in Adams County, blowing soil was a major factor in his decision to enroll land in CRP. "If I had to choose one reason that would be it," said Becker, whose CRP ground lies all in the PM-10 conservation priority area. Becker began enrolling his poorest soils in CRP in 1998 and reenrolled some land that he bought. He has approximately 1,056 acres currently enrolled in CRP.

Becker, who still farms his more productive land, said the CRP is letting the poorer soil rest. "We need to save the soil for other generations behind us," said the farmer who noted that his grandsons are growing up. He also extolled the benefits of cleaner air. "Not breathing ash is helping," said Becker.

Like Schrag, Becker has CRP that borders roads in Adams County. He said that CRP vegetative covers next to roads result in less snow drifting in the winter. Also, by holding the snow, the cover retains moisture better than crop fields.

Also like Schrag, Becker has planted native grasses on his CRP acres. He has planted wildlife food plots and installed guzzlers, structures which capture and store rainfall for wildlife drinking. He has seen an increase in the pheasant population and deer which weren't in the area before the CRP.

Farmers in Adams County aren't the only people who have noticed the environmental benefits of CRP. Dave Lauer is the Director of the Benton Clean Air Authority in Benton County, also part of the Columbia Basin. He has seen less air quality events due to wind since the 1980's and early 90's.

"I definitely think CRP has had an impact, although you can't untangle it from all the other variables," said Lauer. "There is no question that areas with permanent vegetation are more stable during wind blown events. I know this much: if we took it (CRP) all out, we would have real problems" in the Columbia Basin.

Ash in Columbia Basin fields shortly after the 1980 eruption of Mt. Saint Helens

Pea field in Grant County, Washington, is covered with ash following eruption of Mt. Saint Helens.

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