Hemp used to improve water quality in Illinois

Hemp is set to play an important role in a major project to improve water quality in the American city of Decatur.

The City of Decatur received a $9,883,117 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its Lake Decatur Water Quality Initiative.

Lake Decatur is a 1,200-hectare reservoir located in the town of Decatur, Illinois. Created in 1920, the lake was built as a water source for the town. Since then, the lake has experienced significant silt problems, requiring costly dredging. Much of this silt comes from farmland in the watershed.

In 2018, the City of Decatur completed a four-year dredging project that increased the lake's storage capacity by 30 %. The cost of this dredging: $91 million.

The hemp, which can be grown at high densities, has a deep root system that helps stabilize soils and reduce the amount of waste washed away by rain.

As part of a pilot project supported by the National Hemp Association (NHA) and Hemp Innovations Foundation (HIF), hemp will be planted in targeted sub-watersheds and plots of land.

«This effort will accelerate the hemp industry in Illinois and demonstrate the positive environmental and economic benefits.», says NHA. «We firmly believe that hemp can become a viable crop in the Midwest and be effectively integrated into an agricultural system largely dominated by corn and soybeans.»

The overall project aims to reduce up to 50 % of the sediment and 20 % of the nitrate nitrogen that flows into Lake Decatur each year. Reducing nitrogen flows into the lake is also very important, as high nitrate levels promote algal blooms, which can deprive aquatic environments of oxygen as the algae die and decompose. Some types of algal blooms are also toxic to humans and other animals.

The Illinois Hemp Growers Association welcomes the approval of the RCPP water quality initiative plans for Lake Decatur.

«The grant for this project provides an opportunity to highlight hemp as a proven ally for farmers and the environment,» said Rachel Berry of the Association.