Wheeler Lake Watershed Conservation Security Program (CSP)

The Wheeler Lake Watershed (HUC 06030002) has been chosen as a CSP priority watershed for 2005. The Wheeler Lake Watershed covers approximately 1,849,728 million acres in northern Alabama and south central Tennessee, with 1,698,700 million acres in Alabama.

The area encompasses portions of eight counties in Alabama: Cullman, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, and Morgan, and four counties in Tennessee: Lawrence, Giles, Lincoln, and Franklin.

The watershed includes more than 536 miles of major rivers and streams. The area is a combination of the Southern Appalachian Ridges and Valleys, Cumberland Plateau and Mountains, Nashville Basin, Highland Rim and Pennyroyal, and Sand Mountain resource areas. 

Major land uses include cotton, pastureland/hayland, corn, soybeans, and forestland. The estimated number of farms is 5,581 with an estimated acres in farms (minus CRP) 794,369.   

General Information

Alabama NRCS County Offices in Wheeler Lake Watershed

• Cullman County, Phone: (256) 734-6471
• Jackson County, Phone: (256) 574-1005
• Lauderdale County, Phone: (256) 764-5833
• Lawrence County, Phone: (256) 974-1174
• Limestone County, Phone: (256) 232-4025
• Madison County, Phone: (256) 532-1692
• Marshall County, Phone: (256) 582-3923
• Morgan County, Phone: (256) 773-6541

Basic CSP eligibility criteria, and how contract payments are made.

These documents require Adobe Acrobat.

Enrollment Categories 2005 (115 KB)
Wheeler Lake Cost List - New Practices (80.5 KB)
Wheeler Lake Cost List - Enhancements (76.5 KB)
Wheeler Lake Stewardship Payments (48.5 KB)

Grazing Management Job Sheet (260 KB)
Nutrient Management Job Sheet (290 KB)
Pest Management Job Sheet (247 KB)
Habitat Management Job Sheet (281 KB)
Irrigation Management Job Sheet (134 KB)
Soil Management Job Sheet (49 KB)
Energy Management Job Sheet 1 – Energy Audits and Recycling (34 KB)
nergy Management Job Sheet 2 – Renewable Fuel (61 KB)
Energy Management Job Sheet 3 – Renewable Energy Generation and Use Reduction (45 KB)
Energy Management Job Sheet 4 – Reduced Tillage Operations (85 KB)
Energy Management Job Sheet 5 – Use of Manure, Legumes, and Alternatives (26 KB)

Biofuel Management Work Sheet  (136 KB)
Energy Audit Guidance Work Sheet (127 KB)

National Pasture Condition Score Sheet (58 KB)
National Pasture Condition Scoring Guide (5.32 MB)

Desirable Grass Species List for Alabama (98 KB)
Wheeler Lake Watershed CSP Eligibility, Qualification, and Application Steps (167 KB)
Wheeler Lake - Do you Farm this Watershed? (fact sheet) (164 KB)

These documents require Microsoft Excel.

Irrigation Enhancement Index Tool (731 KB)
Pasture Scoring Index (16 KB)
Pasture Condition Score Sheet Field Summary (37 KB)
Wildlife Biodiversity Index (105 KB)

Additional maps

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