Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Grant Helps Scale-Up Boone River Water Quality Improvement Project
Additional conservation practices to be added in the Boone River watershed
DES MOINES, Iowa (Feb. 17, 2020) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Wright County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) will receive state funding to expand the water quality improvement projects happening in the Boone River watershed.
The District will receive a grant for $786,267 over the next three years to help implement conservation practices around Eagle and Prairie Creeks.
Since the WQI project began in 2014, farmers and landowners in the Boone River watershed have added 16,000 acres of cover crops, one drainage water management system, one bioreactor, three wetlands and 23 oxbows.
“Improving water quality is one of the most important issues we’re facing today,” said Secretary Naig. “These community-based projects are examples of the impact we can make when public and private partners and landowners work together to put conservation practices on the ground. Over the last three years, these projects have made measurable progress in the effort to improve water quality and soil health. The Department is proud to support their efforts to build on this success.”
This monetary grant is funded through the Iowa Water Quality Initiative (WQI) and supports collaborative, community-based projects in priority watersheds that help reduce the nutrient levels in Iowa’s water. WQI funds may be used to install priority conservation practices like wetlands, bioreactors, cover crops and saturated buffers. These practices are scientifically-proven to reduce nutrient loads and are critical to helping the state achieve the goals outlined in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
Additional State-Funded WQI Projects
In addition to the WQI project happening in the Boone River watershed, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will provide funding to expand ongoing water quality projects in western and eastern Iowa.
- Benton Co. Soil & Water Conservation District will be awarded $803,975 over the next three years to add conservation practices around Hinkle, Mud, Opossum and Wildcat Creeks, parts of the Middle Cedar River watershed. This is an extension of the work already happening around Wolf, Rock and Pratt Creeks.
- Black Hawk Co. Soil & Water Conservation District will receive $1.4 million in state funding over the next three years to expand its water quality improvement projects to include Rock Creek, which is adjacent to Miller Creek. Both creeks are part of the Middle Cedar River watershed.
- Clayton Co. Soil & Water Conservation District will receive $603,500 over the next three years to broaden its water quality improvement projects to include Howard Creek. This increases the scope of the work happening around Upper Roberts and Silver Creeks, portions of the Turkey River watershed.
- Sioux Co. Soil & Water Conservation District will receive $872,700 over the next three years to implement conservation practices to improve the West Branch of the Floyd River.
- Washington Co. Soil & Water Conservation District will receive $779,500 over three years to scale-up its ongoing water quality efforts in the West Fork Crooked Creek to include Long Creek.
- Winneshiek Co. Soil & Water Conservation District will receive $524,751 over the next three years to extend its water quality improvement projects to include Bohemian and Otter Creeks, located in the Turkey River watershed. This is in addition to the work being done around Brockamp, Burr Oak, Rogers and Wonder Creeks.
To learn more about the state’s Water Quality Initiative or read success stories, visit cleanwateriowa.org/water-quality-initiative.
About the Iowa Water Quality Initiative
The Water Quality Initiative (WQI) was established during the 2013 legislative session to help execute Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS). The NRS provides a roadmap to achieve a 45 percent reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus losses to our waters using an integrated approach that includes point and non-point sources working together.
The WQI harnesses the collective ability of both private and public resources and organizations to rally around the NRS and add proven conservation practices to reduce nutrient loss and improve water quality in a scientific, reasonable and cost-effective manner.
The Water Quality Initiative cost-share funds help farmers and landowners install nutrient-reducing conservation practices around the state. The funds can be used to off-set the cost of cover crops, no-till/strip-till or a nitrification inhibitor, which helps improve soil health, reduce erosion and improve water quality.
In 2019, more than 2,900 farmers participated in the program and invested an estimated $10.2 million in funding to match $6.1 million through the state’s WQI cost share fund. Participants included 1,200 farmers using a conservation practice for the first time and more than 1,700 farmers continuing their conservation practices.