DES MOINES, Iowa—Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced the funding of eight water quality planning and development and 11 urban conservation water quality projects, in conjunction with Earth Day. These monetary grants are funded through the Iowa Water Quality Initiative (WQI) and support innovative and collaborative community-based projects that help reduce the nutrient levels in Iowa’s water. The funds will be used for community planning, feasibility assessments and the implementation of conservation infrastructure, which are all critical parts of Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS).
“Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to acknowledge the work Iowans are doing to be good stewards of the land. Whether you live in the city or the country, we must all do our part to improve water quality in Iowa and downstream,” said Secretary Naig. “These projects are examples of what we can accomplish when rural and urban citizens and public and private partners all work together to implement conservation practices.”
Water Quality Planning and Development Project Recipients
The following groups will receive water quality planning and development grants: Calhoun County Soil and Water Conservation District, Grundy County Soil and Water Conservation District, Howard County Soil and Water Conservation District, Iowa Nutrient Research and Education Council (INREC), Mahaska County Soil and Water Conservation District, City of Perry, Southfork Watershed Alliance and the Iowa Nature Conservancy (for the Middle Cedar watershed). The first phase of these projects will collectively receive over $618,000 in state funding through the Iowa Water Quality Initiative.
The funding will support assessment, planning, landowner contact, and design assistance at the local level. The projects will set the stage for future investments through local, state and federal sources to install priority practices such as wetlands, bioreactors, cover crops and saturated buffers.
Lake Creek Water Quality Planning & Development Project – Calhoun Soil & Water Conservation District
The conservation practices used in this project will be modeled after the nearby, successful Headwaters of the North Raccoon WQI project. Funding will help support technical assistance and one-on-one landowner contact to assess the viability of Nutrient Reduction Strategy practices.
Scaling-up Capacity for Implementation of Water Quality Wetlands – Iowa Nutrient Research and Education Council (INREC)
INREC will work with local drainage district trustees and engineers in seven counties to plan and design water quality wetland sites. This project will focus on partner and landowner opportunities leading to scaled-up wetland implementation.
Mahaska County South Skunk and Cedar Creek Watershed – Mahaska Soil & Water Conservation District
This project will assess priority watershed areas within Mahaska County for the installation of edge-of-field and other practices that support the Nutrient Reduction Strategy. Project-leaders will engage local farmers and public and private partners to advance the planning and implementation of conservation practices.
Evaluation & Preliminary Design of Stormwater Wetlands – City of Perry
The funding will be used to develop water quality and stormwater management wetlands for the City of Perry. The project will create a model for other communities to build urban water quality projects into adjacent rural watersheds.
Reducing Nutrient Loss in the South Fork Iowa River Watershed – Southfork Watershed Alliance
Led by local farmers, residents and business leaders who have proven experience implementing water quality initiatives, the Alliance will work with watershed farmers and landowners to assess opportunities to adopt edge-of-field conservation practices.
Urban Conservation Water Quality Project Recipients
The following communities will benefit from the urban water quality project funding: Amana Colonies, Ames, Avoca, Clear Lake, Clive, Des Moines, Glenwood, Malvern, Mapleton, Mount Pleasant, Oakland, Ogden, Ottumwa, Pleasant Hill, Red Oak and Sidney. These projects will receive over $900,000 in state funding. The communities will also generate $2 million in matching funds from public and private partnerships.
Urban conservation projects capture storm water and allow it to be better absorbed into the ground. This reduces the property’s contribution to water quality degradation, stream flows and flooding. Partnerships, outreach and education are also key components of urban water quality projects. They raise awareness about water conservation methods and encourage others to adopt permanent infrastructure that reduces the nutrient loads in surface waters.
Practices which may be installed as part of these urban projects include bioretention cells, bioswales, native plantings, permeable pavement, rain gardens, soil quality restoration and wetlands.
Campus Town Water Quality Improvement Project – City of Ames
This project incorporates stormwater quality practices as part of the Campustown Public Improvements program. Permeable pavers and bioretention systems will be installed to capture and treat runoff from the Campustown area just upstream from College Creek and Lake Laverne. The project includes an outreach and education component through Iowa State University and partnerships with community businesses and organizations.
Walnut Creek Stormwater Wetland Project – City of Clive
The City of Clive will be collaborating with the Polk Soil and Water Conservation District, the Nature Conservancy and the Walnut Creek Watershed Management Authority to retrofit an existing dry basin into a stormwater wetland.
Beaver Creek Watershed Improvements – City of Ogden
The City of Ogden will install a stormwater wetland and grassed waterway to treat runoff from an upstream urban area. The project will enhance water quality and aesthetics in the community. This multi-agency project creates a model for other communities in the Beaver Creek Watershed Management Authority.
Hickory Park Detention Basin – City of Pleasant Hill
The City of Pleasant Hill is building Hickory Glen Park, which will include recreational opportunities, outdoor education spaces, habitat restoration and a stormwater management system. A wet detention basin will incorporate an updated outlet structure that manages multiple rainfall events to improve water quality and provide channel protection downstream.
Fourmile Creek Broadway Avenue Stormwater Wetland – Polk County Conservation
This project builds on existing efforts and partnerships within the Fourmile Creek watershed to improve both urban and rural water quality. A stormwater wetland, which will intercept and treat approximately 22 acres, will be installed in a highly visible area along the Fourmile Creek Greenway.
Read more about these projects and conservation success stories at CleanWaterIowa.org.
(contributed press release, IDALS)
