Central Iowa Water Quality
Infrastructure Project
The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy identified conservation drainage as one of the most cost-effective and efficient nitrate-reducing practices. A Central Iowa partnership is paving the way for scaled-up implementation of these practices in priority watersheds. The Central Iowa Water Quality Infrastructure Project formed through strong collaboration between:
Polk Soil and Water Conservation District
Polk County
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Services
Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition
The project creates a new framework to streamline and scale up adoption of saturated buffers and bioreactors by simplifying the financing and construction processes for landowners. It is a systematic approach to modernize agricultural drainage systems to provide water quality benefits while balancing crop production needs. The saturated buffers and bioreactors are designed to treat drainage and surface water runoff before it reaches a stream or waterway to improve water quality.
The first phase of the pilot demonstration program exceeded expectations. Fifty-one edge-of-field practices are scheduled for installation in Polk and Dallas Counties, outpacing the original goal. The project has grown in capacity and is expected to include additional counties, landowners and partners moving forward.
A Targeted, Systematic Approach
Building edge-of-field infrastructure requires a different approach than traditional in-field conservation practice delivery. The Central Iowa Water Quality Infrastructure Project leadership team utilized a systematic approach to develop a vision and framework that gives the project the highest likelihood of success.
That framework included the following key elements:
Using sophisticated mapping tools that take into account topography, stream bank height, and soil types to identify project sites that will have the greatest impact on water quality.
Directly reaching out to farmers and landowners living along Fourmile, Mud, Camp, Spring and Walnut Creeks to encourage them to get involved.
Creating a simplified funding structure and a temporary construction easement payment, making it easy for landowners to participate in the program.
Streamlining the processes of surveying, designing and installing the sites to get practices on the ground faster.
Identifying multiple edge-of-field practice sites in one county to make it easier and more attractive for contractors to bid on the project, reducing the overall project costs.
Traditional conservation programs utilize a cost-sharing model that requires landowners to navigate programs, enroll, hire and pay contractors, and apply for reimbursement. While this model has proved successful for individual landowners, it has been difficult to apply to large-scale edge-of-field projects.
The Central Iowa Water Quality Infrastructure Project developed a fiscal agent model to efficiently scale up the implementation of practices throughout the watershed. Through this new model, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Polk County shared the construction costs. Polk County managed funding and hired contractors in partnership with landowners through a temporary construction easement process. This easement allowed a publicly hired contractor to access private lands and ensure the landowners and funding agencies’ expectations are met. The easement payment incentivized landowner participation and generated interest in the project.
Funding Partners
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Polk County
USDA-NRCS
City of Des Moines
Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition
Polk Soil and Water Conservation District
The Central Iowa Water Quality Infrastructure Project is designed to be replicated by other communities in the state’s priority watersheds. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and its conservation partners encourage interested farmers and landowners to get involved.
If you would like to receive more information on how to scale up conservation drainage, email us at cleanwater@iowaagriculture.gov or fill out the form below.
