Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Secures Additional Funding to Support Water Quality Improvement Efforts

DES MOINES, Iowa (April 16, 2020) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has been selected to receive funding for two conservation projects, totaling $13 million, to help support water quality improvement projects in the state. The funding is part of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

The Department was selected for a $10 million RCPP project to launch the Iowa Systems Approach to Conservation Drainage (ISACD) project in the Des Moines Lobe, which encompasses north-central Iowa. The Department is working with 16 public and private partners on this demonstration project. The groups will work with farmers and landowners to demonstrate the benefits of pairing agronomic production systems with edge-of-field conservation and in-field management practices to improve soil health and water quality.

“I want to thank USDA for its ongoing financial and technical support of the conservation work happening in Iowa,” said Secretary Naig. “There’s tremendous value in federal, public and private partners working with farmers and landowners to test, measure and implement new approaches to conservation. We’re working to deploy the most effective, cost-efficient conservation practices across the state to improve water quality locally and downstream.”

Another $3 million RCPP project will help the Department and its Soil and Water Conservation District partners build upon water quality improvement projects already underway in the Turkey River Watershed in northeast Iowa.

Iowa Systems Approach to Conservation Drainage Project

Subsurface agricultural drainage systems are critical to maintaining the productivity and sustainability of cropland. Current measurement efforts only evaluate drainage productivity and soil conservation benefits, without taking into account agronomic health, soil health or water quality improvements. 

During this five-year demonstration project, the Department and its partners will pair agricultural drainage systems with edge-of-field conservation drainage and in-field management practices in north-central and central Iowa. The goal of the project is to demonstrate the connection between in-field practices that improve agronomic, soil health and nutrient use efficiency, and edge-of-field practices that further improve water quality. The project is expected to reduce nitrogen losses by 1.185 million pounds per year and phosphorous losses by 40,000 pounds per year.

The Department is working with the following partners to execute the ISACD project: PepsiCo, Montag Manufacturing, Inc., ISG, Heartland Co-op, Des Moines Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation Authority, The Nature Conservancy, Hertz Farm Management, Inc., Iowa Drainage District Association, Iowa Corn Growers Association, WHKS & Co., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Iowa Soybean Association, Great Outdoors Foundation, Iowa State University, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA), and Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Turkey River Watershed Project

The RCPP funding from NRCS allocates $3 million to expand the scope of water quality projects underway in the Turkey River watershed. The Department is partnering with the Clayton, Chickasaw, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek County Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development on this project. The project will help increase the number of conservation practices in the region, measure and evaluate the impact of existing practices, and engage more farmers and landowners in the area. When the project is complete, it is expected to reduce nitrogen losses by 394,000 pounds per year and phosphorous losses by 11,660 pounds per year.

The Department also allocated more than $1 million over the next three years from the state’s Water Quality Initiative Fund to help scale-up conservation efforts in the Turkey River watershed. 

Building upon previous success

RCPP projects help support and increase the available funding for state, federal and private partners who are working with farmers and landowners to implement conservation practices to achieve the goals outlined in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. 

The Department has successfully led and partnered on several RCPP projects in the state. One project that’s currently underway is the Midwest Agriculture Water Quality Partnership (MAWQP) project, which is co-led by the Department and the IAWA. The $11 million project aligns 48 partners — including 19 agribusinesses — and $39 million in non-federal matching funds to improve water quality. As a result, the MAWQP has added more acres of cover crops, bioreactors, terraces and wetlands in the region.

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About RCPP

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. By leveraging collective resources and collaborating on common goals, RCPP demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in delivering results for agriculture and conservation. NRCS is investing $206 million in 48 partner-driven conservation projects across 29 states through its Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Partners are making nearly $300 million in contributions. 

About the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

Led by Secretary Mike Naig, the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship serves the rural and urban residents that call Iowa home. Through its 12 diverse bureaus, the Department ensures animal health, food safety and consumer protection. It also promotes conservation efforts to preserve our land for the next generation. Learn more at iowaagriculture.gov.