Central Iowa Water Quality Project Breaks Ground on First Bioreactor Site

Construction underway on 51 water quality practices to benefit the Des Moines and Raccoon River Watersheds

DES MOINES, Iowa (June 30, 2021) – Today’s Clean Water Wednesday is celebrating the groundbreaking of the first of 11 bioreactor sites that will be built as part of the Central Iowa Water Quality project. The stop is hosted by Hands on Excavating, the contractor hired by Polk County to build 51 water quality practices, including 40 saturated buffers and 11 bioreactors, in Polk and Dallas counties to benefit the Des Moines and Raccoon River watersheds.

Public-private partnerships are an important component to many conservation projects across the state but this one is unique because of how many federal, state, county and local governments are collaborating. The groups are using a streamlined approach to working with landowners and contractors to get a large number of edge-of-field practices on the ground faster than using the traditional approach. Instead of working on one site at a time, the Polk County Board of Supervisors has hired one contractor, Hands on Excavating, to build dozens of bioreactors and saturated buffers on multiple farms.

“This project creates a model that allows us to speed up the pace at which we’re adding more soil health and water quality practices. These practices directly benefit the residents of Polk and Dallas Counties and our neighbors downstream,” said Secretary Naig. “Thank you to all of our partners on this project, especially the landowners that agreed to participate, and Hands on Excavating, the company that is putting the practices on the ground.”

“This bioreactor is the first of 11 that will be built through this collaborative project,” explained Jacob Handsacker, owner of Hands on Excavating. “We are halfway to completion of this effort which will serve as the groundwork for many more water quality processes in the future.”

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Polk County Board of Supervisors are covering the construction costs of the project. The Department, Polk County Board of Supervisors and many other partners are providing ongoing technical support.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provided engineering and design support for the project. The Polk and Dallas Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition and Hands on Excavating are providing construction, technical and project management support.

Phase one of the project began in mid-June and is scheduled to take about a year to complete. Phase two is expected to include additional partners and 150 more sites in Polk, Dallas and Story counties.

For more information on the Central Iowa Water Quality Project, visit www.cleanwateriowa.org/centraliowaproject.

About the Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here Campaign

The campaign, created by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Soybean Association and Newsradio 1040 WHO, aims to raise awareness about the conservation work underway all across Iowa. It also highlights opportunities for both rural and urban residents to use soil health and water quality best practices, and play an active role in conservation projects happening in their communities.

During the Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here campaign, The Big Show will visit locations throughout the state showcasing the people and practices that are having a positive and measurable impact on water quality. The conversations with farmers, landowners, agribusinesses and community leaders will be broadcast on Wednesdays during The Big Show airing from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. on WHO and 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. on WMT.

The Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here campaign is a collaborative effort between a dozen public and private partners, including Agri-Drain, Hagie Manufacturing, Hands on Excavating, Heartland Co-op, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Montag Manufacturing, Practical Farmers of Iowa, The Nature Conservancy and TruTerra. 

The Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here campaign began in August 2020 and highlighted 16 conservation projects throughout the harvest season. For more information about the campaign, upcoming stops, and rural and urban soil health and water quality practices, visit CleanWaterIowa.org/CleanWaterStartsHere. For assistance implementing conservation practices or to get involved in a community-based project, visit a nearby USDA Service Center or Soil and Water Conservation District office.