IOWA WATER QUALITY INITIATIVE

Moving From Strategy to Implementation

Iowa Pork Congress

January 23, 2014

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Nutrient Reduction Strategy Overview• Strategy Development:

– Lead by IDALS, IDNR, and ISU– Integration of Non-point and Point sources. – Improve & protect Iowa’s waters with respect to nutrient

impacts– Reduce Iowa’s nitrogen & phosphorus loads to Iowa waters

and the Gulf of Mexico by at least 45% (Gulf Hypoxia Task Force)

– Based on evidence of practice performance to prevent and/or remove significant levels of nutrients from Iowa waters.

• The strategy is a dynamic document that will change over time as new information, data and science is discovered and adopted

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Non-Point Source Overview• Nutrient impairment is not mainly due to

mismanagement of fertilizers and manures, but more to historic changes in land use and hydrology

• Pair the best “in-field” and “off-field” practices together for cumulative effect

• Advance environmental stewardship while maintaining agricultural productivity

• Seek acceleration of existing conservation programs & development of new technology and market driven approaches

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Nitrogen Practices Phosphorus Practices

Nitrogen moves primarily as nitrate-N with water

Phosphorus moves primarily with eroded soil

Strategy Implementation• FY14 IDALS Budget Request to:

– Begin implementation efforts to support Strategy– Outreach Activities– Practice Adoption/Watershed Projects– Tracking/Accountability

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Statewide Outreach/Education Campaign

• Outreach– Iowa Power Farming Show

• Cover Crop Symposium-January 28th-30th – Agribusiness Showcase Feb. 11th-12th – Multiple SWCD and other organizations providing localized

field days to increase awareness and spread adoption.

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Statewide Outreach/Education Campaign– http://www.CleanWaterIowa.org

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Water Quality Initiative

• SF435 Appropriations– $2.4M for Water Quality Initiative in FY14, $4.4M FY15– $1.5M to Establish Nutrient Research Center at ISU

• HF648 Appropriations– $10.0M for Water Quality Initiative– $7.0M additional C/S– $3.0M for WIRB, 50% designated to special projects

supporting Water Quality Initiative

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Water Quality Initiative• Begin implementation efforts to support Strategy• Statewide Practice Adoption

– 50% Cost-Share basis on subset of practices– Targeted to farmers that had not implemented these practices

before– All 100 SWCDs participated across Iowa– Over 1,200 applications for nearly 120,000 acres of cropland

• Provide necessary tools for applicants to be successful– Provide contact with experienced cover crop users– Encourage local SWCDs and other groups to take leadership role

in NRS & WQI and associated practices

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Statewide Funding for Water Quality Initiative Practices

No-Till Strip-Till

Cover Crops Nitrification Inhibitor11

Watershed Demonstration Project• Targeted to Priority Watersheds to Provide:

• Demonstration of practices and technologies outlined in science assessment

• Strong outreach/education components to disseminate information on these practices to promote increased awareness and adoption of available practices and technologies for achieving reductions in nutrient loads to surface waters

• Local/regional hubs for demonstrating practices and providing practice information to farmers, landowners, farm managers, peer networks, etc…

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Water Quality Initiative• Watershed Demonstration Projects

– 17 project applications received– 8 projects selected

• $4.16M total award with additional $8M+ in partner and landowner match.

• Strong commitment among a number of partners and stakeholders coordinating a common goal to increase adoption of practices highlighted in the Strategy

• Integrated the uniqueness of the project watershed and focused on the practices necessary to address nutrient loss in the project area.

– Anticipate second RFA early in 201414

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West Branch of the Floyd River Water Quality Initiative

• Identified importance and significance of livestock industry in the watershed

• Organized a comprehensive group of stakeholders that represent crop and livestock interests to help direct project activities.

• Focused on demonstration of practices that fit could fit these operations– Example Demonstrations:

• Application of liquid manure with low disturbance knives• Incorporating cover crops with manure application• Use of N inhibitors and nutrient managers• Edge of field practices-bioreactors & buffers

Strategy Implementation• Tracking/Accountability

– Develop new and expanded frameworks to track progress, beyond ambient water quality monitoring

– Public/private template for gathering better baseline data and tracking load reductions resulting from conservation practice adoption

– Track aggregate practice adoption levels– Report calculated/modeled load reductions from

practice adoption

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Goal – Iowa Leader

“As Iowa is a national and global leader in the production of food and renewable fuels, a goal of this strategy is to make Iowa an equal national and global leader in addressing the environmental and conservation needs associated with food and renewable fuels production.”

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Additional Information

Iowa Nutrient Strategywww.nutrientstrategy.iastate.edu

Clean Water Iowawww.cleanwateriowa.org

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Contact:

Matt Lechtenberg

Water Quality Initiative Coordinator

(515) 281-3857

Matthew.lechtenberg@iowaagriculture.gov