The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has formed a public-private partnership with the Iowa Soybean Association and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to accelerate the implementation of science-based practices proven to protect water quality and improve soil health within the state.
The partnership was announced Wednesday by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. The innovative partnership will work with farmers and landowners in priority watersheds within Iowa to construct practices outlined in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. The project will initially focus on priority watersheds of the North Raccoon and a few other rivers. The goal throughout the initial phase is to install at least 30 multi-purpose oxbows, 21 saturated buffers, and 900 acres of perennial cover.
Conservation professionals will work directly with farmers and landowners to identify prospective locations to construct or implement nutrient-reducing practices. The Department of Ag will contribute approximately 1.4 million dollars toward landowner outreach initiatives and practice development costs over the initial three-year agreement. The Iowa Soybean Association and Fish and Wildlife are contributing over 933 thousand dollars as part of their match. The agreement is in effect through June 30th, 2027.
