Local farmers are getting a new conservation tool as Iowa expands a major water quality program statewide.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig has announced that the Streamside Buffer Pilot Project is now open to farmers and landowners in all 22 counties that make up the Greater Des Moines Watershed. The expansion is part of the state’s broader watershed program aimed at accelerating conservation practices upstream from the Des Moines metro. It’s funded through the Farm to Faucet water quality package signed into law June 1.
The Streamside Buffer Pilot launched in August of last year to help farmers establish perennial vegetation along streams, rivers, creeks and drainage ditches. Those buffers filter nutrients before they reach waterways, reduce soil erosion, improve wildlife habitat and work alongside other conservation tools like bioreactors and saturated buffers. In many cases, the buffers can also be harvested for forage, offering an added benefit for livestock producers.
The pilot originally focused on the North Raccoon, Boone, Middle Cedar and Turkey River watersheds, along with all of Dubuque County. With this expansion, farmers and landowners in counties including Audubon, Boone, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Carroll, Clay, Dallas, Dickinson, Emmet, Greene, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Polk, Sac, Webster, Winnebago and Wright are now eligible.
Under the program, buffers must be between 30 and 100 feet wide on at least one side of a stream and must be maintained for at least 10 years. Payments are available only for new buffers established on land currently in row‑crop production. Harvested buffers qualify for a one‑time payment of $1,750 per acre, while non‑harvested buffers receive $3,500 per acre.
Naig says the expansion reflects a “working lands” approach to conservation — one that keeps soil and nutrients on the land while improving water quality downstream. He notes that layering streamside buffers with practices like bioreactors and saturated buffers can significantly reduce nitrates before runoff reaches a stream.
The Greater Des Moines Watershed Program is designed to address water quality from “field to faucet,” pairing upstream conservation work with downstream investments in water treatment and wastewater infrastructure.
Farmers and landowners interested in enrolling or learning more can visit CleanWaterIowa.org or contact their local USDA Service Center.
