The state agriculture department is partnering with multiple groups on a water quality improvement project in Central Iowa.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is working with the Boone County Soil and Water Conservation District and other public and private partners to launch a new Water Quality Initiative project in the Beaver Creek Watershed.

The three-year $1.94 million project will add nitrate-reducing conservation practices in Boone, Webster, Greene, Dallas, and Polk counties around Beaver Creek, which flows into the Des Moines River on the north side of the Des Moines metro.

The project began July 1 and will continue through June 30, 2028. It will install saturated buffers, bioreactors, and oxbow restorations to reduce the loss of nutrients into surface water. Saturated buffers and bioreactors filter water from farm fields, capturing nutrients like nitrogen before they reach streams, while oxbow restorations revive wetlands that clean water and support wildlife.

The project will also promote cover crops by connecting producers with the statewide Water Quality Initiative cost-share program as well as other partner resources. Cover crops are an in-field conservation practice that improves soil health, reduces erosion, prevents compaction and provides forage for livestock, among many other benefits.

“Iowans expect progress when it comes to water quality, and that’s exactly what this project helps to deliver. This partnership project is a great example of how we can bring farmers, landowners and public and private partners together to accelerate this important work and be part of the solution,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig stated in a press release. “By partnering with local farmers and landowners and by investing in proven conservation practices like bioreactors, saturated buffers, oxbows, and cover crops, we’re improving water quality in these communities as well as for those downstream, including the Des Moines metro.”

This project builds on previous implementation efforts in this watershed, which included the construction of 20 saturated buffers and bioreactors and 12 oxbow restorations. It continues to prioritize edge-of-field practices, which filter nitrates from runoff before it enters nearby rivers and streams. The project will use the “Batch and Build” model, grouping multiple projects for streamlined construction.

“This project will showcase modern approaches to water quality improvements by applying conservation practices with the help of local landowners and communities,” said Jeremy Gustafson, a farmer from Boone County who serves as the chair of the Boone County Soil and Water Conservation District.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is allocating more than $244,100 to support the project. Additional partners include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Polk County Public Works, the Nature Conservancy as well as new partnerships in the works.

Interested farmers and landowners can visit the Boone County Soil and Water Conservation District office located in the Boone County USDA Service Center or contact project coordinator Justin Grieff at justin.grieff@ia.nacdnet.net.

Image courtesy of Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship