Category: Clean Water

By Posted on Posted in Clean Water

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today encouraged eligible groups to apply for grants to support projects that will improve water quality in the state.  Approximately $1 million is available through the Watershed Improvement Review Board to support qualifying projects.

Funds are available to local watershed improvement committees, soil and water conservation districts, public water supply utilities, county conservation boards, cities and counties.… Read more ›

By Posted on Posted in Clean Water, Flood Mitigation

The City of Monona, a member of the Turkey River Watershed Management Authority, has been approved to move forward with a project to redirect storm water runoff associated with the Monona City Aquatic Center. The funding was secured through a new program related to Iowa’s State Revolving Fund (SRF).  Monona applied to SRF in July of 2013 and received final approval in October. … Read more ›

By Posted on Posted in Clean Water, Flood Mitigation, Watershed Management Authority

Innovative research on northeast Iowa’s Turkey River may herald a breakthrough in state efforts to mitigate future flood damage.

“This really is the first time that hydro modeling has been done in advance of project implementation to get the highest value for the investment,” said Larry Weber, director of IIHR — Hydroscience & Engineering, the parent organization of the Iowa Flood Center.… Read more ›

By Posted on Posted in Clean Water, Watershed Management Authority

A brand new program, the “Water Resource Restoration Sponsored Projects” will help cities, watershed organizations, landowners and others address local water quality problems.  A total of $15 million will be available per year for watershed protection practices such as stream buffers, wetland restoration and green infrastructure.

The Iowa General Assembly initiated the effort in 2009 when lawmakers authorized a new funding mechanism. … Read more ›

By Posted on Posted in Clean Water, Fishing
Dave Vetrano, retired Wisconsin DNR fisheries biologist, has more than 32 years of cold water stream management in the Driftless Region. His presentation, given to our neighbors, the Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota (BALMM), gives a short history of land use changes in the Driftless Area since the time of European settlement, and then discusses the effect those changes have had on the coldwater streams.
“In well managed grazing systems, soil erosion, manure, pesticide and herbicide runoff is reduced to almost zero.”

By Posted on Posted in Clean Water, Water Sampling

In the December Issue of Clean Water Starts With Us, read about beginning farmers and sustainability, a new study on how farmers make conservation decisions, new outreach tools available, working with schools on conservation practices, and more. View the December issue here (PDF) or past issues here.

Clean Water Starts With Us is a quarterly electronic newsletter from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – Division of Soil Conservation (DSC) and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).… Read more ›