Iowa Water Quality Initiative, Moving From Strategy to Implementation - Matt Lechtenberg, from the 2014 Iowa Pork Congress, January 22-23, Des Moines, IA, USA. More presentations at http://www.swinecast.com/2014-iowa-pork-congress

1. IOWA WATER QUALITY INITIATIVE
Moving From Strategy to Implementation
Iowa Pork Congress
January 23, 2014
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2. 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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3. 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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4. Nitrogen Practices
Nitrogen moves primarily as nitrate-N
with water
Phosphorus Practices
Phosphorus moves primarily with
eroded soil
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5. 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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6. 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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7. Statewide Outreach/Education Campaign
– http://www.CleanWaterIowa.org
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8. 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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9. 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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10. Statewide Funding for
Water Quality Initiative Practices
No-Till
Strip-Till
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Cover Crops
Nitrification Inhibitor

11. 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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13. 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 2014
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14. 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
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15. 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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16. 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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17. Additional Information
Iowa Nutrient Strategy
www.nutrientstrategy.iastate.edu
Clean Water Iowa
www.cleanwateriowa.org
Contact:
Matt Lechtenberg
Water Quality Initiative Coordinator
(515) 281-3857
Matthew.lechtenberg@iowaagriculture.gov
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