Secretary Naig Expands Streamside Buffer Pilot Project to Include Greater Des Moines Watershed

Secretary Naig Expands Streamside Buffer Pilot Project to Include Greater Des Moines Watershed

Farmers in Dubuque County as well as Middle Cedar and Turkey River watersheds are also eligible

DES MOINES, Iowa (June 30, 2026) - Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced the expansion of the Streamside Buffer Pilot Project to include farmers and landowners living in all 22 counties in the Greater Des Moines Watershed. The expansion is part of the Greater Des Moines Watershed Program, a targeted initiative to accelerate and scale up the use of conservation practices in counties upstream from the Des Moines metro to improve water quality. Funding for the project expansion is provided by the Farm to Faucet water quality package signed into law on June 1.

The Streamside Buffer Pilot Project was launched in August 2025 to help farmers and landowners establish perennial buffers along streams, rivers, creeks, and drainage ditches to reduce nutrient runoff and soil erosion and improve water quality. The pilot initially focused on the North Raccoon, Boone, Middle Cedar and Turkey River watersheds and all of Dubuque County. Through this expansion, farmers and landowners living within the Greater Des Moines watershed are invited to enroll. Those 22 counties include 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. Farmers and landowners in the Middle Cedar and Turkey River watersheds and Dubuque County are still eligible to participate.

Streamside buffers help filter nutrients from runoff before they enter streams and rivers, reduce soil erosion, improve wildlife habitat, and support broader water quality goals. They also complement other conservation practices, including bioreactors and saturated buffers, helping farmers and landowners maximize water quality benefits across the landscape. In many cases, qualifying buffers can also be harvested for forage, creating an additional benefit for livestock producers while helping reduce nutrient losses and improve water quality.

"Clean water is non-negotiable, and improving water quality requires action both upstream and downstream," said Secretary Naig. "Farmers continue to step up by implementing proven conservation practices on their farms, and streamside buffers are another way to keep soil and nutrients on the land and out of our waterways. Layering vegetative streamside buffers with practices like bioreactors and saturated buffers can significantly reduce nitrates in runoff before it reaches the stream, improving water quality while also creating forage opportunities for livestock producers and habitat for wildlife. That's the kind of working lands conservation approach that benefits both agriculture and water quality, and one that we will continue to build on as we scale up conservation efforts across Iowa."

About the Streamside Buffer Pilot

This state-funded cost-share initiative is intended to be more flexible than existing federal cost-share programs to encourage more farmers and landowners to participate.

• Farmers or landowners in the Greater Des Moines Watershed, as well as the Middle Cedar and Turkey watersheds and all of Dubuque County are eligible.
• Enrolled buffers must be between 30 to 100 feet wide (on average) on at least one side of the stream.
• Payments will only be made on new buffers established on land that is currently in row crop production.
• Streamside buffers must be maintained for at least 10 years.
• Harvested buffers will receive a one-time payment of $250 per acre for establishment costs and $1,500 per acre for foregone income (total $1,750 per acre). Non-harvested buffers will receive a one-time payment of $500 per acre for establishment costs and $3,000 per acre for foregone income (total $3,500 per acre).
• Farmers and landowners are encouraged to incorporate complementary conservation practices, like saturated buffers and bioreactors, on streamside buffers, if feasible, for additional water quality benefits.

The Greater Des Moines Watershed Program reflects Iowa's continued commitment to a system-wide approach to improving water quality. While farmers are implementing conservation practices upstream to reduce nutrient losses and improve water quality, the Farm to Faucet legislation also invests in water treatment and wastewater infrastructure downstream. Together, these efforts help address water quality challenges from field to faucet.

Farmers and landowners interested in learning more about the Streamside Buffer Pilot or other conservation opportunities available should visit CleanWaterIowa.org or contact their local USDA Service Center.