The Iowa Department of Agriculture has awarded more than $450,000 in cost share funding to nine conservation districts for water quality improvement projects.
The Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Districts will use the funding, announced Tuesday, Aug. 5, to help private landowners implement practices like planting cover crops, installing sediment control basins and grassed waterways that will improve water quality in eight publicly owned lakes.
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the water quality improvement efforts go toward “ensuring these lakes remain vibrant and healthy destinations.”
Three Mile Lake is one of several lakes the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has restored through its Lake Restoration Program.
“We are fortunate to have some beautiful public lakes in our state that significantly enhance the quality of life for many Iowans and provide valuable recreational opportunities and wildlife habitat,” Naig said in a news release.
The announcement is part of the Publicly Owned Lakes program administered by the agriculture department and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. This round of funding is more than double what was allocated through the program in 2024.
Three Mile Lake had the highest allocation — more than $133,000 — to be managed by conservation districts in both Union and Adair counties. The lake has undergone restoration projects for the past several years.
The rest of the funding went to conservation districts monitoring the watersheds of Hawthorn, Pleasant and 12 Mile lakes and Lakes Miami, Icaria and Geode.
DNR Director Kayla Lyon said investing in public lakes is “always a sound decision.”
“These invaluable assets offer numerous recreational opportunities, improving the well-being of countless Iowans,” Lyon said in a statement. “They also are vital economic drivers and strengthen community ties. These efforts, strengthened by the crucial cooperation of landowners within the watershed, are fundamental to ensuring these important resources remain healthy and accessible.”
Funding for the program comes from the agriculture department’s soil conservation cost-share budget and the DNR chooses the watersheds based on priority. Landowners in the selected districts are then eligible for additional cost-share funding for water improvement projects.
Many of the water quality improvement strategies surrounding Iowa lakes are dependent on voluntary participation by private landowners in the watersheds.
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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Lake watershed improvements get Iowa Department of Agriculture funds
