Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig recently unveiled a water quality initiative that will assist farmers and landowners in several watersheds, including in Dallas and Greene Counties.

According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the Streamside Buffer Pilot Project has an emphasis on priority watersheds to support farmers and landowners upstream from the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids metropolitan areas. IDALS says the North Raccoon River Watershed is one of the five that are eligible for the initiative, as it runs through Dallas and Greene Counties. 

Naig outlines that enrolled buffers must be between 30 and 100 feet wide on at least one side of the stream, with that area being maintained for at least 10 years. He notes that harvested buffers will receive a one-time payment of $250 per acre for establishment costs and $1,500 per acre for foregone income, while non-harvest buffers will receive a one-time payment of $500 per acre for establishment costs and $3,000 per acre for foregone income. 

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship encourages farmers and landowners that are located in the targeted watersheds to participate in the Streamside Buffer Initiative pilot program by visiting their local U.S.D.A. Service Center to enroll.