DES MOINES, Iowa — In a concerted effort to reduce high levels of nitrates and phosphorous in the state’s waters, Iowa farmers in the Rock Creek Watershed are installing the nation’s largest concentration of bioreactors and saturated buffers, according to state agricultural officials.

“Iowa is a model nationally for the progress that can be made on this important issue,” said state Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. “This effort will serve as a pilot site for new and innovative ways to expand implementation of these practices in other areas of the state.”

On July 2, with the approval of the Iowa legislature, Gov. Terry Branstad signed into law $9.6 million to support the Iowa Water Quality Initiative (IWQI) in the new fiscal year, which started July 1.

On July 6, Northey announced four projects – which included the Rock Creek Watershed – to be earmarked for funding that would focus on expanding the use and innovative delivery of water quality practices selected to receive $3.06 million through the IWQI over the next three years.

In addition to the state funds, the four projects will provide $2.59 million in matching funds to support water quality improvement efforts, as well as other in-kind contributions.

Northey, who joined the Iowa Soybean Assoc. (ISA) and state water quality experts earlier this month to kick off project efforts in Mitchell County, said the Rock Creek Watershed project “builds on the work that already has been done in the watershed and will create a tremendous demonstration of some of the new practices available to help improve water quality.

“In this project and all across the state, we are finding farmers that are extremely engaged and interested in what they can do to reduce nutrient loss and protect water quality.”

Funded in part by the soybean checkoff, the Rock Creek Watershed project, which started July 1, targets the southwestern corner of Mitchell County and parts of Floyd and Worth counties. The project will focus on installing 25 bioreactors and saturated buffers in the watershed, a 45,000-acre swath of land in north-central Iowa that flows into the Cedar River.

Adam Kiel, ISA state water resources manager, said the project supports the ultimate goal of reducing nitrates by 41 percent and phosphorous by 29 percent outlined in the area’s comprehensive watershed plan as part of the IWQI.

In addition, he said the IWQI’s strategy “brings together both point sources, such as municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial facilities, and nonpoint sources, including farm fields and urban storm water runoff, to address these issues.”

“Our goal is to engage local farmers to demonstrate, implement and evaluate these practices, as laid out in the Rock Creek Watershed plan,” he added. “Implementing this number of edge-of-field practices will significantly increase the pace of achieving water quality goals in the watershed.”

While $387,190 was committed by all 13 project partners to advance the Rock Creek Watershed project’s plan, which initially started in 2012, Kiel said with the help of the ISA – which spearheaded the project – farmers, communities and other stakeholders came together to determine ways to improve water quality and mitigate flooding in the region.

“This new IWQI project stemmed from farmer-led efforts over the last two years,” Kiel said. “Farmers drove the progress in this watershed, led the development of a watershed plan and used that strategy to garner state funding that will allow for significant water quality practice implementation.”

Dana Norby, Osage farmer from Mitchell County and Rock Creek Watershed project participant, said the project partners have the expertise and access to resources that will be needed.

“I want clean water, and it’s important for me to work with people outside of my own small area,” he said. “We are all in this together and no one person or organization can do this alone.”