DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig recently joined Gov. Kim Reynolds when she signed House File 2771 (or “Farm to Faucet”) – the Agriculture and Natural Resources budget – which includes new investments in water quality to support the state’s infrastructure improvements.

The Farm to Faucet legislation restructures the state’s water excise tax distribution formula, which goes into effect July 1, 2026, and makes strategic one-time investments that will provide nearly $320 million in water quality investments over the next 12 years, Reynolds’ office said.

In addition, the Farm to Faucet water quality funding will be allocated to support the state’s most effective programs and urgent needs: “By re-directing existing dollars to fund projects and programs that are proven to work, we’re able to modernize Iowa’s water treatment infrastructure from the farm to the faucet,” Naig said in a June 1 media statement.

“We have made tremendous progress working with farmers and landowners, and hundreds of public and private partners to incorporate responsible farming practices, but there’s no finish line when it comes to conservation,” he added. “We’re going to keep leveraging new research and technologies and identifying more partners to work alongside us to make meaningful changes on the land, which will lead to real, measurable changes in water quality.”

The Farm to Faucet water quality funding provides the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) an estimated $52 million in new funding over 12 years to support practices like cover crops, edge-of-field buffers, wetlands and grazing systems in the Greater Des Moines watershed, which encompasses 22 counties in northwest, north central and central Iowa, Reynolds’ office said.

In addition, it allocates an additional $500,000 per year to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to support the existing statewide water quality monitoring network, which can be used for real-time water quality monitoring sensors, bringing the state’s total investment in monitoring to $3.5 million per year.

The legislation also utilizes the fund balance in an under-utilized program to support a one-time, $25 million investment in Central Iowa Water Works to expand infrastructure, increasing nitrate removal capacity over the next three years, Reynolds’ office added.

According to IDALS, farmers are using proven conservation practices outlined in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, like cover crops and wetlands, to prevent soil erosion, filter nitrates and improve water quality.

“It is part of their commitment to using responsible farming practices to benefit their communities and the environment,” IDALS said in the June 1 statement. “There’s more work to do but Iowa farmers are accelerating the pace at which they’re adopting conservation practices. The State of Iowa invests nearly $100 million annually toward improving water quality, with an additional $500 million coming from the federal government each year.”

In 2024, Iowa farmers planted nearly 4 million acres of cover crops, up from fewer than 400,000 just a decade ago, IDALS said. Farmers are building nitrate-reducing wetlands, which capture water as it leaves the field, reducing nitrate runoff by up to 90 percent. 

In addition, IDALS said farmers have installed nearly 500 nitrate-filtering buffers along field edges, all of which capture and treat water before it reaches streams, and practices have been installed about five times faster in the past four years than in the previous decade.

In a June 1 media statement, Mark Mueller, Iowa Corn Growers Association president and Waverly, Iowa, farmer, said, “These legislative achievements aren’t just wins on paper; they translate directly to the bottom line of Iowa’s farm families. 

“We appreciate the dedication of our state’s ag leaders and lawmakers who worked tirelessly to get these bills across the finish line,” he added. “ICGA is eager to support the implementation of these policies and witness the positive impacts they will bring to the state of Iowa.”

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association told Farm World in a June 24 joint statement regarding the legislation, “Agriculture is the backbone of Iowa’s economy, and Iowa remains the epicenter of feeding and fueling the world.

“These new investments in voluntary on-farm practices and commonsense conservation efforts will build on the substantial progress to date, while accelerating improvements in Iowa’s water quality and protecting farmer profitability,” the association added.

Craig Moss, Iowa Cattlemen Association president and Hull, Iowa, producer, told Farm World, “Iowa cattle producers do far more than raise high-quality beef; they are stewards of the land and water that sustain their families, livestock and communities. The same water sources that support our cattle are the ones we depend on every day, so maintaining clean, healthy water is a shared priority.”

He said the Farm to Faucet legislation builds on the conservation efforts producers have been implementing for years, providing additional support and resources to help farmers continue enhancing water quality: “This partnership recognizes that protecting Iowa’s natural resources is essential not only for agriculture, but for the health and well-being of all Iowans.”