Central Turkey River Watershed Project Expanding into Next Phase

A northeast Iowa water quality project is expanding. 

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced Wednesday that a successful Water Quality Initiative demonstration project in northeast Iowa is expanding into a new phase, with a specific focus on edge-of-field conservation practices.

Previous Water Quality Initiative projects in the Central Turkey River Watershed, which have been in place since 2014, have generated positive results through the seeding of over 43,000 acres of cover crops. 

During the next phase, this project will focus on installing edge-of-field practices such as saturated buffers, bioreactors and wetlands – three practices which help to filter the water before it enters the waterways. They may also construct grade stabilization structures, depending on the landscape.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is investing nearly $282,000 on this project. There are ten other partners on the project too, including NICC, the Iowa DNR and the Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District. The project agreement is in place through 2026.