$1.9M state project targets nitrates in Beaver Creek to protect central Iowa’s drinking water
A new $1.9 million project aims to reduce nitrate runoff into Beaver Creek, a stream that flows directly into Central Iowa’s drinking water supply. The state hopes this initiative can stop nitrates, nutrients that help crops grow but can cause health concerns, before the nitrates reach the Des Moines River.With high nitrate levels already triggering a lawn watering ban across Central Iowa, water quality experts say this project can’t wait. It starts upstream, in farm fields and drainage systems, and aims to keep drinking water clean downstream.Beaver Creek winds through five counties and flows into the Des Moines River, a key drinking water source for more than 600,000 Iowans. Justin Grieff, the Beaver Creek Watershed Coordinator, is leading the local effort to work directly with farmers and landowners. “The overall goal of this project is really to implement conservation practices and water quality practices that are going to be able to remove some of the nitrates out of some of our water,” Grieff said. Those practices include saturated buffers, bioreactors and wetland oxbow restorations — all designed to filter nitrate-heavy drainage water before it enters the drinking water supply.“For the most part, farmers and landowners have all been pretty excited and happy to implement these conservation practices,” Grieff said. He added that while outreach began before the project officially launched, the new funding means more focused efforts to identify the best sites and get practices on the ground. “We try to find sites that are the most feasible with landowner permission,” Grieff said. Dr. Matt Helmers, Director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, says projects like this fit into a larger statewide push to improve water quality. “It’s another example of trying to work on a watershed approach to look at what practices may be most effective in that area and how we can work together to implement those,” Helmers said. While Beaver Creek is just one relatively small watershed, he says the impact can come quickly when drainage water is routed through saturated buffers or wetlands.“We’re going to promote denitrification right away and reduce that delivery of nitrate to the stream,” Helmers said.Boone County Supervisor Erich Kretzinger says it’s an urgent issue for his community and metro residents downstream. He said the Beaver Creek watershed runs directly through Boone County.“It really does bother me that we’re contributing to what is an expensive proposition to create what is a necessity — clean water that everybody can safely consume,” Kretzinger said. He also praised the science-based strategy, pointing to practices like cover crops and restoring oxbows that can make a real difference.Helmers adds that while Iowa has seen more watershed projects in recent years, many more are needed to see significant statewide, transformational change. “What we’re seeing is more and more of these types of watershed projects being led locally to try and increase the adoption of these practices,” Helmers said.The project covers parts of Boone, Webster, Greene, Dallas and Polk Counties. It officially launched July 1 and will run for three years.
A new $1.9 million project aims to reduce nitrate runoff into Beaver Creek, a stream that flows directly into Central Iowa’s drinking water supply. The state hopes this initiative can stop nitrates, nutrients that help crops grow but can cause health concerns, before the nitrates reach the Des Moines River.
With high nitrate levels already triggering a lawn watering ban across Central Iowa, water quality experts say this project can’t wait. It starts upstream, in farm fields and drainage systems, and aims to keep drinking water clean downstream.
Beaver Creek winds through five counties and flows into the Des Moines River, a key drinking water source for more than 600,000 Iowans.
Justin Grieff, the Beaver Creek Watershed Coordinator, is leading the local effort to work directly with farmers and landowners.
“The overall goal of this project is really to implement conservation practices and water quality practices that are going to be able to remove some of the nitrates out of some of our water,” Grieff said. Those practices include saturated buffers, bioreactors and wetland oxbow restorations — all designed to filter nitrate-heavy drainage water before it enters the drinking water supply.
“For the most part, farmers and landowners have all been pretty excited and happy to implement these conservation practices,” Grieff said. He added that while outreach began before the project officially launched, the new funding means more focused efforts to identify the best sites and get practices on the ground. “We try to find sites that are the most feasible with landowner permission,” Grieff said.
Dr. Matt Helmers, Director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, says projects like this fit into a larger statewide push to improve water quality.
“It’s another example of trying to work on a watershed approach to look at what practices may be most effective in that area and how we can work together to implement those,” Helmers said. While Beaver Creek is just one relatively small watershed, he says the impact can come quickly when drainage water is routed through saturated buffers or wetlands.
“We’re going to promote denitrification right away and reduce that delivery of nitrate to the stream,” Helmers said.
Boone County Supervisor Erich Kretzinger says it’s an urgent issue for his community and metro residents downstream. He said the Beaver Creek watershed runs directly through Boone County.
“It really does bother me that we’re contributing to what is an expensive proposition to create what is a necessity — clean water that everybody can safely consume,” Kretzinger said. He also praised the science-based strategy, pointing to practices like cover crops and restoring oxbows that can make a real difference.
Helmers adds that while Iowa has seen more watershed projects in recent years, many more are needed to see significant statewide, transformational change. “What we’re seeing is more and more of these types of watershed projects being led locally to try and increase the adoption of these practices,” Helmers said.
The project covers parts of Boone, Webster, Greene, Dallas and Polk Counties. It officially launched July 1 and will run for three years.