Integrated Drainage - Wetland Systems

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Integrated Drainage - Wetland SystemsIowa
Plan

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Integrated Drainage-Wetland Systems for Reducing
Nitrate Loads
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Iowa Plan

• Full title Iowa Plan of Wetland Drainage
  Integrated Landscape Systems for Environmental
  Bioenergy Stewardship
• Development team
• Dr. James Baker, ISU (emeritus) IDALS
• John Chenoweth, NRCS (retired)
• Dr. Bill Crumpton, ISU
• Don Etler, IA Drainage District Assn
• Dr. Matt Helmers, ISU
• Dean Lemke, IDALS
• Dr. Stewart Melvin, ISU (emeritus)
• John Torbert, IA Drainage District Assn

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Needs/Opportunities

• Environmental benefits of meeting bio-energy
  demand in continuously-cropped drained landscapes
  vs. conversion of marginal lands (example CRP)
• Drainage district mains are nearing end of
  service life
• Mains are designed for 1920s agriculture,
  inadequate capacity for today, crop losses
• Farmed wetland regulations constrain drainage
  main upsizing when replaced
• N removal wetlands are watershed-level systems
• New economics of feed-grains due to bio-energy

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Iowa Plan Vision Goals

1. Landscape-scale development of high-value, N
   removal wetlands

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Iowa Plan Vision Goals

1. Landscape-scale development of high-value, N
   removal wetlands
2. Engage Iowas 3000 drainage districts for
   locally-led watershed mgmt, with state-federal
   partnership

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Iowa Plan Vision Goals

• Landscape-scale development of high-value, N
  removal wetlands
• Engage Iowas 3000 drainage districts for
  locally-led watershed mgmt, with state-federal
  partnership
• Optimize crop production in lands that will
  continue to be continuously-cropped, reducing
  conversion of CRP, pasture, wildlife lands.

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Iowa Plan Vision Goals

• Landscape-scale development of high-value, N
  removal wetlands
• Engage Iowas 3000 drainage districts for
  locally-led watershed mgmt, with state-federal
  partnership
• Optimize crop production in lands that will
  continue to be continuously-cropped, reducing
  conversion of CRP, pasture, wildlife lands.
• Utilize economic returns from bioenergy to
  support a portion of the cost of
  strategically-located N removal wetlands, through
  moving existing farmed wetlands.

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Iowa Plan Vision Goals

• Landscape-scale development of high-value, N
  removal wetlands
• Engage Iowas 3000 drainage districts for
  locally-led watershed mgmt, with state-federal
  partnership
• Optimize crop production in lands that will
  continue to be continuously-cropped, reducing
  conversion of CRP, pasture, wildlife lands.
• Utilize economic returns from bioenergy to
  support a portion of the cost of
  strategically-located N removal wetlands, through
  moving existing farmed wetlands.
• Increase number of potential N removal wetland
  sites by integrating with drainage system
  re-design

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Iowa Plan Vision Goals

• Landscape-scale development of high-value, N
  removal wetlands
• Engage Iowas 3000 drainage districts for
  locally-led watershed mgmt, with state-federal
  partnership
• Optimize crop production in lands that will
  continue to be continuously-cropped, reducing
  conversion of CRP, pasture, wildlife lands.
• Utilize economic returns from bioenergy to
  support a portion of the cost of
  strategically-located N removal wetlands, through
  moving existing farmed wetlands.
• Increase number of potential N removal wetland
  sites by integrating with drainage system
  re-design
• Implement water quality trading within small
  watersheds

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Development of N Wetland Sinks Through Existing
Drainage Districts

• 3000 drainage districts in Iowa manage
  common-outlet drains for 6 million acres
• Governing boards of trustees (typically county
  board of supervisors)
• Extensive statutory case law base
• Taxing powers
• Power of eminent domain
• Construct and maintain drains

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Pothole Depression Typical of Farmed Wetland May
2007
Same Pothole Depression June 2007
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Kossuth County 0.4 Acre Farmed Wetland with
Crop Loss Spring 2007
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Nitrate Removal Wetlands Iowa CREP
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Calhoun County Drainage Districts Potential
Nitrate Removal Wetlands
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Calhoun County Potential Nitrate Removal
Wetlands
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