National Water Quality Initiative

Through the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI​), NRCS​ is offering financial and technical assistance to farmers interested in improving water quality and aquatic habitats in priority watersheds with impaired streams. NRCS will help producers implement conservation and management practices through a systems approach to control and trap nutrient and manure runoff. Qualified producers will receive assistance for installing conservation practices such as cover crops, filter strips and terraces.

Sign-up Cutoff Dates

Although EQIP and NWQI are continuous signup programs, Iowa NRCS occasionally establishes cutoff dates for applicants. For fiscal year 2019, the first application cutoff date is Oct. 19, 2018. A second application cutoff deadline will be March 15, 2019.

News

• Iowa NRCS Adds Two NWQI Projects to Help Protect Source Water - Dec. 18, 2018
• 2017 NWQI Progress Report (PDF)

Iowa's NWQI Successes

• James Baur - Badger Creek
• Frederick Martens - Badger Creek

Iowa Priority Watershed Maps and Management Plans

• Statewide Maps of Iowa's NWQI Watersheds
  • PDF
• Headwaters Wolf Creek (JPEG, 433 KB)
• Badger Creek (JPEG, 5.2 MB) | Badger Creek Lake Watershed Management Plan (PDF)
• Lost Branch-Chariton River (JPEG, 3.8 MB) | Rathbun Watershed Management Plan (PDF)
• Lower South Fork Chariton River (JPEG, 5.3 MB) | Rathbun Watershed Management Plan (PDF)
• Upper South Fork Chariton River (PDF) | Rathbun Watershed Management Plan (PDF)
• Wall Lake Inlet (Black Hawk Lake) (JPEG, 1 MB) | Black Hawk Lake Watershed Management Plan (PDF)
• Cedar Lake Watershed (JPEG, 2 MB) | Winterset Municipal Waterworks Source Water Protection Plan (PDF)
• Big Spirit Lake Watershed (PDF) | Spirit Lake Source Water Protection Plan (PDF)

Additional Resources

• NWQI Iowa Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Badger Creek NWQI Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Cedar Lake NWQI Fact Sheet (PDF)
• 2019 Badger Creek Application Ranking Tool (PDF)
• 2019 Headwaters Wolf Creek Application Ranking Tool (PDF)
• 2019 Lost Branch-Chariton River Application Ranking Tool (PDF)
• 2019 Lower South Fork Chariton River Application Ranking Tool (PDF)
• 2019 Upper South Fork Chariton River Application Ranking Tool (PDF)
• 2019 Wall Lake Inlet Application Ranking Tool (PDF)

Contact:
EQIP Coordinator, 515-284-4262