Senate File 361 - Introduced
SENATE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON REBUILD IOWA
(SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1270)
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing appropriations to support soil and water
2 conservation efforts.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. STUDY OF THE IMPACTS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND
1 2 MANAGEMENT ON IOWA HYDROLOGY. There is appropriated from the
1 3 general fund of the state to the department of agriculture and
1 4 land stewardship for the fiscal period beginning July 1, 2009,
1 5 and ending June 30, 2011, the following amount, or so much
1 6 thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purposes
1 7 designated:
1 8 For purposes of establishing a research project to study
1 9 the impact of agricultural land management on Iowa's
1 10 hydrology, including salaries, support, maintenance, and
1 11 miscellaneous purposes:
1 12 .................................................. $ 790,500
1 13 1. The department may use a combination of new and
1 14 existing sites to evaluate all of the following:
1 15 a. The use of hydrologic modeling tools to evaluate how
1 16 watersheds could be designed or redesigned to reduce the
1 17 downstream hydrologic footprint and water quality impacts of
1 18 Iowa agriculture under a range of precipitation patterns,
1 19 including but not limited to extreme precipitation events, and
1 20 under a range of extreme precipitation event frequencies.
1 21 b. The impact of long=term soil and water practices on
1 22 surface water runoff using plot=scale measurements by
1 23 addressing how tillage practices impact surface water runoff
1 24 under a range of natural precipitation patterns and whether
1 25 reduced tillage practices reduce volumes and rates of surface
1 26 water runoff.
1 27 c. The impact of buffers and complete conversion of crop
1 28 land to perennial vegetation on surface water runoff using
1 29 hill=slope scale measurements.
1 30 d. The drainage impacts on surface water runoff on
1 31 field=scale areas, including the impact of subsurface drainage
1 32 on surface runoff using small field=scale areas under drained
1 33 versus undrained conditions.
1 34 e. The impact of various drainage system designs on the
1 35 contribution of surface water runoff and subsurface water
2 1 drainage to total water flow from the drainage district.
2 2 2. The department shall submit a report to the governor
2 3 and the general assembly which includes a summary of its
2 4 methodology, the findings of the study, and any
2 5 recommendations, by January 15, 2011.
2 6 Sec. 2. SURFACE WATER CONTROL. There is appropriated from
2 7 the general fund of the state to the department of agriculture
2 8 and land stewardship for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
2 9 2009, and ending June 30, 2010, the following amount, or so
2 10 much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purposes
2 11 designated:
2 12 For purposes of supporting urban conservation efforts to
2 13 provide for effective surface water control, including
2 14 salaries, support, maintenance, miscellaneous purposes, and
2 15 for not more than the following full=time equivalent
2 16 positions:
2 17 .................................................. $ 450,000
2 18 ............................................... FTEs 6.00
2 19 1. The appropriation and authorization of full=time
2 20 equivalent positions provided in this section shall be used to
2 21 supplement the number of technicians employed by the
2 22 department to assist communities in this state to plan
2 23 strategies for water storage, drainage, and movement,
2 24 including but not limited to storm water control measures, as
2 25 determined by the department.
2 26 2. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated in
2 27 this section to the department of agriculture and land
2 28 stewardship that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the
2 29 close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain
2 30 available for expenditure for the purposes designated until
2 31 the close of the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012.
2 32 Sec. 3. EMERGENCY RESTORATION OF SOIL AND WATER
2 33 CONSERVATION PRACTICES NOT COVERED BY FEDERAL OPERATION AND
2 34 MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS. There is appropriated from the
2 35 general fund of the state to the department of agriculture and
3 1 land stewardship for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009,
3 2 and ending June 30, 2010, the following amount, or so much
3 3 thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purposes
3 4 designated:
3 5 For the restoration of permanent soil and water
3 6 conservation practices in order to prevent future erosion, in
3 7 excess of the applicable soil loss limits, caused by the
3 8 disaster emergency associated with the 2008 precipitation
3 9 event:
3 10 .................................................. $ 6,000,000
3 11 1. The moneys appropriated in this section shall be used
3 12 to provide one=time financing on a cost=share basis as
3 13 provided in chapter 161A, division V, part 2, to assist
3 14 landowners to reconstruct or repair soil and water
3 15 conservation practices which were constructed or maintained
3 16 under an operation and maintenance agreement executed with the
3 17 United States department of agriculture pursuant to 7 C.F.R.
3 18 pt. 654, if the landowners are not eligible to finance the
3 19 restoration under that agreement.
3 20 2. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated in
3 21 this section to the department of agriculture and land
3 22 stewardship that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the
3 23 close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain
3 24 available for expenditure for the purposes designated until
3 25 the close of the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012.
3 26 Sec. 4. CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (CREP).
3 27 There is appropriated from the environment first fund created
3 28 in section 8.57A to the department of agriculture and land
3 29 stewardship for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, and
3 30 ending June 30, 2009, the following amount, or so much thereof
3 31 as is necessary, to be used for the purposes designated:
3 32 For the conservation reserve enhancement program as
3 33 provided in 7 C.F.R. pt. 1410, to restore and construct
3 34 wetlands for the purposes of intercepting tile line runoff,
3 35 reducing nutrient loss, improving water quality, and enhancing
4 1 agricultural production practices:
4 2 .................................................. $ 500,000
4 3 Sec. 5. WATER RESOURCES PROJECTS. There is appropriated
4 4 from the general fund of the state to the office of the
4 5 governor for the use of the water resources coordinating
4 6 council established in section 466B.3, for the fiscal year
4 7 beginning July 1, 2009, and ending June 30, 2010, the
4 8 following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be
4 9 used for the purposes of developing and implementing
4 10 designated water resource projects in cooperation with other
4 11 state agencies, local governments, or other organizations
4 12 agreeing to participate in the projects, as follows:
4 13 1. WATER QUALITY RESEARCH AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN PROJECT
4 14 To provide for a water quality research and marketing
4 15 campaign project to provide for a greater public conservation
4 16 ethic:
4 17 .................................................. $ 1,000,000
4 18 2. WATERSHED ASSESSMENT PROJECTS
4 19 a. To provide for watershed assessment projects:
4 20 .................................................. $ 10,000,000
4 21 (1) Of the amount appropriated in this paragraph "a",
4 22 $5,000,000 is allocated to assess the state's largest regional
4 23 watersheds, including updating completed assessments, and
4 24 publishing the results of the assessments.
4 25 (2) Of the amount appropriated in this paragraph "a",
4 26 $5,000,000 is allocated to assess priority subwatersheds
4 27 following the completion of a regional watershed assessment as
4 28 provided in subparagraph (1), including updating completed
4 29 assessments, and publishing the results of the assessments.
4 30 The amount may be used for planning, including developing
4 31 objectives, accounting for the physical, social, and financial
4 32 resources of the subwatershed, and implementing a process that
4 33 measures results.
4 34 b. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated in
4 35 paragraph "a" that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the
5 1 close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain
5 2 available for expenditure for the purposes designated until
5 3 the close of the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014.
5 4 3. COMMUNITY=BASED WATERSHED MONITORING AND MEASURING
5 5 PROJECTS
5 6 a. To provide technical and financial support for
5 7 community=based watershed monitoring and measurement projects:
5 8 .................................................. $ 2,500,000
5 9 b. The projects shall provide local communities with
5 10 information regarding essential water resource questions for
5 11 their community, and to support enhanced local planning and
5 12 local data collection.
5 13 EXPLANATION
5 14 GENERAL. This bill appropriates moneys from the general
5 15 fund of the state to the department of agriculture and land
5 16 stewardship for fiscal periods beginning July 1, 2009, for
5 17 purposes of supporting soil and water conservation efforts.
5 18 STUDY OF THE IMPACTS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND MANAGEMENT ON
5 19 IOWA HYDROLOGY. The bill appropriates moneys to study the
5 20 impact of agricultural land management on Iowa's hydrology at
5 21 new and existing sites. The department must submit a report
5 22 of its findings to the general assembly in 2011.
5 23 SURFACE WATER CONTROL. The bill appropriates moneys to
5 24 support urban conservation efforts, including by supplementing
5 25 the number of technicians employed by the department to assist
5 26 communities to plan strategies for water storage, drainage,
5 27 and movement. Moneys appropriated to the department do not
5 28 revert at the close of the fiscal year but remain available
5 29 for expenditure until the close of the fiscal year beginning
5 30 July 1, 2012.
5 31 EMERGENCY RESTORATION OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION
5 32 PRACTICES NOT COVERED BY FEDERAL OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
5 33 AGREEMENTS. The bill appropriates moneys to restore permanent
5 34 soil and water conservation practices in order to prevent
5 35 future erosion, in excess of applicable soil loss limits,
6 1 associated with the 2008 snowmelt and rains (precipitation
6 2 event). The moneys must be used to provide one=time financing
6 3 on a cost=share basis to reconstruct or repair soil and water
6 4 conservation practices which were constructed or maintained
6 5 under an operation and maintenance agreement executed with the
6 6 United States department of agriculture. Moneys appropriated
6 7 to the department do not revert at the close of the fiscal
6 8 year but remain available for expenditure until the close of
6 9 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012.
6 10 CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. The bill
6 11 appropriates moneys from the environment first fund to the
6 12 department of agriculture and land stewardship to be used for
6 13 the federal conservation reserve enhancement program to
6 14 restore and construct wetlands for the purposes of
6 15 intercepting tile line runoff, reducing nutrient loss,
6 16 improving water quality, and enhancing agricultural production
6 17 practices.
6 18 WATER RESOURCES PROJECTS. The bill appropriates moneys to
6 19 the office of the governor for use by the water resources
6 20 coordinating council to be used for the purposes of developing
6 21 and implementing designated water resource projects in
6 22 cooperation with other state agencies, local governments, or
6 23 other organizations agreeing to participate in a number of
6 24 projects. It provides for a water quality research and
6 25 marketing campaign project to provide for greater public
6 26 conservation ethic. It provides for watershed assessment
6 27 projects to assess regional watersheds and priority
6 28 subwatersheds, for which moneys that remain unencumbered or
6 29 unobligated at the close of the fiscal year do not revert but
6 30 remain available for expenditure until the close of the fiscal
6 31 year beginning July 1, 2014. Finally, it provides for
6 32 community=based watershed monitoring and measuring projects.
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