Senate Study Bill 1270
SENATE FILE
BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
REBUILD IOWA BILL BY
CHAIRPERSON HOGG)
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:
4 TLSB 2652SC 83
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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 EXPLANATION
3 27 This bill appropriates moneys from the general fund of the
3 28 state to the department of agriculture and land stewardship
3 29 for fiscal periods beginning July 1, 2009, for purposes of
3 30 supporting soil and water conservation efforts.
3 31 The bill appropriates moneys to study the impact of
3 32 agricultural land management on Iowa's hydrology at new and
3 33 existing sites. The department must submit a report of its
3 34 findings to the general assembly in 2011.
3 35 The bill appropriates moneys to support urban conservation
4 1 efforts, including by supplementing the number of technicians
4 2 employed by the department to assist communities to plan
4 3 strategies for water storage, drainage, and movement. Moneys
4 4 appropriated to the department do not revert at the close of
4 5 the fiscal year but remain available for expenditure until the
4 6 close of the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012.
4 7 The bill appropriates moneys to restore permanent soil and
4 8 water conservation practices in order to prevent future
4 9 erosion, in excess of applicable soil loss limits, associated
4 10 with the 2008 snowmelt and rains (precipitation event). The
4 11 moneys must be used to provide one=time financing on a
4 12 cost=share basis to reconstruct or repair soil and water
4 13 conservation practices which were constructed or maintained
4 14 under an operation and maintenance agreement executed with the
4 15 United States department of agriculture. Moneys appropriated
4 16 to the department do not revert at the close of the fiscal
4 17 year but remain available for expenditure until the close of
4 18 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012.
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