By DOUG SCHMITZ
Iowa Correspondent

DES MOINES, Iowa — Gov. Terry Branstad is considering a bill that would transfer the state’s water monitoring programs from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) – a move that has environmental activists upset and the IDALS ready to act.

In a 64-32 vote on March 23, the Iowa Environmental Protection Committee of the state House passed HF 643, an amendment that would give nearly $3 million in water monitoring funds and watershed plans, an advisory council and a Clean Water Act program – Chapter 319 – directly to the IDALS for oversight.
But Mark Langgin, executive director of Iowa’s Water & Land Legacy, claimed transferring these programs to the IDALS would “jeopardize water quality and the cooperative relationship between the Iowa DNR, Department of Agriculture and farmers throughout Iowa,” as well as the state’s compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act.

“This is an enormous step backwards for water quality in Iowa,” he said. “Iowa voters sent a message in November that they want a comprehensive approach to water quality issues in Iowa, and this bill will cut over $4 million in water quality monitoring and watershed programs from the Iowa DNR budget. These programs are essential if we want to protect these vital resources for future generations – our kids and grandkids.”

Under current rules, accountability and responsibility rests with Branstad’s office. Langgin said if the IDNR were to fail to meet requirements under the Federal Clean Water Act, executive action by Branstad could bring the IDNR back into compliance. He also claimed this accountability would be lacking if transferred to the IDALS.

However, Dustin Vande Hoef, IDALS communications director, said the discussion about moving water monitoring authority to the IDALS resulted from the desire to get more projects off the ground.

“Governor Branstad has not issued a transfer and is working through the legislative process on the issue,” he said.

Currently, federal Chapter 319 funds are targeted to address nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. “Unlike point source pollution, which comes from a known origin such as industrial and sewage treatment plants, NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground,” he said.

“As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, which are eventually deposited into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and even our underground sources of drinking water.”

The source of these pollutants include fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides from agricultural lands and residential areas; sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop and forest lands and eroding stream banks; salt from irrigation practices; acid drainage from abandoned mines; and bacteria and nutrients from wildlife, livestock, pet waste and faulty septic systems, Northey added.

Right now, Iowa receives $4.4 million in 319 funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In the 2009 grant, $1.6 million was spent on water quality improvement projects in partnership with IDALS and in 2010, $1.8 million was spent on these projects. IDALS staff, in coordination with the Soil and Water Conservation Districts staff and Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff, are responsible for the implementation of these projects.

Moreover, there is significant additional demand for these funds for implementation. Specifically, in 2010, there was $7 million in project proposals unfunded or underfunded in water quality projects.

The IDALS currently helps administer the 319 water quality projects and has received national recognition for its leadership in addressing nutrient transport through the Mississippi River System that contributes to Gulf hypoxia, Northey said.

“The IDALS also received recognition from the U.S. Department of Interior for its work in reclaiming abandoned coal mines that produce acid mine drainage,” he said. “The IDALS would put as much of the funding as possible towards project implementation, which would translate to water quality improvements and more conservation projects on the ground.”

Northey added the IDALS would contract with the IDNR for total maximum daily loads services under the U.S. Clean Water Act, just as the IDNR currently contracts with the IDALS for project management and regional coordination.
A similar water monitoring bill will soon move through the state Senate.