Iowa's Water and Land Legacy -

Get Involved In Iowa's Water & Land Legacy

iowaslegacy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

It's been an incredible year for Iowa's Water & Land Legacy. We fought back changes to the Iowa REAP formula, secured supplemental funding for Iowa's state parks system, prevented attacks on critical public lands programs, and fought for new funding for water quality and agricultural soil conservation.

Yet, we cannot rest in the New Year. In 2012 we need to push for funding REAP fully at $20 million in FY 2013. We need to prevent attacks on public lands programs. And, we need to push for funding for Iowa's Natural Resources & Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund.

If you are interested in learning more and getting involved there are a number of ways to support funding for Iowa's natural resource programs:

1. Check out our latest newsletter
2. Sign-up for our email list
3. Check out the Iowa REAP Alliance
4. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper

2012 Legislative Preview

iowaslegacy — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Iowa's Water & Land Legacy is preparing for the 2012 session of the Iowa General Assembly and we'd like to invite you to participate on a unique telephone conference call and presentation.

These are exciting times and we need your help to make full funding of the Natural Resources & Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund a reality.

We will be updating coalition members on:

- Lobbying plans for the 2012 legislative session
- Networking opportunities for IWILL Members
- Fundraising and Organizational plans for Iowa's Water & Land Legacy

You can RSVP HERE

The call is open to all members of Iowa's Water & Land Legacy Coalition.

The call will start at 1:00 PM CST and run for approximately one hour. Call in details are below:

Call Number: 605-475-4001

Conference Code: 393641#

Click for Online PowerPoint Presentation

Benefits of Enhanced Water Quality

iowaslegacy — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Water quality issues are typically pegged as "environmental" issues, but that's a misnomer. Water quality is also about recreation and fishing opportunities. This story from Clear Lake, IA brings it home:

CLEAR LAKE - Fishing at Clear Lake is a whole lot more productive and fun thanks to the millions spent in the last decade on renovations to improve water quality at the lake. "Better water clarity, which of course was their goal in the dredging and now the marsh improvement project, has led to more weed growth and more weed growth provides more habitat for more fish," said Dan Krauth, owner of The Crazy Minnow in Clear Lake. "I don't think we've seen all the benefit as yet."

The dredging of the "little lake" cost $9 million. The renovations to Ventura Marsh which includes dredging a flow channel from the new pump station to the deepest part of the marsh will cost about $5 million. The city of Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo County along with grant funds from the federal and state governments have financed more than $1 million in stormwater improvements which keep sediment and phosphorus out of Clear Lake. Levels of phosphorus, sediments and water clarity have improved significantly in the past decade, according to David Knoll, director of the Clear Lake Enhancement and Restoration (CLEAR) project.

Phosphorus levels have dropped by 74 percent from 188 parts per billion in 2000 to 48 parts per billion in 2011. Phosphorus contributes to algae growth which keeps beneficial aquatic plants from growing. Each pound of phosphorus can produce 500 pounds of wet algae, Knoll said. "Fishing, in general, is improving. We are getting better populations of species that have been very low in the past," Krauth said.

He said the population of perch in Clear Lake has improved a lot. "When I was a kid the predominant fish over here was perch. Then those yellow bass got established in the ‘60s. They're a such a prolific strain of fish that they forced a lot of the perch out." Perch need submerged weeds, Krauth said. Sediment levels have fallen from 62 ppb in 2000 to 11 ppb this year, an 82 percent decline. The average depth of water clarity has gone from 14 inches in 2000 to 35 inches in 2011. "The diversification of species is probably number one (benefit).

We're getting much better populations of perch, blue gills, large mouth bass, crappies," Krauth said. "That in itself is going to make the fishing more interesting over here. And you have a better chance that something will be biting at any given time or place." Kevin Baskins, Iowa Department of Natural Resources spokesman, said the improved water quality has led to the re-emergence of bluegill in Clear Lake. "I know that for years, probably parts of two decades, one of the biggest efforts by the fisheries department was to try and get bluegill re-established in Clear Lake. They tried several times and just weren't able to get that done. Now as we do our surveys, we are seeing bluegill."

Increasing populations of bluegill are a sign that the dredging of Clear Lake as well as other efforts to improve water quality are paying dividends. "The stronger the bluegill population, the better the water quality," Baskins said. The crop of walleye was also a surprise, Baskins said. He said the DNR received reports of good numbers and good size walleyes.

"I think what people have to look forward to is now that we've made those renovations we'll be seeing more species like large mouth bass and crappie," Baskins said. "The key is going to be the species we are going to see less of and that's the carp. Clear Lake continues to be very focused on trying to get as much of the carp out of the lake as we can."

Read more: http://globegazette.com/news/local/improved-cear-lake-water-quality-good-for-fishermen/article_225f532a-e0f7-11e0-af05-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1ZLs8IAzg

End of Session Update - Iowa's Natural Resources Budget

iowaslegacy — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT

The Iowa General Assembly has been scheduled to adjourn since the end of April, but we are just now seeing shutdown in sight. The Legislature has passed an "agreed to" budget for Agriculture & Natural Resources programs funded by the State of Iowa. You can find the non-partisan analysis here and here.

These documents are pretty complicated to follow, but the main highlights are:

- Resource Enhancement & Protection (REAP) is funded at $12 million for FY 2012 ($3 million cut vs. FY 2011)
- Water Quality Monitoring is funded at $2.95 million for FY 2012 (same as FY 2011)
- General DNR Appropriation of $12,266,688 (cut of $1.18 million vs. FY 2011)
- General IDALS Appropriation of $16,497,308 (cut of $375,000 vs. FY 2011)
- $100,000 for Forestry Management out of the Environment First Fund
- $3.2 million for State Parks Operations & Management out of Environment First Fund

The appropriation for State Parks Operations & Management makes up for at least a portion of the cuts in General Fund Appropriations for Iowa's State Park system, but we are still facing shortfalls in staff and maintenance that are unsustainable over the long-term.

As we have said all session, these cuts DO NOT reflect the will of Iowans who voted overwhelmingly in November to approve Iowa's Water & Land Legacy amendment with 63% of the vote and these funding levels are unsustainable. Continue to contact your legislator in support of fully funding the Trust Fund and restore cuts to REAP and other important water quality and soil conservation programs.

Cuts to Water Quality, Soil Conservation, and the Outdoors...Despite growing revenue

iowaslegacy — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT

As we have previously discussed, Iowa's natural resource programs - water quality, soil conservation, wildlife, and outdoor recreation - are facing dramatic cuts this year and have felt the impact of over 40% cuts in the last three years. This years budget, in fact, includes a cut of nearly 25% to Iowa's REAP program, or "Resource Enhancement and Protection" - the model for Iowa's Water & Land Legacy Amendment.

This is all DESPITE the increases in revenue the state general fund is witnessing as the economy rebounds. See the video below from the non-partisan State of Iowa Legislative Fiscal Bureau detailing the growth in revenue:

If this upsets you, be sure to visit our "Get Involved" page and sign our petition to support sustainable funding for programs that improve water quality and reduce the potential of future flooding.

Iowa Water Quality Programs at Risk

iowaslegacy — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Iowa's Water & Land Legacy amendment would dedicate significant state funds to programs that would safeguard clean drinking water, water we recreate in, and rivers/lakes/streams that are key habitat areas for our abundant fish and wildlife. These programs have historically been underfunded and without a sustainable funding source.

This is even more evident with recent cuts and layoffs announced at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

You can donate here to help us fight these cuts!

Funding for water quality isn't just about regulation. These scientists and staff are responsible for providing important data and analysis that guides watershed planning, floodplain management, and other voluntary conservation programs. See the story from Radio Iowa here:

The state geologist warns that budget cuts are landing especially hard on a lesser-known division of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Funds may be nearly cut in half next year for the Iowa Geological and Water Survey, which monitors the quality and quantity of both surface and underground water.

Bob Libra, at the Geological Survey, hopes for more money by the time the legislature’s budget negotiations end.
“There’s not much hope of that in the current world, I guess,” Libra says. “If they land somewhere pretty close to the base figure that the DNR’s been operating under, then then plan that we’re describing here is how they are going to address it.”

The Geological Survey’s cuts are particularly difficult because the bureau relies more on the state’s general fund than some other divisions of the DNR, plus, it had fewer vacant positions to absorb the cuts.

Libra says they haven’t decided how to compensate for the loss of talent if the anticipated layoffs occur.

“Some of our expertise on dealing with the health and quality of lakes in this state will not be there,” he says. “We’re not sure quite how to overcome that yet.”

The DNR’s budget has been cut by nearly 40-percent since 2009. Libra’s hoping budget negotiators land closer to the Senate’s proposed funding for the DNR which is about half a million dollars higher than the House.