Streetscape project receives state funding
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Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced Monday that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will invest $368,995 toward Mount Ayr’s Town Square Streetscape Reconstruction project.
The downtown streetscape project will include water quality improvement features. Through the incorporation of permeable paver surfaces and bioretention cells, water quality will be improved while reducing standing water on the downtown square following rain events. This will reduce pressure on the Grand River.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will help fund 13 other urban water quality projects within communities across the state. Utilizing funding from the state’s Water Quality Initiative (WQI) and other sources, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will provide cost-share grants that cover up to 50 percent of the total cost of each project. The Department is investing nearly $2.7 million to support the 14 projects, which will leverage an overall investment of more than $5.7 million.
“No matter where you live in Iowa—city, town, or farm—everyone has a role to play in helping to protect our vital natural resources, like soil and water,” said Secretary Naig. “Since 2015, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has invested significantly in 140 urban water quality projects across the state, collaborating with local partners to advance and accelerate the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy goals.”
The Department provides financial and technical assistance to the communities and organizations implementing these urban water quality practices. To receive state funding, the urban water quality projects must include education and outreach components and involve local partners. These community-based projects raise awareness about new stormwater management methods and encourage others to adopt similar practices to improve water quality.
These urban conservation projects include water quality practices like bioretention cells, bioswales, native plantings, permeable pavers, rain gardens, tree trenches, native landscaping, sediment forebays, oxbows, and wetlands among many other proven practices.
