Title V, AGRICULTURE (Ch. 159 - 215A)

1. If a political subdivision has adopted a sediment control ordinance which the commissioners and the political subdivision jointly agree is at least as equally effective as the commissioners’ rules in preventing erosion from exceeding the established soil loss limits, the commi…

A soil and water conservation district commissioner who is an owner or occupant of land being damaged by sediment has the same right as any other person in like circumstances to file a complaint under section 161A.47 ; however, a commissioner who is the complainant shall not vote…

1. A soil and water conservation district organized under this chapter has the following powers, in addition to others granted in other sections of this chapter : a. To conduct surveys, investigations, and research relating to the character of soil erosion and erosion, floodwater…

Financial incentive programs are established within the division in order to protect the long-term productivity of the soil and water resources of the state from erosion and sediment damage, and to encourage the adoption of farm management and agricultural practices which are con…

1. The division may establish a conservation practices revolving loan fund composed of any money appropriated by the general assembly for that purpose, and of any other moneys available to and obtained or accepted by the division from the federal government or private sources for…

1. Financial incentives provided under this chapter shall be administered by the division. The incentives shall be supported with funds appropriated by the general assembly, and moneys available to or obtained by the division from public or private sources, including but not limi…

1. The division shall establish voluntary financial incentive programs which shall provide for the following: a. The allocation of cost-share moneys as financial incentives provided for the purpose of establishing permanent soil and water conservation practices, including but not…

1. The commissioners shall allocate cost-share moneys to establish mandatory soil and water conservation practices, as provided in sections 161A.43 through 161A.53 , according to the following requirements: a. The financial incentives shall not exceed more than fifty percent of t…

1. The commissioners of a district may allocate moneys otherwise available for voluntary financial incentive programs as provided in section 161A.73 to provide for the restoration of permanent soil and water conservation practices which are damaged or destroyed because of a disas…

1. It is the intent of this chapter that each tract of agricultural land which has not been plowed or used for growing row crops at any time within the prior fifteen years shall for purposes of this section be considered classified as agricultural land under conservation cover. I…

The commissioners of any two or more districts organized under the provisions of this chapter may cooperate with one another in the exercise of any or all powers conferred in this chapter . [C39, § 2603.10; C46, §160.8; C50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §467A.8 ] C93, …

1. As used in this section , unless the context otherwise requires: a. For purposes of this section only, “bluffland” means a cliff, headland, or hill with a broad, steep face along the channel or floodplain of the Missouri or Mississippi river and their tributaries. b. “Conserva…

1. The principal and interest from any loan made pursuant to section 161A.80A that is due shall be paid to the division pursuant to the terms of the loan agreement. The moneys paid to the division are appropriated to the department of natural resources for purposes of supporting …

Agencies of this state which shall have jurisdiction over, or be charged with the administration of, any state-owned lands, and of any county, or other governmental subdivision of the state, which shall have jurisdiction over, or be charged with the administration of, any county-…

As used or referred to in this chapter , unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context: 1. “Department” means the department of agriculture and land stewardship. 2. “District” means a soil and water conservation district established in chapter 161A . 3. “Division” m…

1. a. Each soil and water conservation district, alone and whenever practical in conjunction with other districts, shall carry out district-wide and multiple-district projects to support water protection practices in the district or districts, including projects to protect this s…

Soil and water conservation districts may enter into agreements with the United States, as provided by state law, or with the state of Iowa or any agency of the state, any other soil and water conservation district, or other political subdivision of this state, for cooperation in…

1. A water protection fund is created within the division. The fund is composed of money appropriated by the general assembly for that purpose, and moneys available to and obtained or accepted by the division from the United States or private sources for placement in the fund. Th…

1. The department of agriculture and land stewardship shall implement and administer a watershed protection program. The department of agriculture and land stewardship, in consultation with the department of natural resources, shall annually establish a prioritized list of waters…

1. A loess hills development and conservation authority is created. The counties of Adams, Adair, Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Cherokee, Crawford, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Ida, Lyon, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Plymouth, Pottawattamie, Sac, Shelby, Sioux, Taylor, and Woodbury,…

1. A southern Iowa development and conservation authority is created. The counties of Appanoose, Clarke, Davis, Decatur, Jefferson, Lucas, Monroe, Van Buren, Wapello, and Wayne are entitled to one voting member each on the authority, but membership or participation in projects of…

A southern Iowa development and conservation fund is created in the state treasury, to be administered by the southern Iowa development and conservation authority. The proceeds of the fund shall be used for the purposes specified in section 161D.11 . The southern Iowa development…

1. The southern Iowa development and conservation authority shall submit to the department of management, the legislative services agency, and the division of soil conservation and water quality of the department of agriculture and land stewardship, on or before December 31 annua…

A loess hills development and conservation fund is created in the state treasury. The fund shall include a hungry canyons account and a loess hills alliance account which shall be administered by the loess hills development and conservation authority. The proceeds of the respecti…

As used in this subchapter , unless the context otherwise requires: 1. “Alliance” means the loess hills alliance created in section 161D.5 . 2. “Authority” means the loess hills development and conservation authority created in section 161D.1 . 3. “Fund” means the loess hills dev…

The mission of the loess hills alliance is to create a common vision for Iowa’s loess hills, protecting special natural and cultural resources while ensuring economic viability and private property rights of the region. 99 Acts, ch 119, §4

1. A loess hills alliance is created. The alliance shall carry out its responsibilities under the general direction of the loess hills development and conservation authority. The alliance shall encompass the geographic region including the counties of Plymouth, Woodbury, Monona, …

The board of directors of the alliance shall have the following responsibilities: 1. To prepare and adopt a comprehensive plan for the development and conservation of the loess hills area subject to the approval of the authority. The plan shall provide for the designation of sign…

The department of natural resources shall coordinate the blufflands protection program with the program and projects of the loess hills alliance. 99 Acts, ch 119, §8 Blufflands protection program; §161A.80A

1. The authority shall submit to the department of management, the legislative services agency, and the division of soil conservation and water quality of the department of agriculture and land stewardship, on or before December 31 annually, a report including information regardi…

The loess hills development and conservation authority or the board of directors of the loess hills alliance shall not enter into any agreement with a local government or the state or federal government if the agreement regulates, on an involuntary basis, the action of a private …

If a county, soil and water conservation district, subdistrict of a soil and water conservation district, political subdivision of the state, or other local agency engages or participates in a project for flood or erosion control, flood prevention, or the conservation, developmen…

This chapter contemplates that actual direction of the project, or projects, and the actual work done in connection with them, will be assumed by the soil and water conservation district, a subdistrict of a soil and water conservation district, or the federal government, and that…

The counties in maintaining the structures or improvements made under such a project shall do so in a like manner and under like procedure as that used in the maintenance of its highways. Any cooperative agreements with other state subdivisions or instrumentalities shall conform …

Whenever there shall be payable by the federal government to counties or school districts of the state any sums of money because of the fact that such school districts or counties are entitled to a share of the receipts from the operation of the federal government of flood contro…

Upon receipt of any such payments or payment by the county treasurer twenty-five percent of such amount shall be credited to the secondary road funds of the counties which are principally affected by the construction of such federal flood control projects, and the board of superv…

1. Sixty-five percent of any such payments or payment received from the federal government shall be distributed to the general fund of the school districts of the county after the county auditor has determined the districts which are principally affected by the federal flood cont…

The treasurer of any county wherein is situated any land acquired by the federal government for flood control projects is hereby authorized to cancel any taxes or tax assessments against any such land so acquired where the tax has been extended but has not become a lien thereon a…

A county may, in accordance with this chapter , accept federal funds for aid in a project for flood or soil erosion control, flood prevention, or the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water, and may cooperate with the federal government or a department or ag…

The counties, soil and water conservation districts, and subdistricts of soil and water conservation districts concerned, shall advise and consult with each other, upon the request of any of them or any affected landowners, and may cooperate with each other or with other state su…

When structures or levees necessary for flood or soil erosion control, flood prevention, or the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water, are constructed on county roads, the cost in total or in part shall be considered a part of the cost of road construction…

If construction of projects has been completed by the soil and water conservation district, subdistricts of soil and water conservation districts, political subdivisions of the state, or other local agencies, or the federal government, or a department or agency of the federal gov…

1. In the proceedings to establish such a project the government engineer shall set forth in the engineer’s report separately from other items, the amount of the cost of construction on county property and on private lands, and the engineer’s estimate of the cost of the maintenan…

Any flood or soil erosion control, flood prevention, or the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water, projects built on private land with federal or other funds when dedicated to the county use, shall be maintained in the same manner as its own county-owned o…

In counties where soil and water conservation districts exist the commissioners in said county shall be responsible for the inspection of all flood and erosion control structures built on private land under easement to the county, shall furnish such technical assistance as they m…

The county board of supervisors may annually levy a tax not to exceed six and three-fourths cents per thousand dollars of assessed value of all agricultural lands in the county, to be used for flood and erosion control, including acquisition of land or interests in land, and repa…