Northeast Iowa farmland owners have partnered with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Iowa Department of Natural Re­sources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), Farm Service Agency and Soil and Water Conservation District to develop multiple wetlands projects geared to improve water quality and wildlife habitat in scenic Winneshiek County.

Landowners Darin Einwalter and the Bouska sisters host two of the wetland sites and had the same mind-set when it came to the future of their farms near Fort Atkinson and Decorah: Do anything they can to improve the area’s water quality and develop wildlife habitat.

While the projects were completed roughly two years apart in 2021 and 2023, the results of the Highland Farm Wetland and Einwalter Wetland speak for themselves with successful nutrient reduction, soil loss prevention, downstream flood prevention and enhancement of wildlife habitat.

“We have a different relationship with the land since we have invested in conservation measures,” said Peg Bouska, who with her sisters Sally McCoy, Ann Novak and Carol Bouska created a vision and plan to protect and improve the land’s future after inheriting the farm in 2011. 

In addition to the wetland, no-till, cover crops, a bioreactor, prairie strips, windbreaks, pollinator fields and waterways have been implemented on the farm.

“The benefits are great. We’ve seen the benefits of decreased erosion. Economically very affordable with the help of cost-share programs. It’s satisfying to know that we are helping contribute to a healthier planet and are learning so much more about nature and our land,” Bouska said.

Einwalter explained that the wetland on his farm was the concept of he and his late father, Duane, who hoped to improve water quality and increase wildlife habitat. Duane passed away during wetland construction, but his legacy lives on with what has been developed since.

“It was always a wet area no matter how we tiled it,” said Einwalter. The wetland now “cleans all of the nitrates out of the water. My son and I like to hunt, and with the wildlife there, the duck hunting is great.”

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig visited the Einwalter farm in 2023 and touted these types of wetlands projects as critical to meeting the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, designed to direct efforts to reduce nutrients in surface water from both point and nonpoint sources in a scientific, reasonable and cost-effective manner.

Naig announced last week that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship anticipates a record year for progress toward the construction of department-sponsored water quality wetlands in Iowa.

“By adding more water quality wetlands to the state’s landscape, we get the benefit of both improved water quality as well as more habitat for wildlife,” Naig said.


Success stories

Matt Frana, Turkey River Watershed project coordinator for the Winneshiek Soil and Water Conservation District, wasn’t directly involved with either project as he entered his role in 2022, but said these two wetlands are successful examples of public/private partnerships, effective cost-share funding and goals met to improve Iowa’s farmland.

“Approximately 25% of Iowa’s land area was once in some form of a wetland ecosystem,” Frana explained. “Wetlands are often referred to as the kidneys of our landscape. They filter and remove pollutants before reaching streams and rivers and help protect drinking water sources.

“The restoration and strategic construction of wetlands help to achieve the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy,” which includes reducing nitrogen and phosphorous loss by 45%, Frana said.

On average, wetlands reduce nitrates by 50%, prevent soil erosion, remove pesticides and other pollutants, and help protect drinking water supplies. Wetlands also provide habitat for wildlife and insects like dragonflies that eat pests such as aphids or mosquitoes.

And there’s flood control, providing temporary storage after a heavy rain event and reducing peak flow.

Sophia Campbell, Yellow River Headwaters project coordinator with the Winneshiek County Soil and Water Conservation District, added: “Within the last 10 years, these edge-of-field wetlands have really started to take off. There’s almost nothing that provides as much denitrification as a wetland does.

“And the habitat creation they provide — we see many critters find these wetlands, from ducks and monarchs to birds. They’ve become a stopover habitat for migratory birds. We’re hoping to see more and more of these being developed.”

Pictured above: Sisters Sally McCoy, Ann Novak, Carol Bouska and Peg Bouska created a vision and plan to protect and improve their land after inheriting the farm in 2011. PHOTO COURTESY OF LARRY HARTFORD

Wetland projects

The Einwalter wetland is 6.3 acres with a contributing drainage area of 437 acres and a conservation easement of 27.38 acres. Areas within the easement surrounding the wetland are seeded with native grasses and forbs. 

It’s estimated that the wetland will remove 9,450 pounds of nitrogen per year and approximately 708 tons over its lifetime.

The Highland Farm wetland pool, at roughly 2.5 acres, will provide proportional results. Adjacent to the wetland is a 9-acre pollinator field. Each wetland took from four to six months to construct and continues to develop naturally.

Water monitoring efforts are underway as officials determine the success and extent of water quality improvement.

“We are starting to focus nutrient reduction efforts in areas around communities that can also provide source-water protection for drinking water supplies,” explained Frana. 

“By strategically placing nutrient reduction practices, we can provide multiple benefits by both protecting local drinking water sources and the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone concerns outlined in the Nutrient Reduction Strategy.”

The number of conservation practices employed across the state continues to grow. Frana said besides wetlands, Iowa  farmers have employed cover crops and bioreactors, and saturated buffers are being considered in suitable areas.

Naig said there are resources available, and IDALS invites more farmers and landowners to explore the possibility of adding a wetland to their land. 

“We have the expertise to design and construct these wetlands, we have the partners and conservation professionals ready to do the work, and we have the resources to get them built,” he said.

Added Bouska, “We grew up on the farm and have deep roots there, as do the next two generations who have spent a lot of time there over the years. Both of our parents were conservation-minded, and we have been carrying that forward by learning as much as we can in the last few years and taking advantage of programs that can help with costs.”

To learn more about specific conservation methods and cost-share options, visit the local USDA-NRCS office for technical and financial assistance.