The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency requires each state to update its Nonpoint Source (NPS) Management Plan every five years in order to remain eligible for the federal Clean Water Act Section 319 grant.
In Iowa, the process of updating Iowa’s Nonpoint Source Management Plan has been taking place since 2023 through a collaboration between the Iowa DNR, Iowa State University (ISU) Extension, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), and other primary nonpoint source agencies, organizations, and groups.
A timeline of activities to update the NPS Plan is shown below:
- January-April 2023: Drafting of an updated NPS Plan by interagency committee (Iowa DNR, ISU Extension, IDALS)
- April 27, 2023: Interagency meeting to discuss draft NPS Plan (Iowa DNR, ISU, IDALS, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Iowa)
- July 2023: Preliminary draft of NPS Plan completed
- September 12, 2023: Public meeting presentation by ISU Extension of preliminary draft NPS Plan
- October 2023: Presentation of NPS Plan Vision to DNR Environmental Protection Commission
- November 15, 2023: NPS Plan Vision completed
- December 2023: Public review of NPS Plan Vision
- End of December 2023: Official submittal of NPS Plan Vision to EPA
- Spring - Summer 2024: Revision process with EPA
As of December 29, 2023, the open public comment period has ended for the NPS Plan Vision. The plan and supporting documents remain available for review below:
Questions can be directed to Watershed.Improvement@dnr.iowa.gov.