Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today celebrated the closing of the state’s last remaining Agricultural Drainage Wells (ADWs), concluding a more than quarter-century of sustained effort to close 195 of these drainage structures.
ADWs were drilled into fractured limestone and connected to farm field drainage tiles. They were constructed by private landowners and farmers in the early to mid-1900s to discharge tile drainage into underground aquifers. This produced a direct conduit for stormwater to enter groundwater while the landowner or neighbors also used the same aquifers for their well drinking water.
Secretary Naig visited the final Humboldt County project today near Gilmore City, which involved 8 different properties with 13 different landowners that all had to agree for this project to move forward. The innovative project, which has been in the planning or construction phase for six years, resulted in the closing of seven ADWs with the drainage re-directed into a water quality wetland spanning 137 acres.
“The closure of Iowa’s Ag Drainage Wells represents a significant milestone in our efforts to improve Iowa’s water quality. Improving water quality takes time, commitment, and dedicated funding, but this demonstrates that when there is a strategy and funding in place, this impactful work can get done successfully,” said Secretary Naig. “I want to thank everyone who has played a role throughout this ongoing effort – farmers, landowners, engineers, conservation professionals, legislators and many other engaged public and private partners, including the Soil and Water Conservation Districts and County Boards of Supervisors. I’m pleased that we can now close this chapter even as we continue to push forward with our many other water quality and conservation initiatives across the state.”
The Iowa Legislature enacted the Iowa Groundwater Protection Act in 1987, which required that ADWs be studied. The Department developed an inventory, and it was determined that the state had approximately 300 ADWs. Approximately one-third of the wells were closed either by landowners or with funding from the Watershed Improvement Review Board or were determined to be non-functioning. This left 195 ADWs to be closed, with 178 of them located in Humboldt, Pocahontas or Wright Counties. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources began monitoring and permitting the remaining ADWs until they could be closed.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship received its first appropriation directed toward closing ADWs in 1997. This was used to close 37 ADWs in Pocahontas County. As funding became available over the years, the Department continually worked to close as many as possible per year. In total, the Department has received approximately $25 million in state appropriations from the Iowa Legislature, with the last appropriation in Fiscal Year 2021. These public funds have been paired with nearly $12 million in landowner and partner contributions.
To learn more about ADWs or this specific project in Humboldt County, view a video from May 2024 presented by the Iowa Learning Farms.
