United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 Iowa Go to Accessibility Information
Skip to Page Content





Benton County EQIP

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality. This program is available to farmers and offers financial and technical assistance to install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land.

The following are Benton County resource concerns to be addressed by EQIP:

  1. WATER QUALITY: Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Surface Water and Groundwater; Harmful Levels of Pesticides in Surface Waters; Harmful Levels of Pathogens in Surface Water; Excessive Suspended Sediments and Turbidity in Surface Water as written in Section III of the FOTG.

  2. WATER QUANTITY:  Excessive Runoff, Flooding, or Ponding; Excessive Seepage as written in Section III of the FOTG.

  3. SOIL EROSION: Sheet and Rill; Ephemeral Gully; Classic Gully; Wind; Streambank; and Shoreline as written in Section III of the FOTG.

  4. SOIL CONDITION: Organic Matter Depletion; Compaction; Subsidence; Damage from Soil Deposition as written in Section III of the FOTG.      

  5. PLANT CONDITION: Productivity, Health, and Vigor; Noxious and Invasive Plants; Forage Quality and Palatability as written in Section III of the FOTG.             

  6. FISH & WILDLIFE: Inadequate Food; Inadequate Water; Inadequate Cover/Shelter; Inadequate Space; Threatened and Endangered Species; Habitat Fragmentation as written in Section III of the FOTG.

  7. AIR QUALITY: Chemical Drift; Undesirable Air movement; Objectionable Odors; Adverse Air Temperature; Excessive Green House Gas (CO2, N20, CH4); Particulate Matter (PM 10, PM 2.5) as written in Section III of the FOTG.

  8. DOMESTIC ANIMALS: Inadequate Quantities and Quality of Feed and Forage; Inadequate Stock Water; Inadequate Shelter; Stress and Mortality as written in Section III of the FOTG.

These resource concerns address the following National EQIP priorities:  

  1. Reduction of non-point source pollution, such as nutrients, sediment, pesticides, or excess salinity IN IMPAIRED WATERSHEDS CONSISTENT WITH Total Daily Maximum Loads (TMDL’s), where available, as well as the reduction of groundwater contamination and reduction of point sources such as contamination from confined animal feeding operations.        

  2. Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable high levels on agricultural land.  

  3. Promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation.            

  4. Reduction of emissions, such as particulate matter, nitrogen (NOx), volatile organic compounds, and ozone precursors and depleters that contribute to air quality impairment violations of National Ambient Air Quality Standards.               

The goal of the locally led group was to recommend a ranking system that rewarded and gave priority to those producers that address the above resource concerns inclusion within designated a 319/water quality project, inclusion within a watershed above a public lake and inclusion within watersheds of primary concern.

  • 319 projects: Hannen Lake and Price Creek watersheds – Water quality, soil erosion, plant condition, and domestic animals.

  • Public Lakes: Hannen Lake, Rodgers Park, and Pleasant Creek watersheds - Water quality, soil erosion, plant condition, and domestic animals.

  • Watershed of primary concern: Iowa River drainage area, NE corner of Benton County (east and north of the Cedar River), and Prairie Creek - Water quality, soil erosion, plant condition, air quality, animal wildlife, and domestic animals.

The ranking will be completed for the specific practices to be applied through the EQIP contract. Sign-up is continuous at the NRCS field office. Application ranking will be done periodically as funding allocations become available, will be announced through the NRCS State Office, and will be publicized by all levels of NRCS. The NRCS may establish local, minimum ranking cut-off levels for funding selection. Initial EQIP funds will be allocated based on the following percentage unless requests are not received to fully obligate funds within that resource concern.

  • 40%     Livestock

  • 60%     Other Resource Concerns

The local work group also recommended a list of conservation practices that are the most cost-effective, longest duration and address these priority resource concerns in the district. 

For more information on EQIP and other NRCS administrated programs contact the Benton County USDA Service Center located at 1705 West D St, Vinton, Iowa 52349.  Phone 319-472-2161 Press3.  Fax 319-472-4649.

The following files require Acrobat Reader.

EQIP Practice List - 2009
EQIP Application Ranking - 2009
EQIP Nutrient Management Intensity Options - 2009
EQIP Pest Management Intensity Options - 2009   

EQIP Practice List - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only
 EQIP Nutrient Management Intensity Options - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only

 EQIP Practice List - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only

< Back to Iowa EQIP