Bill Text: IA HF2477 | 2013-2014 | 85th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to river restoration plans and reports.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-04-25 - Introduced, referred to Agriculture. H.J. 817. [HF2477 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2013-HF2477-Introduced.html
House
File
2477
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2477
BY
ISENHART
and
RUFF
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
river
restoration
plans
and
reports.
1
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
2
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2477
Section
1.
NEW
SECTION
.
456A.33C
River
restoration
plan
1
and
report.
2
1.
a.
The
department
shall
develop
and
annually
update
a
3
river
restoration
plan
and
report
that
shall
be
submitted
to
4
the
general
assembly
by
January
1
of
each
year.
The
plan
and
5
report
shall
include
the
department’s
plans
and
recommendations
6
for
river
restoration
projects
to
receive
funding
consistent
7
with
the
process
and
criteria
provided
in
this
section,
and
8
shall
include
the
department’s
assessment
of
the
progress
and
9
results
of
projects
funded
pursuant
to
the
recommendations.
10
b.
The
department
shall
recommend
funding
for
river
11
restoration
projects
that
are
designed
to
achieve
the
following
12
goals:
13
(1)
Ensure
a
cost-effective,
positive
return
on
investment
14
for
the
citizens
of
Iowa.
15
(2)
Ensure
local
community
commitment
to
river
and
16
watershed
protection.
17
(3)
Ensure
significant
improvement
in
water
quality
and
18
safety.
19
(4)
Provide
for
a
sustainable,
healthy,
functioning
river
20
system
including
wildlife
habitat
and
improved
flood
control.
21
(5)
Result
in
the
removal
of
the
river
from
any
impaired
22
waters
list
maintained
by
the
department
pursuant
to
section
23
455B.195.
24
(6)
Where
feasible,
provide
for
increased
public
access
and
25
enjoyment.
26
2.
The
process
and
criteria
the
department
shall
use
to
27
recommend
funding
for
river
restoration
projects
shall
include
28
the
following:
29
a.
The
department
shall
solicit
recommendations
from
30
stakeholder
groups
and
develop
an
initial
list
of
not
more
than
31
twelve
rivers
or
river
segments
to
be
considered
for
funding
32
based
on
the
necessity
and
feasibility
of
restoring
each
river
33
or
river
segment
and
the
use
or
potential
use
of
the
river
34
or
river
segment,
if
restored.
The
list
may
include
river
35
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2477
projects
under
active
development
that
the
department
shall
1
recommend
be
given
priority
for
funding
so
long
as
progress
2
toward
completion
of
the
projects
remains
consistent
with
the
3
goals
of
this
section.
4
b.
The
department
shall
schedule
public
meetings
with
5
watershed
management
authorities
established
for
the
rivers
6
and
river
segments
on
the
initial
list
to
provide
an
initial
7
assessment
and
to
explain
the
process
and
criteria
for
8
receiving
river
restoration
funding.
The
department
shall
work
9
with
representatives
of
each
watershed
management
authority
to
10
develop
a
joint
river
restoration
action
plan.
At
a
minimum,
11
each
joint
action
plan
shall
document
the
causes,
sources,
and
12
magnitude
of
river
degradation
and
impairment,
evaluate
the
13
feasibility
of
the
river
and
watershed
restoration
options,
14
establish
water
quality
goals
and
a
schedule
for
attainment,
15
assess
the
economic
benefits
of
the
plan,
identify
the
sources
16
and
amounts
of
any
leveraged
funds,
and
describe
the
local
17
commitment
to
the
plan,
including
local
funding.
18
c.
Each
joint
river
restoration
action
plan
shall
comply
19
with
the
following
guidelines:
20
(1)
Biologic
controls
shall
be
utilized
to
the
maximum
21
extent,
wherever
possible.
22
(2)
The
costs
of
river
restoration
shall
include
the
23
maintenance
costs
of
improvements
to
the
river.
24
(3)
Sediment,
phosphorus,
nitrogen,
bacteria,
and
other
25
pollutants
delivered
to
the
river
from
the
watershed
shall
26
be
identified
and
a
plan
to
address
such
hazards
shall
be
27
developed
before
river
restoration
begins.
In
conjunction
28
with
in-river
management,
river
loads
shall
meet
or
exceed
the
29
following
water
quality
targets:
30
(a)
A
diverse,
balanced,
and
sustainable
aquatic
community
31
shall
be
maintained.
32
(b)
The
water
quality
benefits
from
the
restoration
efforts
33
shall
be
sustained
for
at
least
fifty
years.
34
(4)
Practices
including
but
not
limited
to
river
bank
35
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stabilization,
remeandering
rivers,
reshaping
river
banks,
1
improving
river
habitat,
and
modifying
or
removing
old
or
2
unused
dams
shall
be
considered
in
the
development
of
a
joint
3
river
restoration
action
plan.
4
d.
The
department
shall
evaluate
the
joint
action
plans
and
5
prioritize
the
plans
based
on
the
criteria
described
in
this
6
section.
The
department’s
annual
river
restoration
plan
and
7
report
shall
include
the
prioritized
list
and
the
amounts
of
8
state
and
other
funding
the
department
recommends
for
each
9
river
restoration
project.
The
department
shall
seek
public
10
comment
on
its
recommendations
prior
to
submitting
the
plan
and
11
report
to
the
general
assembly.
12
EXPLANATION
13
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
14
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
15
This
bill
relates
to
river
restoration
plans
and
reports.
16
The
bill
requires
the
department
of
natural
resources
to
17
develop
and
annually
update
a
river
restoration
plan
and
report
18
that
shall
be
submitted
to
the
general
assembly
by
January
1
of
19
each
year.
The
plan
and
report
shall
include
the
department’s
20
plans
and
recommendations
for
river
restoration
projects
to
21
receive
funding,
and
shall
include
the
department’s
assessment
22
of
the
progress
and
results
of
projects
funded
pursuant
to
23
these
provisions.
24
The
department
is
required
to
recommend
funding
for
25
river
restoration
projects
that
are
designed
to
ensure
26
a
cost-effective,
positive
return
on
investment
for
the
27
citizens
of
Iowa;
ensure
local
community
commitment
to
river
28
and
watershed
protection;
ensure
significant
improvement
in
29
water
quality
and
safety;
provide
for
a
sustainable,
healthy,
30
functioning
river
system
including
wildlife
habitat
and
31
improved
flood
control;
result
in
the
removal
of
the
river
32
from
any
impaired
waters
list
maintained
by
the
department;
33
and,
where
feasible,
provide
for
increased
public
access
and
34
enjoyment.
35
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2477
The
department
is
required
to
solicit
recommendations
1
from
stakeholder
groups
and
develop
an
initial
list
of
not
2
more
than
12
rivers
or
river
segments
to
be
considered
for
3
funding
based
on
the
necessity
and
feasibility
of
restoring
4
each
river
or
river
segment
and
the
use
or
potential
use
of
5
the
river
or
river
segment,
if
restored.
The
department
shall
6
schedule
public
meetings
with
watershed
management
authorities
7
established
for
the
rivers
and
river
segments
on
the
8
initial
list
to
provide
an
initial
assessment
and
to
explain
9
the
process
and
criteria
for
receiving
river
restoration
10
funding.
The
department
shall
work
with
representatives
11
of
each
watershed
management
authority
to
develop
a
joint
12
river
restoration
action
plan.
Each
joint
river
restoration
13
action
plan
shall
comply
with
certain
listed
guidelines.
The
14
department
shall
evaluate
the
joint
action
plans
and
prioritize
15
the
plans.
The
department’s
annual
river
restoration
plan
and
16
report
shall
include
the
prioritized
list
and
the
amounts
of
17
state
and
other
funding
the
department
recommends
for
each
18
river
restoration
project.
The
department
shall
seek
public
19
comment
on
its
recommendations
prior
to
submitting
the
plan
and
20
report
to
the
general
assembly.
21
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