Many larger cities in Iowa offer cost-share programs to help property owners implement rainscaping practices. These programs typically provide 50% of project costs, up to a maximum amount per project or practice. This financial support makes it more affordable to install features like rain gardens, permeable pavement, and soil quality restoration on your property.
Cities invest in these programs because when individual properties manage their own stormwater, everyone benefits. Local water quality improves as runoff is filtered before reaching waterways, flash flooding decreases as more rainfall soaks into the ground, and municipal stormwater systems experience reduced burden during heavy rains. Contact your city stormwater department or local soil and water conservation district to learn about available programs in your community.
Cost-share programs in Iowa
Practices available for cost share typically include native turf or native landscaping, rain gardens, rain barrels or cisterns, bioswales, bioretention cells, soil quality restoration, permeable pavement, and green roofs. However, not all cities offer funding for each of the practices. Click on the city to learn more about the specifics of their program:
- Altoona
- Ames
- Ankeny
- Bellevue
- Cedar Rapids
- Clive
- Coralville
- Davenport
- Des Moines
- Dubuque
- Easter Lake Watershed
- Iowa City
- Johnston
- Johnson County
- Linn County Soil and Water Conservation District
- Marion
- North Liberty
- Pleasant Hill
- Polk Soil and Water Conservation District
- Urbandale
- Waukee
- West Branch
- West Des Moines
- Windsor Heights