Nunn Secures Four Iowa Water Wins in House-Passed Water Resources Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) secured passage of four Iowa water priorities through the U.S. House of Representatives in the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 . The provisions authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to study central Iowa's long-term water supply and the condition of southern Iowa's watersheds, while also expediting a wetland project that reduces the sediment and phosphorus reaching a drinking water source serving more than 80,000 people.

"Iowans are rightly concerned about nitrate levels in our rivers, and every family deserves peace of mind when they turn on the tap," said Rep. Nunn . "Clean water and a strong farm economy go together in Iowa. Every one of these requests came from Iowans who know the water issues our state faces better than Washington. My job is to deliver the air support they need to keep that work moving, and to make sure the federal government backs the solutions Iowa is already building."

Rep. Nunn's four provisions include:

• Saylorville Reservoir water supply and sediment study serving Polk and Dallas Counties . Authorizes the Corps to study improvements to Saylorville Reservoir that could strengthen the region's long-term water supply and help Des Moines Water Works and Central Iowa Water Works continue providing reliable drinking water to local communities.
• Walker Branch Wetland Project at Rathbun Lake serving Wayne County. Directs the Corps to expedite completion of a 125-acre wetland restoration to reduce the sediment and phosphorus reaching Rathbun Lake, the only source of water for the Rathbun Regional Water Association's two treatment plants, which serve more than 80,000 people in southern Iowa and northern Missouri.
• Lower Des Moines River Watershed study serving Appanoose, Davis, Marion, Monroe, and Wapello Counties . Authorizes a feasibility study for flood risk management and ecosystem restoration across the full watershed instead of one county at a time.
• Little Soap Creek Watershed study serving Appanoose and Davis Counties . Authorizes a feasibility study for flood risk management and ecosystem restoration in the Little Soap Creek Watershed.

The bill also creates a new Office of Water Supply, Water Conservation, and Drought Resiliency within Army Civil Works to coordinate the Corps' water supply studies, handle reservoir storage reallocation, assist local partners, and work down the backlog of studies.

These wins build on Rep. Nunn's broader efforts to tackle Iowa's water challenges with practical, Iowa-led solutions, including $500,000 he delivered to complete a 21-county monitoring network, a voluntary, state-led clean water pilot program he secured in the House-passed PERMIT Act , and provisions in the House-passed Farm Bill to strengthen federal flood response and improve watershed resilience.

The Water Resources Development Act of 2026 now awaits consideration by the U.S. Senate.

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