IA HF151

Requires landowners with property adjacent to public water sources (rivers, streams, lakes, drainage ditches) to establish and maintain riparian protection buffers of perennial vegetation with a 50-foot average width and 30-foot minimum width, or alternative conservation practices providing equivalent water quality protection

Creates a riparian protection inventory and map system administered by the Department of Natural Resources to identify public water sources requiring protection, with priority given to impaired waters on the Section 303(d) list and high-quality water resources

Establishes compliance timelines of 12 months for standard buffers and 24 months for drainage district ditches after land is identified in the published inventory, with soil and water conservation district commissioners able to grant one-time waivers of up to one year

Provides exemptions for land enrolled in federal conservation reserve programs, land covered by conservation easements, wetlands, structures, designated perennial crops, and areas where only one landowner is riparian

Imposes civil penalties of $100 per parcel assessed every 30 days for the first 180 days of noncompliance, increasing to $500 per parcel every 30 days thereafter, with penalties credited to the state general fund