Naig reports water quality progress
Though water quality remains a hot topic in Iowa, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig took time this week to spread what he considers good news on the fifth anniversary of the state’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy. That document guides voluntary work that is at the heart of the Legislature’s $250 million, 12-year initiative approved this year, which supporters say is the key to cleaning waterways and critics say is an underfunded program that will fail because it doesn’t set deadlines or a system to monitor improvements.
In Naig’s opinion, the highlights have included:
- $420 million in private and public sector funding for water quality efforts in 2017, an increase of $32 million year-to-year.
- More than 250 partner organizations are participating in the 65 water quality demonstration projects, providing $37.7 million to match $23.4 million in state funding.
- 760,000 acres of cover crops were planted in Iowa in 2017, up 22 percent in a year. In 2009, less than 10,000 acres was planted in cover crops with state aid.
- Nearly 8,000 farmers signed up to use techniques to improve water quality, spending $17 million to plant cover crops, limit tillage or use chemicals that help prevent nitrate pollution.
- Twelve cities and seven industries have met goals for removing nitrogen pollution. Five cities and three industries met goals for reducing phosphorus pollution. Nitrogen is related to health-threatening nitrate in water supplies, and phosphorus leads to algae blooms.
- Of the 154 municipal wastewater plants and industrial facilities required to assess their nutrient removal capacity, 125 have been issued new permits.
- A total of 43 municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants have committed to constructing upgrades to remove phosphorus and nitrogen.
- The Iowa Nutrient Research Center at Iowa State University, created in 2013, has provided over $7 million to fund 60 competitive grants focused on evaluating the performance of current conservation practices.