As Iowans, we expect the rivers, streams, and lakes in the state to be free of pollutants, that the fish we catch are safe to eat, and that we can wade, boat, and swim without becoming sick. Yet not every waterbody in Iowa is free of pollutants. What’s worse is that some pollutants are not visible when you look at the water.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has issued a draft list of 608 water bodies in Iowa as being impaired. The waters have 818 different impairments, or pollutants, that are impairing the waters. This list compares to the 2014 list which had 571 waterbodies with 754 impairments. An impaired water body is a polluted water body.
- Funding water quality by implementing the 3/8 cent sales tax. Furthermore, we do not expect this sales tax to be revenue neutral.
- Establishing numerical standards for nutrients for Iowa’s lakes, rivers and streams, setting a date for each water body to meet the standards, monitoring the water bodies throughout the year, and implementing programs that aggressively work toward nutrient reduction.
- Restoring funding to the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, a leader in researching sustainable farming techniques that protect Iowa’s water quality.These measures will bring Iowa a long way toward improving water quality. Ask Governor Reynolds to work on these measures.
Thank you for your support.
