Farmers from north central Carroll, southeast Sac and southwest Calhoun Counties came together in Breda yesterday (Wednesday) to discuss project goals and priorities at the Elk Run Water Quality Initiative Kick-off. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey, joined several water quality experts on hand to discuss state-funded projects and conservation practices.
He said they were beginning discussions on how this fits in with the future of ensuring water quality. Northey said he sees a lot of private initiatives utilizing voluntary efforts on the part of producers.
He added through these types of meetings, the state is seeing how producers can innovate through a voluntary route rather than be forced to do so through a regulatory one, such as is occurring with the Des Moines Waterworks lawsuit against the drainage districts in Calhoun, Sac and Buena Vista Counties. Governor Branstad is supportive of the projects and is in discussions on how to bring forward more financial support. When the nutrient reduction strategy final version was introduced in May of 2013, some leaders were hesitant, but Northey says many of them have now joined the effort to find more resources for increased water quality.
