Governor Terry Branstad was in Carroll last Tuesday, Aug. 30 for a book signing and a fundraiser, and while he was here, he made special mention of the water quality issues facing the state. The Raccoon River’s nitrate levels have been well above the 10 milligrams per liter limit for drinking water which resulted in a lawsuit being filed against Sac, Calhoun and Buena Vista counties by Des Moines Water Works. At the fundraiser, Branstad pointed to one of many projects across the state that are already addressing the issue of runoff.
Republican Iowa Hose Representative Brian Best was also at the event and weighed in on the issue. He wants to get more information to the Iowa legislature before they attempt to address the water quality problem and create an action plan.
The Iowa legislature returns to session in January, and Best says it will be one of the main topics when they reconvene. The lawsuit against Sac, Calhoun and Buena Vista counties is seeking to force runoff from farms in the area to be regulated by the federal government and is expected to go to trial in June, 2017.
