Iowa: Stressing Water Quality

DES MOINES (DTN) -- Three major commodity groups in Iowa have joined forces to better engage farmers about the need to voluntarily reduce nutrient runoff in the state.

The Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance was launched Monday at the Iowa State Capitol with state political leaders, which reflects some of the urgency to show reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus loads in Iowa waterways.

After years of study and public comment, Iowa officials rolled out a nutrient reduction strategy in May 2013 that detailed a commitment to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus in waterways by 45%.

Yet, farm groups felt the need to increase awareness of the nutrient reduction program and why it is being done. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and Iowa Pork Producers Association each opted to spend money and commit to more aggressively educating farmers about nutrient problems and the farm practices that can reduce nutrient loss from farms.

The alliance will be tasked with raising more awareness about the state's nutrient-reduction strategy as well as championing farm practices that reduce water and nutrient runoff from fields. The alliance also will work with federal and state agricultural officials on programs and funding efforts, as well as encouraging continued research activities at Iowa universities.

Branstad said the alliance will bring "additional momentum" to the efforts to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus runoff.

Branstad vetoed $11.2 million for water quality programs in May, a decision that even drew some criticism at the time from state Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. Still, Branstad cited that spending for water-quality programs has increased 26% under his most recent tenure as governor. Branstad noted that aggressively reducing nutrient loads will not come quickly or easily.

"I think we have to have patience and recognize it's not going to happen instantaneously," Branstad said.

The 45% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus is considered a long-term goal, one that could cost as much as $4.5 billion to implement on farms and waterways through investments in conservation practices. To implement statewide means effectively improving soil and cropping practices on as much as 30 million acres.

Northey said the best way to engage farmers is through producer organizations and businesses that work closest with farmers. The alliance should help improve that effort.

"We want to make sure that we are not pointing fingers, but we're all working toward a worthy goal that will take some time," Northey said.

Kirk Leeds, chief executive officer of the Iowa Soybean Association, will serve as chairman of the new alliance. Leeds said the alliance's goal is to stave off efforts to create a regulatory regime for fertilizer applications in the state.

"The Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance was formed because we recognize that a simplistic regulatory scheme touted by some will not significantly improve water quality in this state, nor will another marketing-PR campaign touting the importance of agriculture," Leeds said. "Serious matters demand serious effort."

Leeds acknowledged more effort is needed to educate farmers. Despite conservation practices now in place, current farming practices won't effectively reduce nutrient loads by the volumes needed.

"Farmers, like every audience, need to hear the message several times," Leeds said. "We believe farmers have adopted many practices, but the reality is that we have got to do better. If we just simply let farmers do what they are already doing, we're not going to see the improvement needed and adoption of conservation practices that we all want to see."

Leeds added that farmers also need to be aware that consumers and the public are watching and want to see results. There are more concerns about the quality of water in Iowa, he said.

Moreover, farm groups in Iowa also have watched the reaction and concern raised when Toledo, Ohio, residents had to stop drinking water earlier this month because of algal blooms blamed on farm runoff in Lake Erie.

Sean McMahon, who is currently the agriculture program director for the Nature Conservancy, will take over as executive director for the new alliance in mid-September. McMahon noted farmers also have to recognize the "value proposition" of what's in it for them to reduce fertilizer applications or reduce tillage practices. He stressed the importance of ensuring that nutrient-reduction strategies remain voluntary for crop farmers.

"I personally believe regulations will not work when it comes to row-crops and non-point nutrient sources," McMahon said. With as many as 90,000 farmers just in Iowa, McMahon said the scale of regulations on non-point sources would be overwhelming.

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

Follow him on Twitter @ChrisClaytonDTN

(AG/CZ)

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