Iowa Farmer Today
08-19-06
Protecting water quality farmer’s duty
By Hannah Fletcher, Iowa Farmer Today
The twists and turns of the Iowa River that passes through David Petty’s farm act as reminder water quality is a priority.
For Petty, the state’s water-quality issue is simple — farmers have a duty to take care of their land, but water quality can coincide with those goals.
While his area is mostly flat, Petty’s land next to the river includes rolling bluffs and areas sensitive to erosion.
Consequently, he has installed terraces and grass waterways to conserve soil and stabilize the stream bank. He also uses minimum tillage or no-till and farms on the contour.
Petty runs a cow-calf operation and grows corn, soybeans and hay. He follows regulations when applying manure, which supplements his commercial fertilizer.
Half of his land is devoted to crop production, and the more marginal half is in pasture or hay ground.
“It is just the right thing to do,” he says. “Farming next to the river helps make you aware of (waterquality issues).”
Petty’s efforts have earned him an environmental excellence award from the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and environmental stewardship awards from cattlemen’s associations at the state and regional level.
He also serves on the governor-appointed Environmental Commission for the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Commissioners help determine waterquality standards. Petty says it’s sometimes difficult to explain farmers’ commitment to the environment.
“It’s tough. Some people think standards are too strict, others think they are not strict enough. In reality, the solution is probably somewhere in between,” he says.
“Everyone wants clean water but it has to be realistic.”
Where Iowa stands with current conditions and standards can be controversial.

But, experts are united on some issues surrounding water quality.
Water quality improving
Most experts agree water quality is improving thanks to efforts from farmers, ag groups, city facilities, and state and local agencies.
“There are some people who would say it is getting worse, and I just don’t believe that,” says Jim Baker, professor emeritus at Iowa State University and part-timer with the Iowa Department of Agriculture.
“We have made definite strides in erosion and sediment control,” he says.
A USDA survey found soil erosion on cultivated and non-cultivated cropland decreased 43 percent between 1982 and 2003.
Petty says improved nutrient management and conservation practices have contributed less nutrients to water.
“Nutrient levels are less than they were 20 years ago,” he says. “But, there are isolated spots that are worse and, unfortunately, those get the attention.”
Referring to his 34-year-career in water-quality monitoring, Dean Lemke, state ag department chief of the water resource bureau, says overall water quality is better than ever.
“Agriculture has made very significant contributions to that,” he says.
However, Lemke says understanding water-quality improvement sometimes is difficult. Standards and research are always identifying additional problems and recommending new standards.
“We shouldn’t be comparing our progress only to gaps in the current goals,” he says.
“There have been huge advances in water quality in Iowa.
“Is it done? No.”
Agriculture part of problem, solution
While farmers have contributed to water-quality solutions, they also have helped cause the problem.

“I think that (non-point sources) is going to increasingly be the focus,” Lemke says. “We have rich dense soils, but it’s a leaky system.”
Non-point sources contribute to water quality indirectly. An example is water runoff that eventually enters waterways. Point- source polluters directly contribute to waterways.
Non-point sources contribute 82 percent of the n itrogen concentration in Iowa’s water, says Wayne Gieselman, DNR Environmental Services Division administrator.
In looking at maps of N loads from the 31-state Mississippi River basin, Iowa stands out as a major contributor to nitrate loads in the Gulf of Mexico hypoxia zone. Algae blooms cause hxpoxia, the deprivation of oxygen that weakens aquatic health.
“Contributions from the Cornbelt seem to blink, and Iowa blinks within the
Cornbelt,” he says.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Iowa’s median nitrate concentration is
10.6 milligrams per liter compared with 7.1 mg/liter for the rest of the Cornbelt.
Iowa contributes .39 median mg/liter phosphorus compared with .342 mg/liter from the Cornbelt.
Baker says experts agree phosphorus contributes, but nitrates are the biggest contributors to hypoxia in the Gulf.
However, it is important to remember nitrogen occurs naturally in Iowa’s fertile soils, Baker says.
“EPA has proposed 2 parts per million (nitrogen in water bodies), and we are at about 6 ( ppm) in areas without applied nitrogen,” he says.
Dense nitrogen areas simply reflect agriculture — Iowa’s No. 1 industry, Lemke says.
“I think we shouldn’t apologize for that,” he says. “Farmers are trying to make the best use of the land while producin g food and now fuel for the nation.”
Lemke serves as coordinator for Upper Mississippi River Sub-basin Nutrient
Hypoxia Committee, a five-state task force working toward understanding and finding solutions for hypoxia in the Gulf.

Lemke says he often rep resents Iowa and defends the state’s structure to out-ofstate experts. Iowa hosted a conference this past fall, which gave visitors a better understanding, he says.
“They got to see the landscape, the crops, and it helps them understand Iowa,” he says.
Lemke believes the key will be setting reasonable goals that comply with national standards while maintaining a strong food-production structure.
He says Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge likes to reiterate, “Iowa is not going to stop producing fo od.”
Experts agree there is no “magic-bullet solution,” but agriculture may evolve to make water quality more of a priority.
Gieselman, who farmed for 20 years in Southeast Iowa, foresees additional crops added to the rotation, updates in drainage systems and targeted conservation practices on the most vulnerable areas.
He said there may be incentives for perennial crops that are better at conserving soil, or added buffer strips that may be harvested.
Gieselman said the ethanol may move toward cellulosic materials, such as swtichgrass, which could be added to the usual crop rotation.
He understands farmers also need solutions that are economical and benefit their operations.
“Farmers have spent a lot of money and effort on conservation practices, and t hey want to spend more,” he says.
Cleaner water important for all
Gieselman says everyone wants cleaner water, including farmers. “Farmers want better water quality. They don’t want to contribute to this,” he notes.
The DNR measures water quality in bacteria levels and nutrient loads, but most people also measure water quality and hold its value in high regard, he says.
“It’s important if you want to go boating at Clear Lake, and you don’t want your boat covered in algae. It’s important if you want to be able to see your hand when you put it one foot under water,” Gieselman says.
When Petty attends commission meetings, he often explains farmers are the first to care about water quality in Iowa.

“After all, we are the ones that live here, and we are the ones that live in rural areas. We want to make things right,” he says.
Not only does the Iowa River serve as a reminder for Petty, he also has found a balance between successful production and meaningfulenvironmental measures.
His methods control erosion, and improve soil and water quality.
“Clearly, farmers have the best intentions to take care of the land. We are the ones who benefit,” Petty says.
“It is possible to cover all (priorities) — the economics, conservation and the environment.”