Branstad and Northey continue pushing water quality efforts

by | May 3, 2016 | 5 Ag Stories, News

by Ben Nuelle

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey and Governor Terry Branstad visited a water quality wetland north of Gilmore City Tuesday. Governor Branstad and Secretary Northey met with local officials at a constructed wetland part of Drainage District 178.

They received an update on the efforts in the county to use constructed, water quality wetland in conjunction with farm drainage to improve water quality.

?This is part of the Iowa initiative pilot project,? says Don Etler project engineer for the drainage district. ?So they are doing water quality sampling down there. They are sampling the water as it goes in and out.?

Governor Branstad says he is pleased with the progress being made with the wetland.

He hopes for long term funding for water quality projects like this but a water quality bill did not make it through the Iowa legislature this year.

Branstad says it?s going to take time.

?When you have a project of this magnitude which involves millions of dollars over several decades obviously it takes a while. That is the reason why I am continuing to go out and visit projects like this all over the state to be able to know as much as I can and also to just get the word out to the public about the commitment farmers are making and how we need to partner with them.?

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey says this is a great example of what funding can do.

?This drains 2,500 acres. It reduces nitrates by about 40 percent. It actually closed some ag drainage wells which used to put water directly down into the ground water and the risk that could be. It also improved drainage for the farmers to allow them to be more productive.?

Northey adds this a great mix of different kinds of results from this project.