It’s getting harder for Iowans to feel safe in our water ways! That’s because the Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently released the draft 2022 Impaired Waters list, reporting 783 impairments within 594 water ways in Iowa. Iowa now has 5 more impairments, and 9 more impaired waterways than were reported in 2020!

The Impaired Waters list makes clear the link between factory farming and the toxic pollutants in our water ways. For decades, we’ve allowed factory farms and corporate ag to pollute our water by relying on unsuccessful, taxpayer-funded voluntary approaches.

Members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement know voluntary measures won’t work – if so, our impaired waterways would be decreasing.

We need mandatory rules and regulations with tough public oversight and we need to take stronger action to protect Iowan’s and our water ways! We need a moratorium NOW and to hold Factory Farms accountable for their dangerous pollutants causing water impairments such as toxic inorganics: ammonia, harmful bacteria, algae growths, fish kills caused by animal waste, pesticides, fertilizer spills, and more.

Thankfully, the Iowa DNR is seeking public comments through March 19. I’ll be telling the DNR to double down on efforts to protect and restore Iowa’s water ways and to hold Big AG accountable for their pollutants! I hope you will too by commenting at: IRcomment@dnr.iowa.gov.

Jann Wann

Mason City, Iowa