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CLOSE UP. HIGH NITRATE LEVELS IN OUR WATER. WE LOOK AT WHAT’S DRIVING POLLUTION IN OUR DRINKING WATER SOURCES AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP CLEAN THEM UP. HEAR FROM RESEARCHERS, WATER QUALITY LEADERS AND PEOPLE WORKING TO FIND SOLUTIONS. THIS IS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. THIS IS ����vlog EIGHT NEWS. CLOSE UP. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR JOINING US FOR ����vlog EIGHT NEWS CLOSE UP. I’M CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER. WELL, THIS SUMMER YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD A LOT ABOUT WATER QUALITY AND CONTAMINATION IN CENTRAL IOWA. NOW THE CONVERSATION REALLY TOOK OFF ON JUNE 12TH WHEN CENTRAL IOWA WATER WORKS ISSUED A LAWN WATERING BAN FOR ITS MORE THAN 600,000 CUSTOMERS. THEY SAID THAT WOULD HELP THEM TREAT HIGH NITRATE LEVELS IN DRINKING WATER SOURCES. AT THE SAME TIME THAT WATER DEMAND WAS INCREASING FROM LAWN IRRIGATION, NITRATES ARE NUTRIENTS THAT HELP CROPS GROW, BUT TOO MUCH IN THE WATER CAN CAUSE POLLUTION AND HEALTH CONCERNS. NITRATE CONCENTRATIONS TEND TO FLUCTUATE WITH LARGE RAINSTORMS, AND WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF THOSE THIS SUMMER. TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, IN THE FIRST 24 DAYS OF JULY THIS YEAR, WE’VE SEEN SIMILAR RAINFALL TOTALS AS THE SAME TIME PERIOD IN 1993, WHEN IOWA EXPERIENCED THE GREAT FLOOD. NOW, IOWA’S JULY MONTHLY AVERAGE IS ABOUT FIVE INCHES LESS THAN THESE NUMBERS. BUT THE MONTH IS NOT OVER YET. JUST LAST WEEK, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS WERE ALLOWED TO START WATERING YARDS AGAIN IN PHASES. CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER SUZANNE BEHNKE BRINGS US UP TO SPEED ON THE SITUATION IN CENTRAL IOWA’S LAWN WATERING BAN, STARTED JUNE 12TH. NITRATES IN WATER SOURCES AND HIGH CUSTOMER DEMAND TRIGGERED IT IN 2025, WHICH IS WHERE WE’RE AT NOW. WE ALL KNOW THAT STORY. CENTRAL IOWA WATER WORKS BOARD MEMBERS SAY IT’S BEEN A PERFECT STORM OF FACTORS THIS YEAR, AND THAT STORM MEANS THE METRO’S THREE MAIN SOURCES WERE ABOVE THE EPA NITRATE STANDARD OF 10MG/L. THAT INCLUDES THE DES MOINES AND RACCOON RIVERS, ALONG WITH A PIPE UNDERNEATH WATERWORKS PARK THAT BRINGS IN GROUNDWATER FOR TREATMENT. NITRATES SURGING IN ALL THREE SOURCES SETS THIS YEAR APART. 2025 IS AN ANOMALY, EVEN WITH LET ME FIND IT. EVEN WITH 2013 BEING THE RECORD NITRATE YEAR, CENTRAL IOWA WATER WORKS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TAMMY MADSEN SAYS THE WATER SOURCES WERE ABOVE EPA STANDARDS FOR NEARLY 38 STRAIGHT DAYS. AT A BOARD MEETING WEDNESDAY, MEMBERS ASKED THE BIG QUESTION WHAT’S THE CAUSE? THE ANSWER A COMBINATION OF RAIN, DROUGHT IN PREVIOUS YEARS, FERTILIZERS OR MANURE BEING APPLIED TO LAND AND THEN RUNNING OFF. I THINK ONE FACTOR THAT MAY BE HELPFUL TO KNOW IS DURING TIMES OF DROUGHT, WHICH WE HAD DROUGHT 2021 TO 2024, RIGHT? THERE’S NOTHING TO REALLY CARRY THE NUTRIENTS OFF THE LAND INTO THE WATERWAYS. AND SO THAT THE NUTRIENTS HAVE BUILT UP OVER THAT AMOUNT OF TIME. THIS YEAR, THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF RAIN, A LOT OF CAPTURED NUTRIENTS IN THAT SOIL. AND SO IT’S JUST BEEN EXCESSIVE RUNOFF, HIGH LEVELS OF NITRATES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BLUE BABY SYNDROME AND HAVE BEEN LINKED TO CANCER. AS CUSTOMERS, WE ALL WANT TO POINT TO THAT ONE THING THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION, AND I THINK THE TRUTH IS, OPERATIONALLY, THIS IS JUST VERY COMPLEX BECAUSE THERE ARE MULTIPLE FACTORS THAT ARE JUST PILING ON AND THAT ARE DIFFERENT EACH YEAR. STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS TELL ����vlog INVESTIGATES HIGH NITRATE LEVELS IN THE WATER ARE A STATEWIDE PROBLEM. THEY SAY FIXING THAT WILL TAKE POLICY CHANGES AND STAKEHOLDERS WORKING TOGETHER. UNTIL THAT HAPPENS, THERE’S NO EASY ANSWER. THERE’S NOTHING. WE’RE WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO TO. ANSWER THAT QUESTION IN A VERY SHORT SENTENCE OR TWO, OR EVEN A SHORT PARAGRAPH. YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL YEAR SEPARATELY AND APART FROM 2013, 2025, 2024, THEY ALL HAVE SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. AND OUR SUZANNE BANK HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING THE NITRATE ISSUE IN IOWA’S WATER. ACTUALLY, BEFORE THAT LAWN WATERING BAN TOOK EFFECT. YOU’VE BEEN LONG LOOKING INTO THIS. SO THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING, SUZANNE. THANKS FOR HAVING ME, AMANDA. WELL, AS YOU NOTED THERE IN YOUR STORY, I THINK A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE’VE BEEN GETTING FROM PEOPLE IS, WHAT’S THE CAUSE? BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, NEXT TIME THIS YEAR, WHAT’S BEING DONE RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE NOT BACK IN THIS SAME SITUATION. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR INVESTIGATION LOOKING INTO THIS REALLY SHOWS THAT IT’S A COMPLEX ISSUE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE NOTE OF IS THAT WATER UTILITIES ARE HERE. THEIR MAIN FUNCTION IS TO PROVIDE THE CLEAN DRINKING WATER. SO THEIR ABILITY TO REALLY TRY AND GET AHEAD, TO MITIGATE NITRATES OR OTHER CONTAMINANTS IN WATER, THAT’S NOT UP TO THEM. THAT RESPONSIBILITY LIES ELSEWHERE. SO THEY’RE THEY THEY ONLY HAVE LIMITED THINGS THAT ARE WITHIN THEIR CONTROL. THAT’S RIGHT. AND AND WHAT WE’VE HEARD AND WHAT WE’VE REPORTED ON IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST 30 YEARS, BECAUSE NITRATES IN OUR WATER, THAT’S NOT A NEW ISSUE HERE IN CENTRAL IOWA. EVERY NEW FACILITY, EVERY NEW TREATMENT PLANT THAT’S BEEN PUT ONLINE IN THE LAST 30 YEARS AND PROBABLY EVEN BEFORE THAT, HAS BEEN WITH HOW TO TREAT NITRATES, HIGH LEVELS OF NITRATES AS THEY GO ALONG, AS THEY BUILD OUT. AND THAT’S CONTINUING. FOR INSTANCE, THERE’S WHAT’S KNOWN AS AN ASR OR AN AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY FACILITY THAT’S UNDERGROUND AND THAT’S BEING BUILT IN WEST DES MOINES RIGHT NOW. THAT WILL HOLD 300 MILLION GALLONS OF TREATED WATER. AND IT’S FILLED UP DURING THE WINTER WHEN DEMAND IS LOW, SO THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE PEAK DEMAND TIME OF SUMMER, THAT IT CAN BE PULLED FROM. SO THEY’RE LOOKING AT LOTS OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS TO TO MORE QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY TREAT HIGH LEVELS OF NITRATES, WHILE MAYBE OTHER PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE REDUCE THE LEVEL OF NITRATES IN OUR WATERWAYS? RIGHT. I THINK YOU’VE GOT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT GROUPS LOOKING AT DIFFERENT AREAS OF WHAT IS A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE. YOU KNOW, IT’S COMPLEX. THE OTHER THING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AT THAT MEETING THAT YOU WERE AT WAS POTENTIALLY MORE MONEY TO EXPAND THE NITRATE TREATMENT. YES. SO THE BOARD APPROVED MOVING $1.2 MILLION FROM A DIFFERENT PROJECT TO LOOKING AT A AT HOW TO EXPAND THE NITRATE REMOVAL FACILITY. NOW, THAT FACILITY IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST TOOL IN IN THE TOOLBOX, IF YOU WILL, TO REMOVE NITRATES OR TREAT NITRATES FROM THE WATER, REMOVE THEM, TREAT THEM. BUT IT HAS A LIMITED NUMBER OF VESSELS. IT CAN RUN PARTIALLY. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE TURNED ON IN FULL THE WHOLE TIME. HOWEVER, WITH THIS YEAR AND SOME OTHER YEARS, YOU KNOW, THEY’VE TALKED ABOUT THIS. THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS COME UP IN CONVERSATION, BUT DO WE NEED MORE OF THOSE VESSELS TO BE ABLE TO TREAT MORE? AND SO THAT MONEY THAT WAS APPROPRIATED AT THAT MEETING WILL GO TO LOOK AT THAT. ARE THEY UNDER THE PERSPECTIVE THAT IF THEY ARE ABLE TO INCREASE HOW QUICKLY OR HOW MUCH WATER CAN BE TREATED AT A TIME, THAT THAT WILL SOLVE THE ISSUE, OR DOES IT NEED TO ALSO COME WITH LOWERING NITRATE LEVELS FROM A DIFFERENT AREA AS WELL? I AGAIN, I THINK THEY’RE LOOKING AT THEIR MAIN RESPONSIBILITY, WHICH IS TO TREAT THE WATER NO MATTER WHAT THE LEVELS ARE COMING IN FROM ANY OF THOSE MAIN SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER, THEIR JOB IS TO IS TO STILL MEET THAT EPA STANDARD, WHICH IS 10MG/L OF NITRATES IN DRINKING WATER. THAT’S THAT’S THEIR CHIEF CONCERN. IT’S THEIR MISSION. SO I FEEL LIKE THEY THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE LASER FOCUSED ON. THEY ARE THERE I THINK 200 TIMES A DAY. THERE’S TESTING THAT GOES ON ON VARIOUS PARTS OF THE RIVERS, VARIOUS PARTS OF THE TREATMENT FACILITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY MEET THAT STANDARD. AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST 30 YEARS THAT NITRATE STANDARD HAS NEVER BEEN BROKEN UP. AND SO IT’S IT’S NOT JUST IT’S NOT JUST LOOKING AT WHAT CAN WE DO IN THE NOW THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT WHAT CAN THEY DO IN THE FUTURE, BUT THEY’RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE EXPAND CAPACITY, HOW DO WE KNOWING THAT WE DO HAVE HIGH NITRATE LEVELS IN THE WATER, HOW DO WE TREAT FOR THAT, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE A GROWING POPULATION HERE IN CENTRAL IOWA NOW? WE ONLY HAVE A VERY LITTLE AMOUNT OF TIME LEFT. BUT ONE THING I WANTED TO NOTE AS WELL IS THE EPA STANDARD THAT THEY’RE TREATING TO. THEY’RE TREATING OUR WATER TO 10MG/L. NOW, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT DIFFERENT STUDIES THAT HAVE LINKED, YOU KNOW, LEVELS BELOW 10MG/L TO DIFFERENT HEALTH CONCERNS. BUT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE WATER UTILITY, THEY’RE TREATING IT TO TEN. THEY CAN’T NECESSARILY GO BENEATH THAT LIMIT OR THERE’S NOTHING INCENTIVIZING THEM OR PUSHING THEM TO TREAT THE WATER BENEATH 10MG/L. WATER OFFICIALS ARE REALLY, BY AND LARGE, MANY OF THEM SAY THEIR BUSINESS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH BUSINESS. SO THEY’RE CONCERNED WITH THAT 10MG/L, AND THEY ARE AWARE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WITH THE EPA SO FAR, THE FEDERAL AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THEY’VE NOT SUBSTANTIALLY REVISED THAT 10MG/L. THAT’S A 30 YEAR OLD STANDARD. AND THERE’S BEEN THERE HAVE BEEN CALLS FOR THAT TO BE REVISED. THE THE CONSEQUENCE OF LOWERING THAT TO, LET’S SAY, 5MG/L WOULD BE A SUBSTANTIAL NEED TO INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP MEET THAT STANDARD. THAT IS ALL THE TIME THAT WE HAVE THIS MORNING. SUZANNE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. THANKS. WELL, WHEN WE COME BACK, WE HEAR FROM AN EXPERT WHO SPENT YEARS RESEARCHING THE CAUSE OF HIGH NITRATES IN IOWA’S WATERWAYS. AND THE STEPS, HE SAYS, COULD HELP US SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THEN THE WORK THAT’S BEING DONE BY AN ORGANIZATION TO TEACH FARMERS ABOUT BETTER PRACTICES TO SUSTAIN OUR NATURAL RESOURCES. WELCOME BACK TO CLOSE UP. CHRIS JONES HAS SPENT YEARS RESEARCHING IOWA’S WATER QUALITY. HE’S A RETIRED UNIVERSITY OF IOWA RESEARCH ENGINEER AND AUTHOR OF THE BOOK THE SWINE REPUBLIC STRUGGLES WITH THE TRUTH ABOUT AGRICULTURE AND WATER QUALITY. HE JOINS US THIS MORNING TO PROVIDE SOME PERSPECTIVE ON THE BROADER PICTURE OF THE NITRATE ISSUES IN IOWA’S WATERWAYS. CHRIS, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR HAVING ME, AMANDA. WELL, FIRST, CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOUR RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED ON, WHAT THE FINDINGS HAVE LED YOU TO AND WHAT YOU’VE STUDIED ABOUT IOWA’S WATER QUALITY? WELL, THE FOCUS OF MY RESEARCH WAS WHAT WE CALL CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY IN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES. AND SO IN IOWA, WE KNOW WE HAVE AN INTENSELY FARMED LANDSCAPE ACROSS THE STATE, AND ESPECIALLY IN AREAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 THAT DRAIN TO THE CITY OF DES MOINES. WE GROW A LOT OF CORN, AND WE GROW A LOT OF SOYBEANS, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF LIVESTOCK ANIMALS. AND SO THIS PRODUCTION SYSTEM REQUIRES A LOT OF NUTRIENTS. AND ONE OF THOSE NUTRIENTS IS NITROGEN. NITROGEN GETS CONVERTED TO NITRATE OUT IN THE FIELDS. AND NITRATE IS VERY SOLUBLE. IT DISSOLVES IN THE RAINWATER. IT GETS INTO THE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS THAT UNDERLAY MOST OF IOWA’S FARMLANDS. AND THEN THAT DRAINS TO THE RACCOON AND DES MOINES RIVERS, COMES DOWN TO DES MOINES, WHERE IT’S A CONCERN FOR DRINKING WATER. AND YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS FOR A LONG TIME. RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF IOWANS HAVE BEEN PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS BECAUSE OF THE LAWN WATERING BAN AND THE NEWS, CONSTANT NEWS ABOUT THE HIGH NITRATE LEVELS. BUT HAVE YOU NOTICED THINGS CHANGE OVER TIME AS YOU’VE STUDIED THIS? WELL, THIS IS A REALLY RECALCITRANT PROBLEM WE HAVE WITH NITRATE, THE CROPPING SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE REALLY IS DESIGNED TO REMOVE WATER. AND SO WHEN WE REMOVE WATER, WE ALSO REMOVE THE NITRATE FROM THE FIELDS. OVER TIME THIS HAS GOTTEN WORSE, ESPECIALLY SINCE ABOUT 1975 WHEN WE WENT TO JUST THE TWO CROPS. AND SO PRIOR TO SAY, 1960, IOWA HAD A LOT OF DIVERSE FARMS WITH, YOU KNOW, MANY DIFFERENT CROPS OTHER THAN JUST CORN AND SOYBEANS. WE HAD ANIMALS IN THESE PASTORAL SYSTEMS RATHER THAN CAFOS. AND SO WHEN WE WENT TO JUST THE TWO CROPS AND WE CONCENTRATED OUR ANIMALS ON JUST A SMALL SUBSET OF FARMS, THAT MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE FOR NITRATE. AND SO WE SAW QUITE AN INCREASE IN NITRATE FROM ABOUT 1975 UP UNTIL ABOUT 1995. THEN IT LEVELED OFF FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME. AND THEN NOW WE GET THESE YEARS WHERE WE SEEM TO HAVE REALLY EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH NITRATE LEVELS IN OUR STREAMS, AND THAT COULD BE RELATED TO A NUMBER OF THINGS, INCREASING AMOUNTS OF FERTILIZER, INCREASING AMOUNTS OF DRAINAGE TILE IN THE FIELDS. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WEATHER ALSO PLAYS A ROLE, AS WE ALL KNOW, IN THESE YEAR TO YEAR VARIATIONS. SO FROM YOUR RESEARCH AND WHAT YOU’VE LOOKED AT, WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CLEAN UP IOWA’S WATERWAYS AND TO TO STOP AND TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE AS WE GO INTO FUTURE YEARS? WELL, THE NUMBER ONE THING WE NEED TO DO IS TO DIVERSIFY OUR FARMING SYSTEMS. AND SO WHEN WE ONLY HAVE TWO SPECIES OUT ON THE LANDSCAPE, WHICH IS CORN AND SOYBEANS, WE ARE NEVER GOING TO GET THE ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES THAT WE WANT. AND SO AS LONG AS WE HAVE THIS TWO CROP SYSTEM UPSTREAM FROM DES MOINES, THE PEOPLE IN DES MOINES ARE BASICALLY GOING TO BE AT THE MERCY OF THE FARMERS AND AGRIBUSINESS UPSTREAM FROM THEM. AND SO WE NEED DIVERSIFICATION ON OUR FARMS, BARRING THAT, WE NEED TO REGULATE THE SYSTEM. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NO RESTRICTIONS ON FARMERS IN TERMS OF THEIR INPUTS. AND BY THAT I MEAN HOW MUCH THEY CAN USE WHEN THEY CAN APPLY IT, HOW MANY ANIMALS THAT THEY CAN HAVE. THERE’S REALLY NO RESTRICTIONS. AND SO WE REALLY NEED TO STRONGLY LOOK AT THAT. IF WE WANT CLEAN WATER IN DES MOINES, YOU KNOW, THAT’S JUST THE BOTTOM LINE. GOING BACK TO DIVERSIFYING CROPS HERE IN IOWA. WHY IS THAT? IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT THE CORN AND SOYBEANS THAT ARE HARSHER ON THE ENVIRONMENT. OR ARE THERE OTHER CROPS THAT WOULD THAT WOULD HELP? SO YES, THE ANSWER TO THAT IS OTHER CROPS WOULD HELP. WHY DO WE HAVE SO MUCH CORN AND SOY? WELL, PRIMARILY IT’S BECAUSE OF FEDERAL FARM POLICY. AND SO WE INCENTIVIZE PRODUCTION OF THESE CROPS. WE HAVE 4 OR 5 MAIN CROPS THAT ARE IN THE FEDERAL FARM SUBSIDY PROGRAMS. CORN AND SOYBEAN ARE TWO OF THEM. CORN IS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, THE MOST POLLUTING CROP WE HAVE ON EARTH. IT REQUIRES A LOT OF INPUTS. IT’S AN EXPENSIVE CROP TO GROW, BUT WE GROW IT BECAUSE YOU CAN GET A LOT OF CALORIES OUT OF AN ACRE OF CORN. AND SO WE HAVE OTHER CROPS THAT WE KNOW WOULD PRODUCE BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES. SMALL GRAINS, ESPECIALLY OATS, WHEAT AND BARLEY ALL WOULD BE GOOD CHOICES FOR IOWA. WE COULD RETURN OUR ANIMALS TO THESE PASTORAL SYSTEMS, TAKE THEM OUT OF CAFOS AND HAVE THEM GRAZE, ESPECIALLY CATTLE. THAT WOULD BE A MUCH MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE AND FRIENDLY THING TO DO. AND SO VEGETABLE CROPS DO. WE COULD GROW VEGETABLE CROPS IN IOWA. ALL THESE SORTS OF THINGS, BUT WE NEED POLICY IF WE WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WOULD TAKE TO CLEAN UP IOWA’S WATER SOURCE? WELL, RIVERS RESPOND PRETTY RAPIDLY TO CHANGES ON THE LANDSCAPE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GET TRANSITIONAL TRAINS OR TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE IN A FARMING SYSTEM, THE RIVERS CAN RESPOND PRETTY RAPIDLY. YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR LAKES TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK BECAUSE OF THE SEDIMENT THAT’S ACCUMULATED IN THE LAKES OVER MANY YEARS. AND SO THAT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT SLOWER PROCESS. BUT WATER QUALITY IN A RIVER CAN RESPOND PRETTY RAPIDLY WITH TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE ON THE LANDSCAPE. WELL, CHRIS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING AND SHARING YOUR EXPERTISE. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. YOU’RE WELCOME. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. WELL CLOSE UP. WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THIS. YOU RUN THAT WIRE UP. I MEAN, A LOT OF TIMES YOU GOT DRESSES AND THERE’S NO. YEAH, WE NEED TO COME UP WITH SOME. LITTLE LESS. YEP. THAT’S GREAT. AND THEN WE’RE JUST GOING TO KIND OF TUCK THAT BEHIND YOU, AND OKAY OKAY. SO IT’S OKAY IF I WEAR MY HAT. YEP. THAT’S TOTALLY FINE. AND WHAT AM I. OH THERE IT IS. IT’S JUST BEHIND YOU. THAT’S OKAY. LEAVE IT THERE OKAY. YEP. AND I’VE GOT MY CHEAT SHEET THAT I SENT YOU. WELCOME BACK TO CLOSE UP THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT PROVIDES FARMERS WITH INFORMATION ON HOW TO REDUCE POLLUTION AND A WHOLE LOT MORE. COMMISSIONER LEE TEASDALE JOINS ME THIS MORNING TO TALK ABOUT THE SUPPORT THAT THEY’RE PROVIDING AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP KEEP FARM RUNOFF FROM ENTERING OUR WATER SUPPLY. THANKS FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. AMANDA, IT’S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. WELL, TELL ME FIRST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF BEING A COMMISSIONER. RIGHT. SO THERE ARE FIVE COMMISSIONERS. POLK COUNTY SWCD. SOIL WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT. WE’RE ON THE BALLOT. SOMETIMES WE’RE WAY AT THE BOTTOM ON THE BACK OF THE BALLOT, BUT WE’RE ACTUALLY ELECTED BY POLK COUNTY CITIZENS. AND LIKE I SAY, THERE ARE FIVE OF US. THERE ARE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. I THINK EVERY COUNTY ACTUALLY IN THE COUNTRY HAS ONE. BASICALLY, WE’RE SUPPOSED TO MENTOR AND EDUCATE. ABOUT CONSERVATION AND, WELL, LET’S SAY TREATING MOTHER NATURE IN A IN A FAIR WAY. MAYBE THAT’S A GOOD WAY TO PUT IT. ABSOLUTELY. AND YOU MENTIONED TO ME BEFORE, YOU’RE A LANDOWNER YOURSELF. YOU KNOW, YOU DO A LOT OF WORK ALSO WITH FARMERS AND LANDOWNERS TALKING TO THEM ABOUT WATER QUALITY AND ABOUT CONSERVATION PRACTICES. WHAT DOES THAT WORK, YOU KNOW, LOOK LIKE? RIGHT. SO MY NEIGHBORS ALREADY KNOW I’M A LITTLE BIT WEIRD. BECAUSE I, I’VE BEEN A COVER CROPPER FOR 13 YEARS WORKING WITH MY OPERATOR, MIKE HELLAND, AND NOW HIS SON, NICK HELLAND. THEY’RE ALSO COVER CROPPERS, SO I HAVE TO GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR FOR HELPING ME CONTINUE THAT. WE LIKE TO HAVE LIVING ROOTS IN THE GROUND BEYOND THE FOUR MONTHS OF CORN, SOY CROPPING, AND THEY’RE ALSO NO TILL. SO I WORK WITH THEM ON THAT. BUT YEAH, MY NEIGHBORS THINK I’M A LITTLE WEIRD BECAUSE I’M I’M GROWING A PERENNIAL GRAIN CALLED KERNZA. FOR EXAMPLE, I GROW SOME ALFALFA FOR MY SHEEP AND I PUT IN BUFFERS ALONG THE ALLEMAN CREEK THAT FLOWS THROUGH MY ARM. ALLEMAN CREEK IS A TRIBUTARY OF FOUR MILE CREEK, WHICH IS THE THE MAIN WATERSHED IN POLK COUNTY. IF YOU DON’T COUNT THE RACCOON AND THE DES MOINES RIVERS, IT’S ABOUT 76,000 ACRES. SO I ADVOCATE A LITTLE BIT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. MIKE ALWAYS USED TO SAY THAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE WATCHING US, RIGHT. AND NICK CALLS IT THE TEASDALE EXPERIMENT. EXPERIMENTAL FARM. BUT AS MY IN MY ROLE AS A COMMISSIONER, I, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATE IN HELPING TO ADMINISTER SOME CONSERVATION PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTY. IT’S A LITTLE TOO BUREAUCRATIC FOR MY TASTE, BUT I KNOW WE’RE MAKING SOME SMALL PROGRESS WITH THOSE PROGRAMS. WE ENCOURAGE URBAN CONSERVATION ALSO BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY POLK COUNTY IS A HIGHLY URBANIZED COUNTY, VERY UNIQUE IN THE STATE OF IOWA. SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN URBAN CONSERVATIONIST, GENERAL JENNIFER WELCH, ON OUR ON OUR STAFF. I SENT YOU A LIST OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE HAVE GOING. MICHAEL, JAMES AND AND RILEY BASS ARE ARE RUNNING A PROGRAM THAT THE COUNTY ACTUALLY FUNDED. SO WE WORK WITH JOHN SWANSON AND SOME OTHERS AT THE COUNTY TO AGAIN ENCOURAGE LANDOWNERS AND FARMERS TO USE COVER CROPS TO PUT IN. OXBOW RESTORATIONS OR WETLANDS, WHERE APPROPRIATE, ON THEIR LAND. BUT ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE VOLUNTARY. AND AS YOU KNOW, THERE’S A BIG DEBATE NOW IN IOWA, POLK COUNTY AND THE REST OF THE STATE ARE VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS. ENOUGH? WE’VE WE’VE SEEN THE NITRATE LEVELS RISE IN THE RACCOON AND THE DES MOINES, WHICH ARE SOURCE WATERS FOR CENTRAL. OUR WATERWORKS. AND AND SO THE BIG QUESTION IS, ARE THEY I’M I’M SKEPTICAL THAT VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS ARE GOING TO DO IT. I FRANKLY THINK WE NEED PROBABLY CARROT AND STICK BOTH. THAT’S A HARD THING TO SAY IN CORN COUNTRY. BUT SEEING THE DATA FROM MY OWN FARM, FROM THE SATURATED BUFFERS AND THE WOODCHIP BIOREACTOR THAT I HAVE, WE HAVE SOME HIGH NUMBERS, NITRATE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, IN IN ALMOND CREEK AND FOURMILE CREEK. AND WE KNOW THAT EDGEFIELD CAN BRING THAT WAY DOWN. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT EDGEFIELD PRACTICES LIKE THE SATURATED BUFFERS, THE BIOREACTOR DO NOT TREAT ALL THE WATER IN THE TILES. RIGHT. BECAUSE WE FARM IN THIS THIS LEAKY SYSTEM. AND I’M TRYING TO TREAT MY TILE WATER. AND I CAN PROVE TO YOU I HAVE NUMBERS FROM IOWA STATE RESEARCH THAT WE CAN DENITRIFYING. BUT WE CAN’T TAKE ALL THE NITRATE OUT. THAT IS ACTUALLY ALL THE TIME THAT WE HAVE. BUT THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL PERSPECTIVE. WE APPRECIATE YOU JOINING THIS MORNING. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CLOSE UP. WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THIS BREAK. STAY WITH US. THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. HAVE A GREAT DAY.