Iowa River Pollution

With over 20 million pigs in Iowa there are over five billion of gallons of manure  produced per year. (David Goodner, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement.) The rain washes it through the corn fields, picking up extra pesticides and fertilizers along the way. Eventually all of these pollutants end up in the drinking water, where people fish and swim.

“I know the Iowa River is one of the dirtiest in the US,” said Eli Shepherd, ‘14. “And when fertilizer run-off gets into the Mississippi it goes down stream to the Gulf of Mexico contributing to the dead zone.”

The dead zone is over 6,000 square miles near the Gulf of Mexico and is caused by all the pollutants that have run-off into the Mississippi River. All these chemicals end up in the gulf, causing the water to have little oxygen in it.  Without enough oxygen the fish and shrimp can’t live there and die. Iowa is a main contributor to this dead zone.

Iowa is not the only contributor to this dead-zone. Other midwest states such as Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota have also polluted runoff into the Mississippi.

“If Iowa does nothing to combat runoff pollution, why should Minnesota or Wisconsin?” Michelle Hesterberg of Environment Iowa said. “But if Iowa creates strict standards to clean up its rivers, other states will be quick to adopt the same policies.”

Iowa itself has over 470 polluted rivers and streams in Iowa that aren’t safe for fishing, swimming, or boating, according to Environment Iowa.

Recently, Governor Terry Branstad passed the The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. The bill aims to reduce the toxins in our water. The plan requires only voluntary efforts, still leaving many rivers open to pollutants.  says that Big Ag lobbyists, or big companies who fight for less environmental regulations, influence Branstad to have less water requirements in Iowa.

“The result of their influence is a plan that relies on voluntary practices,” Hesterberg said. “And doesn’t come close to providing our rivers the protection they need.”

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is responsible for keeping the water sources in Iowa in check. The DNR has certain levels of pollutants the water is required to meet and are expected to test the waters for these regularly.

“The Iowa DNR is made up of a lot of people who either have invested monetary interest or are actually part of industrial agriculture,” said Shepherd.  “There’s not a lot of movement there because they’ve got it where they want it.”

Most of the chemicals in Iowa’s water aren’t toxic, such as nitrogen and phosphorous. However, they do create a problem because they growth in algae. This is a problem for the aquatic life and makes the lakes and river unsafe for swimming.

“Without a doubt,’ said John Olson, Iowa DNR. “Iowa has some serious issues regarding the quality of its streams, rivers, and lakes.”

The corn, the cows, and the chemicals all factors for the high levels of pollutants in Iowa rivers. Iowa is known for its agriculture, but that also contributes to the excessive chemicals in field runoff. According to Environment Iowa, there are over 470 rivers and streams in Iowa that are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or boating.