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City Municipalities and Rural Interests Working Toward Same Goal While drinking water in the U. S. is among the safest in the world, elevated levels of nitrate, coupled with increasingly strong weather events and a persistent low oxygen “dead zone” in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, has the attention of businesses, governments and non-government organizations.…

From Urban and Rural Partnerships to Tenants and Farmers, the Keys to Improving Water Quality Lie in Collaborative Efforts Members of the leadership team of Iowa’s Water Future Task Force who are looking for solutions to improving water quality had the opportunity to see and discuss what farmers are doing during a tour hosted by…

Kurt Simon, Iowa State Conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service The Des Moines River flows through downtown, just a block away from Kurt Simon’s new office on the sixth floor of the Neal Smith Federal Building. Recently named Iowa state conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation…

Committed to Additional Education and Research to Improve Nutrient Management Livestock Farmers Face Challenges Al Wulfekuhle is the Iowa Pork Producer Association President. He knows the challenges that livestock farmers face. As a result, he has terraces, grassed waterways, field boarders and a wetland on his crop land. Some pork producers in Iowa see the…

Demand for Conservation Practices from Producers Jonathan Gano is the public works director for the city of Des Moines. He also may be helping a few farmers build bioreactors to remove nitrates leaving their fields. “Two of the key raw materials involved in bioreactors are wood chips and a hole in the ground,” he says.…

Accelerating the Adoption of Integrated, Sustainable and Inclusive Approaches to Water Management and Water Quality by Kaitlin Little For three days in June, some of the top minds in the nation will join together to discuss urban-rural collaboration towards “One Water” management and 16 Iowa leaders will participate. The One Water Summit, sponsored by the…

Growing Commitment to Conservation Across Iowa In a few years, even a casual visitor crossing Iowa on its interstates could see dramatic signs of a growing commitment to conservation. Starting in August cover crops will be sown from the air. An estimated 300 aircraft could fly seven days a week to help meet the demand.…

Better Managing the Impact of Water through Collaboration An inch of rain falling on an acre of impermeable asphalt parking lot becomes roughly 27,000 gallons of runoff, according the US Geological Survey. That’s a challenge that Wayne Petersen and a small team of urban conservationists at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Urban…

Cover Crops, Conservation Drainage and an Overall Strategy for Implementing Conservation Infrastructure On a cold morning recently, more than 50 members of the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) Business Council, Advisory Council and guests gathered at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, Iowa. They came to find ways to advance the water quality improvement goals…