(Spirit Lake)– It’s likely drainage districts will soon by involved in water quality issues. That’s the message John Torbert of the Iowa Drainage District Association had Tuesday for the Dickinson county board of supervisors.
Torbert, in his annual report to the supervisors, added that Iowa is nowhere close to being able to meet federal drinking water standards currently being proposed by the EPA.
He added there will probably be more of a call for water quality improvement projects to be more watershed-based and mandatory. Torbert says current programs are voluntary, and he says many more participants are needed to make a noticeable impact.
Torbert also talked about the “dead zone” at the mouth of the Mississippi River and how nitrogen and phosphorous are contributing to the problem. He says Iowa contributes about 25 percent to the overall problem.
On a positive note, Torbert says a lot more research on drainage is being done now at land grant universities.
