Stakeholders shared opposing viewpoints during a Midwest roundtable about implementing the latest Waters of the U.S. Rule.
Iowa farmer Ray Gaesser says expanding the definitions of Waters of the U.S. might make it more difficult for farmers to keep improving water quality. He says, “To have a regulatory body that looks at the whole country and tries to make a rule that fits everyone, it just won’t work. You must strike a balance between what’s best for the country and allowing for state input and local variation.”
Gaesser says farmers work to improve water quality without additional regulation. “Ten years ago, Iowa had ten thousand acres of cover crops. Today, it’s over 1.7 million acres and counting. Conservation tillage is taking place on over three-quarters of Iowa’s acreage. Farmers are using precision agriculture technology as it helps us apply our fertilizer and our chemicals within one inch of where they’re needed at the right rate and the right time to minimize runoff.”
Illinois farmer Megan Dwyer, director of conservation and nutrient stewardship for the Illinois Corn Growers Association, says expanding the scope of working lands that fall under WOTUS doesn’t fix the problem.
