On a recent afternoon, Hannah Ray J Childs pushed her kayak into the rapids of Iowa’s Maquoketa River and dipped the paddle into the water, swinging the bow into the air.
She said she enjoys spending time performing whitewater kayaking acrobatics, submerging her body in the water to give her the “feeling of flying.” The water was where she found a sense of belonging—she even saw her husband for the first time as he flipped his kayak in the rough water. He in turn taught her how to do it.
But she also got sick from the water and now wears nasal and ear plugs to minimize the risk. Many people question why she spends so much time on the water.
“When I tell people I like to kayak and stand on my head in the river, their first reaction is, ‘Ugh, that’s disgusting. Why would you do that?'”
Iowa is a particularly clear example The Midwest’s broader struggle with water pollution. The state is one of the largest producers of corn, soybeans and hogs and has a dense network of streams and rivers. Fertilizer and manure from these farms contain nitrates and phosphorus, which drain into these waters, making Iowa one of the major contributors to the Gulf of Mexico’s aquatic dead zone. its largest city last summer Implement water use restrictions Because it works hard to remove harmful nitrates from tap water.
water pollution has become stubborn problem For decades, this has affected not only public health but also people’s ability to enjoy the water during the summer.
Algae blooms can create hazards on beaches, and soil runoff can make the water nasty. Bacteria, sometimes from human sewage, keep teenagers away from streams. More than half of rivers, streams, and lake sections 2024 Tracking Status Does not meet state standards for swimming, drinking or aquatic life.
The state relies on voluntary actions and incentives, rather than mandates, to reduce nitrate and phosphorus runoff, but remains far short of its goals. Environmental groups recently sued the Trump administration, alleging it improperly overturned Biden-era requirements for Iowa to address nitrate contamination in parts of several rivers.
Investments have been made and some improvements have been made. In May, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds unveiled a $320 million package for water infrastructure and other projects, and the state is allocating nearly $100 million annually to address the problem. Phosphorus content is reduced. Better practices such as cover crops, reduced tillage or no-till to protect soil and farm facilities to reduce runoff. has increased significantly in recent years.
Despite being landlocked, Iowa’s identity is shaped by waterways, including the Missouri and Mississippi rivers that form part of its borders. There are beautiful lakeside beaches and excellent trout fishing. Water is one of its few natural spaces.
Childs grew up on nearby corn and hog farms and grew to love the Makoketa River. She remembers paddling with her brothers in search of fishing holes and exploring streams with friends.
She now volunteers to test chemicals in rivers and supports the creation of a whitewater park in her northeastern Iowa hometown of Manchester to help others enjoy the water.
“If we don’t get people invested in their local rivers, their local communities, how can we ask them to look after them?” she said.
sense of loss
Theater director and former poet laureate Mary Swander, 75, fondly recalls learning to canoe and swim outdoors while growing up near the water. Summer is for fun. In winter, ice skating.
“I had a small group of friends and we skipped school once and we all put on our bathing suits and drove to Lake McBride and spent the whole day in the lake, in the water, swimming, and then we had a whole picnic,” she said.
After a bad experience, Swander now avoids water. One time, the water in the state park didn’t feel right—it was slimy. Another time, a ranger warned her canoeing group not to put their hands or anything else in the water.
“I was like, ‘Okay, so what the hell are we doing here?'” she said.
Swander was able to replace swimming with other activities and retained some friendships, but others disappeared. Philippa Clarke, a professor at the University of Michigan who studies social spaces, said the loss of places outside homes and offices where people can connect could make it harder to maintain social interactions, especially for older adults.
Bacteria play the largest role in making streams impassable. It comes from cattle, deer and other animals, although human sewage is the biggest problem in some places. Experts say heavy rains washing away faeces are a major risk – something climate change will exacerbate – and improving sewage treatment and leaking septic systems is crucial.
Nitrates and phosphorus in farm manure and fertilizers are also at the heart of the problem. Millions of acres of farmland use plastic pipes under fields, a system called tile drainage, to quickly channel water into streams. These nutrients feed algae, causing lake warnings and threatening drinking water.
Darling Lake’s Struggle
An example of the challenges of keeping water bodies clean is Lake Darling, a man-made lake of about 300 acres (120 hectares) in southeastern Iowa that offers swimmers camping, trails and a beach. But last year, the lake’s overall health was the worst of all state beaches, with 10 weeks of E. coli warnings and six weeks of algae warnings, according to the Iowa Environmental Council, which tracks such warnings.
A few years ago, the lake was closed, drained and renovated – the previously brown water became more inviting and clearer. Bob Shepherd, a member of the park’s volunteer group, said nearby landowners altered their land to capture runoff and purchased significant tracts of land for conservation.
Recently, however, Drake University environmental science professor Claire Hruby studied the lake’s pollution, and the situation is in trouble. Hruby said there are several new hog farms in the lake’s watershed, and nutrient runoff from manure is causing algae problems.
When water quality is particularly poor, “it’s like swimming in green paint,” she said.
Lawrence Eyre, a tennis camp director and teacher at a nearby school, said concerns about water quality keep people away even on days when the weather isn’t too bad. Just a few years ago, children would finish playing tennis on the courts in the summer sun and, minutes later, be swimming in another nearby lake.
But parents noticed that some children had itchy skin and algae appeared near the water. As word spread, many people hoped their children would not take the risk. Now, Al said, they tend not to bother anymore.
“It really takes away from the fun of summer,” he said.
Iowa a symbol of Midwest’s fight against water pollution
Environmentalists see a country that cannot say no to agriculture.
In 2015, the Des Moines water utility sued three counties, alleging it had to spend large amounts of money to filter nitrates. a judge Complaint ultimately dismissedsaid any push to allow and reduce nearby agricultural runoff is an issue for the Iowa Legislature.
While Minnesota requires vegetation to be planted near streams to reduce runoff, Iowa takes a different approach. It relies on the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Iowa State University to develop voluntary strategies that include reducing fertilizer use, improving crop management and adding wetlands to reduce runoff.
The EPA helps states implement strategies to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus. The agency said it’s important to see agriculture as part of the solution and understand that improvements will take time.
Many farmers are also facing pressure. Supply costs have risen sharply in recent years Fertilizer prices rise after Iran warAaron Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union, which represents family farms and promotes sustainable practices, said.
“Farmers have much less control,” Lehman said.
Additionally, when farmers improve their practices, it can take years to see a return on investment, if any. Rachel Curry, an agricultural educator with the University of Illinois Extension, said demand for federal and state help exceeds supply. Changing the way you farm is like turning a cruise ship – it takes time, but with the right help, they can get there.
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said in an interview with the Iowa Farm Bureau that collaboration between the state and farmers is critical and a mandate would undermine that trust.
Others see hope in local success.
David Thoreson has sailed above the Arctic Circle and on every continent, and his life of adventure was made possible by his mother who taught him to sail on the Great Lakes of northwest Iowa. He said local efforts to restore wetlands, purchase land for conservation and improve wastewater treatment have kept the lake healthy for visitors and locals alike.
“They understand the importance of it and that’s what drives our economy and real estate values and multi-generational interest in this place that keeps drawing people back,” Thoreson said.
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Associated Press writer MK Wildeman in Hartford, Conn., contributed.
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