Walton Foundation & IA Farmers Find Freshwater Sweet Spot

There is no question that farm runoff, and the nitrogen and phosphorus that go with it into rivers and streams, is a primary contributor to the toxic algae that is destroying precious surface water resources.

Measuring For Optimal Easement Size - Cedar Rapids, IA
Measuring For Optimal Easement Size – Cedar Rapids, IA

 

The fixes to this problem are known, but implementation is slow and often viewed as expensive. The latter position a highly debatable one.

 

Not so as is being shown in Iowa, where contributions from The Walton Family Foundation — in cooperation with the Iowa Soybean Association — are being used with the goal of reducing runoff by 45% over the next 20 years.

 

Our opinion is that, once the clean-up strategies are put into place, runoff will be reduced at an even swifter pace — all while profits for farmers increase. Truly a win-win scenario for all involved.

The time to clean up Great Lakes? Now.

For those who live in the Great Lakes Basin, choking algae blooms in the Great Lakes, its tributaries, and inland lakes as well, is no longer news.

Algae Bloom Blankets Lake Erie, 2014
Algae Bloom Blankets Lake Erie, 2014

The matter is well-researched at this point, the major causes for the blooms are known, and it is even possible to identify what farm operations are the greatest contributors to this massive problem.

The below article provides a snapshot of current state of affairs:

Algae blooms in Great Lakes are of great concern.

Armed with indisputable research, and best practice land management approaches that are clear-cut and effective, there is every chance that these devastating, oxygen-sapping, aquatic life killing blooms can rapidly become a thing of the past.