The Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture, a consortium of 20 groups is calling on the state’s lawmakers to approve a moratorium on all large scale livestock operations or CAFOs. Alliance spokesperson Dianne Rosenberg says they want the moratorium in place until the Iowa’s impaired waterways have been reduced from 500 down to less than 100.

She says Iowa’s water pollution problem has grown significantly and the amount of impaired waterways has substantially increased.

Rosenberg says agriculture has been the biggest contributor of impaired waterway problems in Iowa.

Rosenberg says the Alliance’s main concern is the impact large scale livestock operations are having on Iowa’s residents, the environment and water quality.