A Federal District Court Judge has dismissed in its entirety the Des Moines Water Work’s lawsuit against the Sac, Calhoun and Buena Vista drainage districts in northwest Iowa. Iowa Corn Growers Association President Kurt Hora says it’s a big victory for agriculture.
He says the federal Clean Water Act claim was dismissed for lack of standing considering the drainage district’s limited status under Iowa law. He says now farmers can move forward with their voluntary program to improve water quality through various technologies and practices, including precision agriculture.
Hora says had the lawsuit been allowed to proceed it would have taken away their ability to solve the water quality problem in Iowa.
Hora says farmers are doing a better job protecting the environment by using soil grid sampling and only applying fertilizer where it’s needed and herbicides on crops when needed. He’s hoping they’ll also be able to continue using the nutrient reduction management strategy in reducing runoff.
