A public interest group says a federal program to protect the prairie pothole region has its own potholes.

“Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility” has been questioning the report, which was compiled by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a branch of the US Department of Agriculture.

PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch says the review found the agency itself found that the pothole project, which is managed by NRCS, was not doing what it was designed to do…

Ruch says the pothole project, covering parts of Iowa, Minnesota and North and South Dakota, is an expensive one…

Ruch says NRCS should release the entire report, so the problems can be addressed…

Ruch says because of the many blacked out sections of the report, it’s difficult to see if there is a plan to protect the potholes.