Des Moines Water Works Lawsuit Dismissal Good News For Iowa

STATEMENT FROM ICGA PRESIDENT KURT HORA

A federal district judge has dismissed in its entirety the Des Moines Water Works’ lawsuit against the Sac, Calhoun and Buena Vista drainage districts in northwest Iowa. The federal Clean Water Act claim was dismissed for lack of standing considering the drainage districts’ limited status under Iowa law. 

This is good news for our state. The lawsuit has been a distraction to the implementation of Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy, which was started in 2013. This favorable outcome will allow Iowa farmers to continue to advance our efforts of improving soil and water conservation without the inflexibility of burdensome regulations.

As farmers, we want the safest, best quality water for Iowa. We believe a positive, collaborative approach is key to improving our state’s water quality. The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) and our farmer-members will continue to use cooperation and collaboration in proactively improving our water quality. Through our work with the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, the Soil Health Partnership and our many other partnerships, activities, and programs, we are helping accelerate the adoption of practices outlined in the Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

For more information on how Iowa Corn is leading the way on water quality, go to  www.iowacorn.org/water.

For More Information:

Contact: Lisa Cassady, PR Manager, lcassady@iowacorn.org, 515-443-3947