Over the last 30 years, the area has increasingly become home to large-scale confined animal feeding operations, commonly called CAFOs, which keep large numbers of animals in tight conditions.
Following years of inaction on the Clean Water for Iowa Act, one Iowa lawmaker is looking to advance several smaller bills that would improve monitoring and strengthen permit requirements for large industrial farms.
The new rule, proposed Nov. 17, is the latest in a convoluted, decades-long fight over which streams and wetlands qualify as “Waters of the United States” and thus are regulated by the federal government under the Clean Water Act.
The Swampbuster provision of the 1985 farm bill ties wetland conservation to eligibility for federal crop insurance and subsidies. A new lawsuit claims that’s unconstitutional.
An analysis by Investigative Midwest found that a substantial share of Iowa’s rivers and lakes labeled as impaired have remained in poor condition for at least a decade, highlighting persistent pollution risks for swimmers, boaters, and others who regularly use these waters.
During his second term, Trump is expected to ease regulations on water protections, agricultural emissions, and industrial pollution. With federal oversight potentially shrinking, the spotlight shifts to state laws and environmental advocacy.
