Four of the five Republicans running for governor were asked about Iowa’s water quality during a debate that aired Tuesday night on KCCI and Gray T-V stations in Sioux City, Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities. Pastor Brad Sherman says there’s a place for government to step in and put the focus on soil health.
Businessman Zach Lahn says the state should provide incentives to farmers who bury fertilizer about six inches below the surface of a field, to prevent run off.
Former state agency director Adam Steen says farmers are already doing what they can by planting buffer strips, cover crops and changing the timing of phosphate applications.
State Representative Eddie Andrews says some amount of regulation and direction from the state is required — and that includes state funding of water quality projects.
