Chris Jones, the Democrat who’s running to be Iowa’s next Secretary of Agriculture, says water quality has become a major issue in the 2026 campaign.
Jones says Iowa’s waterways are polluted because Iowa’s voluntary approach to the application of manure and farm chemicals is not working — and he says it’s time for state regulations. Jones and about 50 supporters floated down the Des Moines River last week, starting in Palo Alto County and ending near the Birdland Marina in metro Des Moines.
Jones says conditions improved slightly the closer the group got to the confluence with the Raccoon River in downtown Des Moines, but it is still laden with algae blooms, making it appear greenish. He says the Des Moines River is nothing like it was 150 years ago when it was a clear stream cutting through prairie with an abundance of different species of fish.
The millions of dollars the state is spending each year on water projects isn’t solving the problem, according to Jones.
Jones made his comments during a news conference in a park that sits along the Des Moines River. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, the Republican who is running for re-election, says the state has made historic investments in water quality initiatives during his tenure. Naig says if he wins another term his focus will be on expanding those efforts rather than imposing regulations that Naig says will drive farmers out of business.
