116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Home / Opinion / Staff Editorials
Smaller dead zone is no sign of progress
Staff Editorial
Aug. 11, 2023 7:15 pm
An expanse of the Gulf of Mexico robbed of oxygen due to algae blooms fueled in large part by fertilizer runoff from Midwest cropland is smaller this year. But a below average dead zone is not a sign of progress in the effort to clean up polluted waterways.
Scientists estimate this year’s gulf hypoxia zone is 3,058 square miles, the seventh smallest on record. The dead zone shrank largely due to drought conditions in the Midwest that curtailed runoff. But it’s still roughly the size of Yellowstone National Park.
The five-year average is 4,347 square miles. That’s far beyond the goal of 1,930 square miles set by the Gulf Hypoxia Task Force, of which Iowa is a member. Iowa contributes nearly 30 percent of the nitrates and phosphorus flowing into the Mississippi River and on to the gulf. The vast majority of those nutrients come from farming operations.
This annual measurement of the dead zone, which threatens aquatic life and the livelihood of shrimpers and other businesses that depend on the gulf, is our annual reminder that Iowa is doing too little to improve its water quality. The state’s strictly voluntary Nutrient Reduction Strategy is not making meaningful progress toward its goal of slashing annual nitrate and phosphorus runoff by 45 percent.
Closer to home, nutrient runoff is spawning algae blooms in Iowa’s lakes and rivers, causing swimming advisories, beach closures and creating headaches for water treatment facilities.
Our state leaders are failing us. The most significant legislative action on water quality this year was a push by Republican lawmakers to defund a network of river and stream sensors that measure nitrate and phosphorous levels. The less Iowa knows about its poor water quality, the better for powerful agricultural interests. Fortunately, the Iowa Nutrient Research Center at Iowa State University has pledged to continue funding the sensor network.
But in reality, both parties have failed to lead on environmental protection. Neither Republicans nor Democrats are willing to call for even basic regulations requiring farmers and landowners to put conservation practices in place. Both parties are tied tightly to the ethanol industry, which has fueled overproduction of corn and overuse of fertilizer, worsening our water woes.
So next August, we’ll likely be talking about the size of the dead zone yet again, and the broken promises to address the problem.
(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com
Opinion content represents the viewpoint of the author or The Gazette editorial board. You can join the conversation by submitting a letter to the editor or guest column or by suggesting a topic for an editorial to editorial@thegazette.com