In keeping with the season, Chris is the John the Baptist, the "Voice in the Wilderness" witness and scribe detailing the environmental suicide of Iowa. I don't know what it will take for the 95% of Iowa's population that are NOT farmers, to demand the same restraints on the "Factories without walls" that are enforced on the lowliest tire and muffler shop , or machine shop. Maybe when communities are paying $100K a day instead of $10K to remove nitrates? When the cancer rate becomes so high that even the rapture-addled yahoos that populate much of the state cannot deny the connection? Maybe Ivermectin will work on cancer too!
And taxpayers are paying for the privilege of have the countries largest open sewer system. According to EWG.ORG, who collects such data, Iowa was NUMBER ONE in commodity subsidies from 1995 to 2021, totaling nearly $25.5 BILLION dollars. And by congressional district , guess which one dominates in suckling at the government teat? Good old independent-don't-tread-on-me-no-socialism-Gods-Guns-n-Grift 4th District. Ya can't make this stuff up.
Good piece!! Sad to know all this. We’re going to need extraordinary people to change these ordinary people’s relentless effort to keep ruining our state. Like Einstein said: “You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.”
This is heartbreaking. I will talk about it on the radio today. The pillaging of Iowa is such an important story- on its own and as a corollary to the broader story of greed and regulatory capture.
I grew up on East Boyer River. In 1955 I remember the so call straightening of the river. My favorite oxbow dried up leaving behind many dead fish and other amphibians. In my Eight years I have also seen any an acre of Virgin Tallgrass Prairie plowed for more corn. As Aldo Leopold said we threw away the pieces and we will never get the watch to work again.
I've noticed curving streams and rivers here in SE Ia really erode tons of soil as the curving current continually pushes out against the bank. The massive erosion just keeps on. I've noticed stretches that have been straighten for roads (and R.R. in past) do not have this loss. Don't have trees falling in as time goes by.
Good question. Streambank erosion is a natural process of meandering streams that has been sped up (a lot) by the loss of perennial ground cover and drainage tile. You don’t see the canyon forming in SE Iowa like you do in W Iowa for the simple reason that loess deposits are much thinner in SE Iowa. I haven’t calculated it but I’m also thinking the slope of SE streams to the Mississippi is less than the slope of w Iowa streams to the Missouri
Thank you. There is that thought of the elevation drop to the Mississippi. I took special notice this morning crossing a straightened portion of the Skunk River of grass growing on the river bank and some even touching the water.
As usual, you speak truth to power Chris...Keep it up, please! Maybe visit farmers who are trying to do the right thing and write about them; if nothing else, it'll lift your spirits.
I like your call to circle the wagons, but in a future column could you give us steps to take, specific steps, so we can go about changing agricultural minds and methods? We need to take action to make these changes but so many of us "city folk" don't know how. Thanks!
Nice piece of journalism. The 'extra' discharge you calculated from the gaging record could be attributed to a pulse of flow created by the backwater effect of the input that temporarily ponded some of the flow from upstream which added to the pulse of the fertilizer effluent. There also seems to be a decrease in flow below background after the pulse. I'm having trouble explaining that.
Bank erosion and the re-establishment of meanders in straightened rivers can be seen as recovery to a natural state, at the cost of some cropland but at the benefit of the river and riparian ecosystem. If trees are undermined and fall into the channel, so much the better. Once the meanders are back the channel can begin to fill because there is a greater capacity to store sediment in a meandering channel with point bars than in a canal. This can also dampen flood peaks.
Chris, I so appreciate you for tenaciously using your words to tell the truth while rapacious agribusiness has merchants of doubt with megaphones drowning you out. Thanks for all that you do!
Where do the upper reaches of the Little Sioux begin? I live near Sioux Rapids. Is that "upper " enough or must I get north of Spencer to find untrashed river?
The DNR’s estimation of the economic impact is ironic. If this issue were truly about economics, there should be a guesstimate of the money wasted by excessive application of agrochemicals. All the excess runs off and has to be dealt with in water treatment expenses.
By the way, I’m a retired geologist and your description of the impacts associated with straightening a channel is excellent.
Curious in reading various accounts of this chemical/fertilizer spill, I have seen nothing from NEW Cooperative officials. Have they released any info?
It is sad to see how little ethical and institutional constraints there are in adding more sacrifices to these sacrificial landscapes. When land and waterways are this extensively transformed it takes a monster load of toxins above the chronic daily loads to briefly spotlight the environmental and ecological costs of industrially grown fuel and feed. "Acceptable" harms of corn ethanol fueled jaunts to feast on Easter ham only invite more of these tragic events on sacrificial land. Waiting for resurrections by glacier to rewild the ordered terraforms? I am guessing climate change will have to do until then to undo "driving on corn forever" (ADM).
In keeping with the season, Chris is the John the Baptist, the "Voice in the Wilderness" witness and scribe detailing the environmental suicide of Iowa. I don't know what it will take for the 95% of Iowa's population that are NOT farmers, to demand the same restraints on the "Factories without walls" that are enforced on the lowliest tire and muffler shop , or machine shop. Maybe when communities are paying $100K a day instead of $10K to remove nitrates? When the cancer rate becomes so high that even the rapture-addled yahoos that populate much of the state cannot deny the connection? Maybe Ivermectin will work on cancer too!
And taxpayers are paying for the privilege of have the countries largest open sewer system. According to EWG.ORG, who collects such data, Iowa was NUMBER ONE in commodity subsidies from 1995 to 2021, totaling nearly $25.5 BILLION dollars. And by congressional district , guess which one dominates in suckling at the government teat? Good old independent-don't-tread-on-me-no-socialism-Gods-Guns-n-Grift 4th District. Ya can't make this stuff up.
Good piece!! Sad to know all this. We’re going to need extraordinary people to change these ordinary people’s relentless effort to keep ruining our state. Like Einstein said: “You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.”
I buy Chris books and pass out to raise awareness actually I am having a fun time doing it. I consider it a sport.
Bravo!!!
This is heartbreaking. I will talk about it on the radio today. The pillaging of Iowa is such an important story- on its own and as a corollary to the broader story of greed and regulatory capture.
Thanks Chris!
I grew up on East Boyer River. In 1955 I remember the so call straightening of the river. My favorite oxbow dried up leaving behind many dead fish and other amphibians. In my Eight years I have also seen any an acre of Virgin Tallgrass Prairie plowed for more corn. As Aldo Leopold said we threw away the pieces and we will never get the watch to work again.
I've noticed curving streams and rivers here in SE Ia really erode tons of soil as the curving current continually pushes out against the bank. The massive erosion just keeps on. I've noticed stretches that have been straighten for roads (and R.R. in past) do not have this loss. Don't have trees falling in as time goes by.
Good question. Streambank erosion is a natural process of meandering streams that has been sped up (a lot) by the loss of perennial ground cover and drainage tile. You don’t see the canyon forming in SE Iowa like you do in W Iowa for the simple reason that loess deposits are much thinner in SE Iowa. I haven’t calculated it but I’m also thinking the slope of SE streams to the Mississippi is less than the slope of w Iowa streams to the Missouri
Thank you. There is that thought of the elevation drop to the Mississippi. I took special notice this morning crossing a straightened portion of the Skunk River of grass growing on the river bank and some even touching the water.
Holy cow, Chris! This is beyond outrageous!
As usual, you speak truth to power Chris...Keep it up, please! Maybe visit farmers who are trying to do the right thing and write about them; if nothing else, it'll lift your spirits.
I like your call to circle the wagons, but in a future column could you give us steps to take, specific steps, so we can go about changing agricultural minds and methods? We need to take action to make these changes but so many of us "city folk" don't know how. Thanks!
Nice piece of journalism. The 'extra' discharge you calculated from the gaging record could be attributed to a pulse of flow created by the backwater effect of the input that temporarily ponded some of the flow from upstream which added to the pulse of the fertilizer effluent. There also seems to be a decrease in flow below background after the pulse. I'm having trouble explaining that.
Bank erosion and the re-establishment of meanders in straightened rivers can be seen as recovery to a natural state, at the cost of some cropland but at the benefit of the river and riparian ecosystem. If trees are undermined and fall into the channel, so much the better. Once the meanders are back the channel can begin to fill because there is a greater capacity to store sediment in a meandering channel with point bars than in a canal. This can also dampen flood peaks.
Thanks. Just thanks.
Chris, I so appreciate you for tenaciously using your words to tell the truth while rapacious agribusiness has merchants of doubt with megaphones drowning you out. Thanks for all that you do!
Where do the upper reaches of the Little Sioux begin? I live near Sioux Rapids. Is that "upper " enough or must I get north of Spencer to find untrashed river?
The DNR’s estimation of the economic impact is ironic. If this issue were truly about economics, there should be a guesstimate of the money wasted by excessive application of agrochemicals. All the excess runs off and has to be dealt with in water treatment expenses.
By the way, I’m a retired geologist and your description of the impacts associated with straightening a channel is excellent.
Curious in reading various accounts of this chemical/fertilizer spill, I have seen nothing from NEW Cooperative officials. Have they released any info?
It is sad to see how little ethical and institutional constraints there are in adding more sacrifices to these sacrificial landscapes. When land and waterways are this extensively transformed it takes a monster load of toxins above the chronic daily loads to briefly spotlight the environmental and ecological costs of industrially grown fuel and feed. "Acceptable" harms of corn ethanol fueled jaunts to feast on Easter ham only invite more of these tragic events on sacrificial land. Waiting for resurrections by glacier to rewild the ordered terraforms? I am guessing climate change will have to do until then to undo "driving on corn forever" (ADM).