Agriculture Produces About 80% of Nitrate Entering Two Central Iowa Rivers

Axios reports that a Polk County scientific assessment attributes about 80% of nitrate entering the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers to agriculture: roughly 40% from surplus fertilizer, 20% from manure and 20% from soybeans and other nitrogen-fixing crops.

Who Pays?

Because agricultural runoff is largely exempt from Clean Water Act permitting, fertilizer use and pollution are difficult to trace or control. The result is a system that rewards maximum production while shifting nitrate-removal costs and drinking-water risks downstream.