Prairie Potholes:  Dangers Ahead For Iowa Wetlands

The Iowa Drainage District Association is currently working to close ag
drainage wells across northcentral and northwestern Iowa.  This is great,
however, the creation of new drainage ditches is creating new problems for
water quality.  The creation of drainage ditches are less specific on land
drainage than ag drainage wells were, thus more wetland habitat is now
being drained as a result of new drainage ditch construction.  Currently,
the Iowa Drainage District Association is working with Pocahontas County to
close 36 ag drainage wells.  The drainage ditch association has found that
they will be draining 56.6 acres of previously drained - frequently-cropped
farmed wetlands in newly created Drainage Ditch No. 176.  In place of these
56.6 acres they have purchased 21 acres of "higher quality" wetland in
Dickinson County which they hope will fulfill their mitigation
requirements.  However the Army Corp of Engineers and the U.S. EPA are not
as convinced of this mitigation of less than 1 acre for 1 acre.  Neither am
I!  At a time when water quality continues to decline we need to ensure the
protection of those wetlands we have, and request the restoration of tiled
and drained wetlands whenever possible.

The Iowa Drainage District Association is requesting support for their less
than 1 acre-for one acre mitigation on this land under the permit 404.
This will be a precedent setting step in the closure of ag drainage wells.
I am asking people to write letters against the less than 1 acre for 1 acre
mitigation and request an acre for an acre mitigation.  Please send your
leeter to Mr. Neal Johnson, Regulatory Division, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Rock Island, IL 61204-2004 with reference to project
CEMVR-RD-361460 Pocahontas County Board of Supervisors  Drainage Ditch No.
176  Send copies of this letter to Mr. Jack Reissen, Iowa Department of
Natural Resources, Wallace State Office Bldg., Des Moines, IA 50319-0034

Don't allow the wetlands destruction continue.  Please respond by November
6th.  Any questions regarding this issue can be directed to Brad Freidhof
Iowa Sierra Club Conservation Chair at (712) 335-3145.  Please do not
reference me in your letters as this is a very political issue and could
jeopordize my career in Pocahontas County.

Thank you for your assistance and support.

Bradley H. Freidhof
(712) 335-3145
Pocahontas Iowa

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