In my recent story for The New York Times I write about ways Iowa farmers are seeking to prevent nutrients from getting into streams and rivers. My article focuses on using artificial wetlands to capture and process the fertilizer that flows unabated into the Mississippi. Flood plains in Midwest States used to filter runoff but they are now fields of crops that have little natural filtration. In my article, I write:
Environmentalists have filed lawsuits against the Environmental Protection Agency to press for tighter standards for nitrogen and phosphorus runoff. Worried that the agency might step in with new mandates, farm groups are weighing a temporary solution: floating islands that could process the nutrients before they reach the river.
You can read my complete story in The New York Times.