A recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling that an urban water works cannot sue agricultural drainage districts for damages related to alleged runoff has caught the attention of Illinois agriculture.
In 2015, the Des Moines Water Works utility sued three rural county boards that have authority over drainage districts claiming they discharged nitrates into an Iowa river. The utility believes the districts violate the federal Clean Water Act.
Lauren Lurkins, Illinois Farm Bureau's director of natural and environmental resources, says the court upheld a century’s worth of legal precedent;
While the Iowa high court ruled on questions pertaining to state law, two questions related to federal regulations in the Clean Water Act remain. A federal trial is anticipated this summer;
Last summer, about 15 Illinois Farm Bureau members ventured to Iowa to learn about nutrient management issues, including the Des Moines Water Works case.
