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Dozens of farmers gathered in Pella to discuss the impact of local waters on a growing problem in Iowa’s waterways.
The Van Zante Creek Watershed project annual meeting took place at the Vermeer Global Pavilion on Thursday. Van Zante is one of 13 watershed projects in Iowa that measure the outflow of nitrogen and phosphorus in drainage from farms, The program also provides assistance to farmers who want to implement methods that lower the number of pollutants coming from farmland. Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey was the keynote speaker at the meeting, and he emphasized the strength of using a voluntary program as opposed to state or federally-mandated regulations that could hurt progress. The Van Zante Watershed area is located north of Pella.