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Democratic gubernatorial candidate advocates for more Iowa wetlands and grazing land

on Tue, 07/28/2026 - 07:57   by Anonymous

by Kadin Luhmann, Iowa Capital Dispatch
July 27, 2026

FORT DODGE — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand discussed plans to combat Iowa’s water quality issues and advocated for more mental health funding Monday at a town hall in Fort Dodge.

Sand, who currently serves as state auditor, said he is “not satisfied” with Iowa’s efforts to address water quality. He  advocated for a data-driven approach to tackle the issue, and more wetlands that would improve soil health, water quality, biodiversity and recreational activities.

“I want us to have the single biggest expansion of wetlands and grazing land that we have ever seen in the state of Iowa,” Sand said. “You can fish, you can photograph, all kinds of fun stuff that you can do in wetlands. We want our kids to take part.”

Proposed EPA rules would narrow protection for streams, wetlands under Clean Water Act

on Tue, 11/18/2025 - 19:51   by Anonymous

by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch
November 17, 2025

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed Monday new rules to define the waters of the United States, or WOTUS, protected under the Clean Water Act. 

The move was celebrated by farm groups that oppose a broad interpretation of the law, while environmental groups said the rule change would end protections for millions of acres of wetlands and small streams. 

Waters of the United States defines the scope of the Clean Water Act and which waters can be regulated with federal water quality standards. The WOTUS definition, which is not laid out in the Clean Water Act, has been the source of several U.S. Supreme Court cases in recent decades, most recently in Sackett v. EPA. 

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