Are Pheasants The Canary in the Coal Mine?

February 23, 2015 by UGUIDE South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

Outfitters,  we just returned from Pheasant Fest in Iowa.

I did attend the Iowa Water Quality symposium on Sat. from 2-5 at the habitat stage (most seminars are only an hour.  This is a big deal in Iowa, MN, WI and may soon be a big deal in SD.)  Here’s my write up on what I learned there and from another 2 hours of  research on the web last night.  I think you will find it interesting as it hits very close to home for all of us AG Producers.

For the purposes of keeping this brief and to the point, I will make a list of chronological events and put hyperlinks in the text that will take you to very detailed documents for those that would like to drill down like I did last night.  Here we go: 

1. In 2008 the EPA launched an action plan to address the Hypoxia Zone in the Gulf of Mexico (about 6000 sq. miles known as the “dead zone” and EPA wants it reduced to 2000 sq. miles in the near future.
2. In 2013 the EPA conducted a reassessment study of the results of the action from the 2008 plan.  Out of this came 11 action items of which one was for the 12 states identified as causing the most nutrient loading of nitrogen and phosphorous to each. They are to create their own Nutrient Reduction Strategies.  Iowa, MN and WI were 3 of the 12 states.  SD was not listed but is listed in the Mississippi water shed that ends up in the Gulf where the Hypoxia zone is located.  Here is the link to Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy. (NRS)
3. Unrelated, and yet you will see it is very related, this news article comes out about the issues with Des Moines drinking water and associated costs, risks and impacts.
4. In Aug. 2014, a news story announces the Corn, Soybean and Pork Growers association forms the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance to engage farmers regarding the objectives in the NRS.
5. Jan. ,2015 an NPR news release announces that Des Moines Water Works will sue 3 neighboring counties for high nitrate levels in the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers.
6. Step forward to the panel at Pheasant Fest which represented corn/bean growers and the water alliance lead.  Here is what I took away from their discussion:
   1. They know that the water works lawsuit was not a bluff and they knew water works was ready to precede forward.
   2. There is no (single) silver bullet solution but there is a silver shotgun pellet solution (multifaceted)
   3. Agreed Ag Producers were primary sources to the issues with nitrogen and phosphorus levels in water.
   4. Are putting together measures, action plans and partnerships to address the issue.
   5. In my opinion, these are the major contributing factors in this issue:
      1. The sheer number of acres of grasslands converted to croplands since 2007
      2. Recent years' record corn and soybeans crops which can be tied back to associated record nutrient applications.
      3. Sheer amount of acres drain tiled bypassing wetlands, buffers and shunting water directly into streams and rivers and associated waterways.
      4. Intensive agricultural practices required to offset high farming inputs from land, equipment and other crop inputs.

The good news is the resolution to these problems is not mysterious or rocket science but it will take time, collaboration and significant resources.  The Ring-necked Pheasant may very well be our keystone species or the canary in the coal mine.  I say this because the solutions to these nutrient reduction strategies can be very beneficial to wildlife as well as humans.  We will see where this all leads and we could probably agree this comes as no surprise and something we could see coming down the pipe for some time now.  I think there is a pun in there somewhere.

I encourage you to dig into the articles because I see a strong need for precision agriculture married with precision conservation and there is great reason and energy to move in that direction.  I think programs need to be reformed and adjusted to optimize the benefit for all.  All taxpayers will support funding for clean water conservation vs just conservation geared towards wildlife objectives.