John Wills

What are you doing to practice and promote soil and water quality?

I am a watershed coordinator, and, in that position, I promote and encourage the use of cover crops and limited or no tillage. I am also a state legislator, and, in that position, I floor managed the water quality bill that was passed in 2018 which is the biggest water quality bill in Iowa history and funds cover crops as well as promotes water quality and soil health each year.

What is being done in your county to support soil and water quality?

In Dickinson County we host field days, soil health seminars, and provide cost share for cover crops and no-tillage.

What could be done with more public funding for soil and water quality?

The legislature could pass more funding, but other avenues could be explored along the way as well. Things like city county partnerships and utility investment outside the city are a few things that are “out of the box” funding sources that should be explored. In Dickinson County we formed a body called the Water Quality Commission, in which $200,000 dollars a year is made available for water quality projects.