DRIFTLESS WATER DEFENDERS - ELKADER EVENT 2024
On July 11, 2024, Driftless Water Defenders held an event at FreedomBank in Elkader, Iowa. Here’s how it went:
Our student interns (from left to right) Kris Nixon, Mark Prihoda, and Noah Gaber, set up the merchandise and membership table.
Registered agent of DWD, Jim Larew, opened the meeting and introduced the proceeding speakers. Jim Larew explains the significance behind “Driftless Water Defenders as follows: “Driftless” the miraculous cultural and economic region of four states, of which hundreds of thousands of years ago glaciers largely left alone, resulted in rugged land formations, attracted determined, hard-working nature respecting citizens coming from thousands of points of origins. A region characterized originally with abundant sources of clean, accessible, and affordable water. “Water”, water is life. That crucial ingredient that every human has a basic civil right must have access to survive. The Iowa code says that rivers, aquifers, and streams, are public water and public wealth of the people. The water belongs to the people. “Defenders”, brave people who protect others from attack, assault, or injury. This is the purpose of our organization.
Speaker Steve Veysey explains trial exhibits from the Bloody Run Creek lawsuit. Steve Veysey first explains the details of Supreme Beef and sets the scene for his next two slides. Steve Veysey then explains that the runoff of Supreme Beef is negatively affecting Supreme Beef neighbor, Tammi Thompson. Tammi Thompson is an organic goat farmer, which means her product must meet specific standards to be considered organic. One factor to meet those standards is the quality of water given to the goats. Tammi Thompson’s well data shows that in 2008, her water well had little to no nitrates. Then, when re-tested in 2022, her well water was highly contaminated with nitrates. Tammi Thompson had to spend $65,000 to dig a new well to reach clean water in order to keep her farm up and running.
Keynote speaker and DWD president, Chris Jones, expresses his dismay with the State agencies’ permission for Bloody Run to exist at the starting point of a stream. He further expresses that change will not come from the industry, politicians, the universities, or the State agencies, to believe change will come from any of those entities is a fantasy. “We have to take what’s ours.”
If we don’t wake up and tell those [who report that water quality advocacy is on the rise and gaining momentum] “you’re lying to me” then its not going to change. We have to demand change.
Thank you Elkader, Iowa! We had a wonderful event and we will be back! If you missed our event, you can click the buttons below to listen on youtube or spotify.
