Iowa's
Hog Lots
A hog lot controversy has been brewing for years in Iowa. Hogs create
an incredible amount of income in the state, but they also bring
the potential for tremendous environmental damage.
Here are some
of the reasons the state’s water is especially vulnerable to
potential pollution from confinements.
- 80% of Iowa’s
drinking water comes from groundwater
sources. Many confinements are located on or near these sources.
We may not be able to clean our groundwater if a spill contaminated
one of these sources.
- Agricultural
Drainage wells–a hydrologic
modification common to Iowa. Many large animal confinements
are located on or near these wells increasing the risk that underground
water sources could be contaminated.
- Tiling—a
hydrologic modification that short-circuits nature’s "plumbing"
system. Instead of moving through the natural water cycle, which
would include wetlands and buffering areas, tiling shoots drainage
(and any pollutants in it) directly into waterways. (cutaway graphic
showing tiling)
Pork
Industry Statistics
- Iowa is
the nation’s number one pork producing state, accounting
for 28% of all U.S. pork production.
- 262.6 million
hogs were marketed in Iowa in 2000.
- 15.2 million
hogs and pigs, valued at $1.3 billion, were on Iowa farms as of
Dec. 2000.
- Cash receipts
from pork production in 2000 totaled $3.0 billion.
- The pork
industry provides more than 86,000 jobs in the state of Iowa.
- The pork
industry contributes nearly $3 billion payroll income.
- The economic
impact is nearly $12 billion.
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