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Livestock-dense area Sioux County installs first bioreactor

Northwest Iowa area farmers had a chance to check out construction of Sioux County’s first bioreactor as part of the Conservation Ag Fair held Tuesday, July 23.

A bioreactor is one of several practices that may be used to help prevent excessive nitrate contribution from tile drainage water leaving crop fields. Specifically, it is an edge-of-field structure that contains a carbon source, such as wood chips, through which water from field tile goes through to naturally remove nitrogen, or denitrify, the water before it goes to a waterway. The Floyd River watershed, where the bioreactor was installed, was identified as a statewide priority area in the Nutrient Reduction Strategy six years ago due in large part to the fact that Sioux County boasts the highest concentration of livestock in the state. | READ MORE