A proposed rule by the En­­vironmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to redefine the navigable waters subject to the Clean Water Act would add tremendous uncertainty for farmers, would force them to spend money and time dealing with additional government red tape and could also hinder progress in soil conservation and water quality improvements, Darcy Maulsby, Calhoun County Farm Bureau president, told a U.S. Senate committee last week.

"The only thing that’s clear and certain is that this rule will make it more difficult for farm families like mine to make changes to the land that will benefit the environment," Maulsby told the Senate Com­­mittee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst invited Maulsby, a Lake City farmer who is also a freelance writer for the Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman and other publications, to speak to the committee along with...