Guest Blogger

IEC is pleased to welcome guest bloggers on a number of different topics throughout the year. If you are interested in submitting a blog piece to IEC, contact us at iecmail@iaenvironment.org.

Blog posts by this Author:

• Early Prenatal Nitrate Exposure and Birth Outcomes: A Study of Iowa's Public Drinking Water

  Iowa is currently facing an unprecedented drinking water crisis. Recent reports indicate alarming nitrate levels in the Raccoon River; so high that city officials enacted emergency measures such as lawn water bans, to ensure water treatment facilities could comply with regulatory standards for safe drinking water. Unfortunately, at least for pregnant women, any level of nitrate in drinking water appears unsafe.

• Know Your Flood Risks-Iowa Flood Center Tools

  In response to catastrophic flooding in 2008, Iowa legislators established the Iowa Flood Center (IFC) at the University of Iowa's IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering (IIHR) department, a world-renowned institute for education, research, and public service dedicated to solving some of the world's greatest water resources challenges. Read on to learn more.

• Elevated Nitrate in Iowa's Public Water Systems Disproportionately Affects Vulnerable Populations

  Iowa, a major agricultural producer of corn and swine in the US, has grappled with decades-long nitrate (NO3-) pollution in its rivers, lakes, and groundwater due to intensive farming practices and animal feeding operations. Nitrate originating from agricultural activities, industrial discharges, and wastewater treatment processes can contaminate drinking water sources such as groundwater and surface water bodies. Read the entire guest blog here.

• Reaching and Improving Iowa's Private Wells

  Gabriel E. Lade, Associate Professor of Economics at Macalaster College, provides insight on his newest publication: 'Improving Private Well Testing Programs: Experimental Evidence from Iowa'. This intervention served to better understand private well water quality monitoring, while exploring interventions to improve current testing rates. Read on to learn more.

• The Legacy of the IOWATER Program

  This guest blog comes from Dan Haug, Water Quality Specialist for IEC Member Organization Prairie Rivers of Iowa, a not-for-profit organization based in Ames. Read on below to learn more about his work and the legacy of the IOWATER Program.

• The Importance of Inviting All to Outdoor Spaces

  Read this week's guest blog from Kristen Morrow, a Johnson County Conservation Naturalist. This blog features a first-hand account of what inclusivity and accessibility can look like in environmental education. Kristen discusses the programs in Johnson County that seek out marginalized groups to foster environmental awareness, stewardship, and recreation. Read on to learn more.

• Drought to Deluge: The 2024 Floods of Northwest Iowa, and Adaptations to Come

  "Drought to Deluge" was written by Nick Blocha as a first-hand reflection of catastrophic flooding in northwest Iowa this summer. Blocha integrates emotional, personal accounts of his time in hands-on relief efforts, direct contact with some of those affected, as well as facts and relevant metrics looking at the causes of floods. Read on to learn more.

• What does environmental justice look like in the Heartland region?

  This guest blog is from Jeff Severin, Senior Program Manager at the Heartland Environmental Justice Center (HEJC) in Wichita, Kansas. Jeff details the meaning of environmental justice and how it impacts lives throughout the Midwest. The HEJC serves as a resource and advocate for marginalized communities to better understand local issues, and boost capacity to make meaningful and sustainable changes towards justice.

• An inside look at West Des Moines' MS4 permit and Stormwater Assistance Program

  Stormwater is the water that runs off impervious surfaces like paved roads, rooftops, and lawns. In this guest blog, Isaac Svoboda, Engineering Technician with the City of West Des Moines, discusses the West Des Moines Stormwater Assistance Program (SWAP). This program offers a practical way for the community to get involved in stormwater management while receiving financial incentives to do so.

• Iowa Water Recreation Survey: Do you recreate in Iowa's waters?

  In this guest blog, Lyndy Holt shares results from her Master's work with the University of Iowa's Healthy Lakes Initiative. Iowa Water Watch readers were invited to participate in the Iowa Water Recreation Survey in the April 2023 newsletter. The survey yielded 1,638 respondents throughout the state and established the channels that Iowans use to learn about water health and safety.

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