Blog – Iowa Environmental Voice

  • Earth Day Action: Rally against coal pollution in Iowa

    posted on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 Monday April 22nd was Earth Day and to celebrate, Iowans of diverse faiths rallied in Des Moines to demand a clean energy future.

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

    posted by Guest Blogger on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 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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  • Taking action in Iowa this Earth Day

    posted on Thursday, April 4, 2024 While Earth Day officially takes place on Monday, April 22, many organizations, communities, and groups recognize and celebrate all things Earth and the environment throughout the month. Iowans have many ways to get involved and give back - find out more here!

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  • Understanding the true scope of the Nishnabotna fertilizer spill

    posted by Alicia Vasto on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 A recent fertilizer spill at NEW Cooperative in southwest Iowa that entered the East Nishnabotna River killed approximately 750,000 fish over a 60 mile stretch of river. According to reporting from the Iowa Capital Dispatch, it is the largest fish kill in Iowa in a decade and the fifth largest in our state's history. IEC Water Program Director Alicia Vasto shares her dismay in this guest column published in the Gazette on April 2, 2024.

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  • The IRA in Iowa: Implementing the clean energy and climate provisions panel series

    posted by Marshall James on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 On Friday, February 16, the Iowa Environmental Council (IEC) co-hosted a panel series called "The Inflation Reduction Act in Iowa: Implementing the Clean Energy and Climate Provisions" alongside partners at the Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative, Rewiring America, the UI Labor Center.

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  • 25 years of water quality monitoring in Northeast Iowa

    posted by Guest Blogger on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 In this guest blog from Northeast Iowa RC&D, Ross Evelsizer discusses the importance of recent water quality monitoring. Northeast Iowa RC&D has been coordinating water quality monitoring in northeast Iowa watersheds since 1999. This annual effort started in the Upper Iowa River watershed but has expanded to include the Upper Wapsipinicon and Turkey River watersheds.

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  • Advocating for Iowa at MRN's DC Fly-in

    posted by Alicia Vasto on Monday, March 11, 2024 IEC Water Program Director Alicia Vasto traveled to Washington, D.C. March 4-7, 2024, for the Mississippi River Network's (MRN) annual fly-in. This network of supporters advocated on behalf of the Mississippi River watershed, and granted us the opportunity to connect with Iowa legislators.

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  • Looking for fecal contamination through microbial source tracking in Scott County

    posted by Guest Blogger on Thursday, February 29, 2024 In this guest blog, Watershed Coordinator Liv Humphrey discusses the role of the Partners of Scott County Watershed (PSCW) in water monitoring using microbial source tracking. Now working on their analysis, PSCW demonstrates the importance of investigating fecal pollution in Iowa's watersheds.

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  • IEC Environmental Justice initiatives: Looking back, looking ahead

    posted on Monday, January 15, 2024 One year ago, IEC hosted an Environmental Justice Summit following the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast in Des Moines. One year later, our work reflects our commitment to environmental justice as a core component of our organization. Take a look back with us one year later and examine what's ahead.

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  • Iowa courts have blocked transmission line projects: What's next?

    posted by Cody Smith on Monday, December 18, 2023 In 2020, the Iowa Legislature adopted a "right-of-first-refusal" provision for transmission line projects; on December 4th 2023, a district court declared this provision unconstitutional. What now?

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