Blog For Tag "clean water"

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.

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.

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.

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.

posted by Alicia Vasto on Friday, December 8, 2023 Alicia Vasto traveled to Arkansas to attend this year's Gulf Hypoxia Task Force meeting in person to present comments. What she saw and heard reveals no surprises about why nothing seems to change when it comes to fertilizer pollution in Iowa, the Mississippi River Basin, or the Gulf of Mexico.

posted by Guest Blogger on Wednesday, November 8, 2023 In this guest blog, Dr. Jacqueline Comito shares the results of a study on water perceptions in Iowa. The data reveals an ongoing issue: while most Iowans are aware of water quality problems, there is little clarity or expectation about who should fix it.

posted by Michael Schmidt on Friday, August 25, 2023 The EPA recently denied two petitions seeking stronger rules governing concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) filed by national and local environmental groups. IEC Staff Attorney Michael Schmidt explains the petitions, the ruling, and what it means for future CAFO rules in Iowa.

posted by Angelisa Belden on Thursday, August 3, 2023 A roadtrip to get photos of an ongoing toxic algae bloom reinforced the need to expand water quality advisory signage to protect ALL Iowans.

posted by Guest Blogger on Thursday, July 20, 2023 IEC Member Organization Iowa Rivers Revival re-launched their Service Squad initiative in 2023. In this guest blog post, three Americorps volunteers share their summer experiences as part of the initiative.

posted by Michael Schmidt on Friday, June 16, 2023 Iowa DNR is in the process of updating the rules defining how manure is stored at AFOs and then applied on the landscape. This rulemaking is a chance for DNR to protect Iowans while saving them money, but we need stronger rules to make that happen. The draft rules have some changes, but not enough - and the process is more complicated thanks to an executive order.