Following the death of a Missourian infected after swimming in the Lake of Three Fires last month, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Iowa Health and Human Services, and the Iowa DNR confirmed the presence of Naegleria fowleri, or the “brain-eating amoeba,” in the Lake of Three Fires this week. This is the first death caused by the amoeba that has been linked to an Iowa waterway. Naturally, this news has been raising alarms for recreational water users across the state. 

But what are the risks to Iowans? Naegleria is a genus of amoeba (single-celled organisms) commonly found in warm freshwater and soil. Only one species of Naegleria infects people: Naegleria fowleri. 

Naegleria fowleri is found around the world. In the United States, the majority of infections have occurred in the freshwaters of southern states but, more recently, cases have begun occurring in more northern states, likely due to rising water temperatures associated with climate change. 

The amoeba grows best in warm freshwater between 80 and 115 degrees. In the area near Lake of Three Fires State Park, a weather station recorded high temperatures of around 95 degrees on two consecutive days over the July 4 holiday when it’s believed the swimmer contracted the amoeba. 

I have made a discovery. One of universal joy for an unusual subset of people. It rolls like this: find tire, extract tire, smile with tire, celebrate, go find another tire. I have a complicated relationship with tires. Apparently, I am not the only one. Welcome to Iowa Project AWARE: A Watershed Awareness River Expedition.

Iowa Project AWARE just hit the West Fork of the Des Moines River July 10-15: 4.5 days cleaning 61.4 river miles from the Petersburg Access in Minnesota to the River Runner Access in West Bend, Iowa. An average of 200 paddlers spent 6 hours a day enjoying the water that brings life to the people and the land.  200 people x 6 hours = 1200 hours a day cleaning up the river!!!!! Multiply that by 4.5 days and the whopping 5,400 hours of labor and love lifts our hearts like a tire trapped in a log jam that suddenly pops up after being danced upon by a determined tire trash treasure seeker. In addition to that effort, there’s the "staff" volunteers in orange shirts that work the ramp, the sorting, the hauling, the lifting, the feeding, the registration, the education programs each night, and the safety briefs every morning. In this giant community of love for our rivers, the grandest most beautiful gift of all is the children growing up surrounded by this outpouring of generosity. These children are being carefully trained to wrangle tires, corral refrigerators and pry debris all from the river.

What's new in Iowa's water news:

Upcoming water events:

• Canoe/Kayak the Shell Rock River - Wunsch Memorial Park, Butler Co. - July 30
• Blue Water Bash - West Okoboji Lake, Dickinson Co. - July 30
• Clear Lake Iowa Paddlefest - State Park Beach, Clear Lake - July 30
• Riverside Stones & Bones - Old Town Park, Macedonia - July 30
• Urban Outdoors Summer Series - Hartman Reserve Nature Center, Black Hawk Co. - July 31
• Summer Olympics: Kayaking - Jefferson Co. Park, Jefferson Co. - Aug. 2
• Summer Olympics: Kayaking - Jefferson Co. Park, Jefferson Co. - Aug. 3
• Sunset Eco Cruise - Rock Creek Marina, Clinton Co. - Aug. 4
• Geode Paddle - Jefferson Co. Park, Jefferson Co. - Aug. 5
• Paddle in the Park - Kayak - Hartman Reserve Nature Center, Black Hawk Co. - Aug. 5