|  | | 9 Beaches with an E. coli Advisory:
Backbone Beach (Dundee, Delaware County, IA)*
Beed’s Lake Beach (Hampton, Franklin County, IA)*
George Wyth Beach (Waterloo, Black Hawk County, IA)*
Lake Keomah Beach (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, IA)*
Lower Pine Lake Beach (Eldora, Hardin County, IA)*
McIntosh Woods Beach (Clear Lake, Ventura, Cerro Gordo County, IA)*
Nine Eagles Beach (Davis City, Decatur County, IA)*
Sugar Bottom Campground Beach (Coralville Lake, Coralville, Johnson County, IA)**
Union Grove Beach (Gladbrook ,Tama County, IA)* 4 City and County Beaches exceed the state’s advisory threshold for E. coli.*
View the map on our website to see where they are. Note: Lake Ahquabi was not tested this week because water levels were too low *Data from the Iowa DNR State Park Beach Monitoring Program
**Data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District |
| Say hello to summer and Weekly Water Watch 2024! |
| With new and improved features, Weekly Water Watch is back for summer 2024! You can rely on us to provide weekly beach advisories every Friday and timely water news throughout the summer recreation season. Our hope this summer, and every summer since we started Weekly Water Watch, is that you’ll be able to get outside and enjoy Iowa’s rivers and lakes, learn more about Iowa’s water issues, and gain knowledge to feel empowered to call for policy change to protect and improve our precious natural resources. This summer, we have new tools to help you do just that and we’re excited to share them here in our first weekly edition of 2024. Beginning this weekend, Iowa state parks are fully open and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District are conducting weekly beach monitoring for E. coli bacteria and microcystin, a cyanotoxin produced by harmful algae blooms (HABs). You can find the list of beach advisories in our newsletter each week and on IEC’s Weekly Water Watch webpage, as well as on Iowa DNR’s beach monitoring webpage and map. Monitoring will continue through Labor Day weekend. This week, there are three beach advisories at monitored public beaches. What’s new this year? We’re excited to launch the Iowa Water Watch Advocacy Toolkit and our new Iowa Water Watchdogs awareness campaign! The toolkit includes resources that you can use as an advocate for Iowa’s recreational waters. We encourage all Weekly Water Watch readers to take an advocacy step this summer. That could be writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or asking your legislative candidates what they will do for recreational water quality and safety if elected. Our Iowa Water Watchdog campaign goal is to raise awareness about the risks of harmful algae blooms for our canine companions. Find out how to get your IWWdog swag pack on our website! Read more about each of these new tools below. Why do we care about Iowa’s beaches and recreational waterways? Iowa’s lakes are an important part of the quality of life we enjoy in our state. We know Iowans love being outside and on the water. Additionally, beaches and water recreation sites are critical economic drivers for many Iowa communities; in some cases, those same water bodies are drinking water sources. IEC shares beach advisory information as part of Weekly Water Watch in an easy-to-understand format that makes it possible for you to plan a weekend beach trip with confidence. We also hope you’ll learn why our beaches and water are at risk, what the beach advisories mean, and what you can do to help. Check out the data we’ve tracked on Iowa’s beach advisories. Thank you for reading and following along with us this summer! Have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend. |
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| | Join us at Paws & Pints in Des Moines on May 30th for a Music Bingo takeover celebrating the launch of Iowa Water Watchdogs! $1 of every Water Watchdogs drink feature will go toward supporting IEC’s clean water work. Bring your friends and furry companions for a night of exciting music bingo, delicious food, and the chance to get your hands on our new Iowa Water Watchdogs swag! |
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| |  | | We love taking our canine companions on adventures to Iowa’s lakes and streams. Dog caretakers know there are risks in the natural environment they must be aware of when they take their dog out. A lesser-known risk is cyanotoxin poisoning from a harmful algae bloom in a natural waterway. Iowa Water Watchdogs is a special campaign of Iowa Water Watch to raise awareness about the risks of cyanotoxin poisoning in dogs. Dogs are more at risk of cyanotoxin poisoning because of their behaviors in the water, including swimming, drinking, and licking water and scum off their fur after being in the water. We want all dogs and their caretakers to be safe in Iowa’s lakes and streams. Learn more about the risks, symptoms, and how to keep your dog safe from cyanotoxin poisoning with our new factsheet. You can also find information on our Iowa Water Watchdog webpage. Is your dog an Iowa Water Watchdog? IWWdogs are safe in Iowa waterways! Donate to get your IWWdog swag pack and help us raise awareness to protect fellow Water Watchdog friends and others who recreate in Iowa’s lakes and streams. |
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 | | The Iowa Water Watch (IWW) project and our summer newsletter Weekly Water Watch aim to increase awareness of Iowa’s recreational water quality and make monitoring data more accessible to the public and easier to understand. We do this by providing science-backed information, hosting educational events, and sharing news and updates. We also support policy change to improve, protect, and provide safe, enjoyable access to Iowa’s recreational waterways. With this goal in mind, we have developed an Advocacy Toolkit for our IWW readers and supporters. The toolkit includes resources that you can use to advocate for Iowa’s recreational waters. Whether you are a seasoned advocate or have never contacted an elected official before, your voice is crucially important to the conversation and any action you take is valuable in the fight for clean water. The resources in the toolkit will help you find your elected official or an agency to contact, craft a message using our talking points, or write a letter-to-the-editor for your local paper. Check out the resources on the new Advocacy Toolkit webpage. | |
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 | DNR Pilots New Beach Signage Iowa DNR is piloting new beach signage at four state park beaches this summer to evaluate how the public uses the information on the signs. The purpose of the pilot signage is twofold: to determine what will work best for offering translations in areas with linguistic diversity; and updating and simplifying the language for safety advisories and beach monitoring. DNR is testing two beach sign designs – one version will be at two beaches, and another version at the other two beaches. The signs will be at Lake Manawa, Big Creek Lake, Lake Darling, and Lake Macbride. DNR managers and staff responsible for the signs will observe the public’s interaction with the signage, and periodically ask for their opinion on the signage as time and other job priorities allow. The two sign designs vary in size, operation, and cost. Feedback from DNR park staff will be collected on these matters as well. After the 2024 swim season, the DNR will evaluate how the signage worked, incorporate any needed adjustments to the sign that worked best, and determine whether to expand the signage to additional locations in 2025 based on the evaluation and available budget. IEC has asked DNR for improved signage at state park beaches for several recreational seasons to improve clarity and increase safe access to Iowa beaches for non-English speakers. We’re excited to see this pilot move forward. If you visit one of these beaches this summer, snap a pic of the signage and share it with us on the @iowawaterwatch Instagram! |
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| |  | | What's new in Iowa's water news: |
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| Upcoming water events: • CLAMP: Volunteer Training - Dickinson Co., 5/29 - 5/30
• Redefining "Disadvantaged Communities" in a New Water Infrastructure Era - Virtual, 5/30
• Music Bingo Takeover at Paws & Pints, 5/30
• Riversurf Clinic - Charles City, 5/31
• Wild Waters Paddle - Dallas Co., 6/1
• Great Iowa River Race - Iowa City, 6/8
• Resisting Colonization, Rematriating the Land and the World Around Us - Virtual, 6/13
• Presentation & Listening Session: Iowa SDWA Petition to EPA - Dubuque, 6/13
• Presentation & Listening Session: Iowa SDWA Petition to EPA - Strawberry Point, 6/13 |
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|  | | | Iowa Environmental Council
505 Fifth Ave., Suite 850
Des Moines, Iowa 50309-2317
515-244-1194 | iecmail@iaenvironment.org |
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