With the Memorial Day holiday upon us, the start of summer recreation, and weekly beach monitoring, summer has begun! With that comes the start of IEC’s Weekly Water Watch series. You can rely on us to provide 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 tools and knowledge to feel empowered to call for policy change to protect and improve our precious natural resources. Iowa state parks open fully this weekend, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District are now conducting weekly beach monitoring. This year, Iowa DNR has updated its beach monitoring webpage and map. The updated webpage has the same information, but in an easier-to-digest format. It also now includes the full results of the DNR’s monitoring, so you can see what the E. coli and microcystin levels are at every beach each week. We will continue to provide the full list of beach advisories in our newsletters and updated on our Google map each week. Monitoring will continue through Labor Day weekend. This week, there are three beach advisories at monitored public beaches. Why do we care about Iowa’s beaches? 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 a little more about why our beaches and water are at risk, and what you can do to help. Check out the data we’ve tracked on Iowa’s beach advisories. Read the full story on IEC's website to learn about E. coli and microcystin and how it endangers the health of you, your family, and your pets. | 
