Weekly Water Watch July 2, 2021

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There are 8 beach advisories for the week of 7/2

5 Beaches with an E. coli-related Advisory:
Backbone Beach (Dundee, Delaware County, IA)
Lake Darling Beach (Brighton, Washington County, IA)
Lake Keomah Beach (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, IA)
Prairie Rose Beach (Harlan, Shelby County, IA)
Union Grove Beach (Gladbrook, Tama County, IA)

3 Beaches with a Microcystin-related Advisory:
Lake Darling Beach (Brighton, Washington County, IA)
Lower Pine Lake Beach (Eldora, Hardin County, IA)
Rock Creek Beach (Kellogg, Jasper County, IA)

*Data from the Iowa DNR State Park Beach Monitoring Program

Note: There is currently a harmful algae bloom (HAB) at Saylorville Lake. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ testing earlier this week came in below advisory levels (8 mg/l), but the algae bloom is growing and anticipated to reach advisory levels in the coming days. See their announcement on Facebook. You are advised to be cautious when visiting Saylorville Lake. Here’s what to watch for when swimming this summer.

IEC joins coalition calling for a new federal Mississippi River initiative

From headwaters to the gulf, groups say it’s time to restore the river and support resilient river communities.

The Great Lakes, Everglades, Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound. What do these national treasures have that the Mississippi River does not? A dedicated federal restoration program. But with the introduction of a new bill, Representative Betty McCollum of Minnesota and original co-sponsors Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), Rep. John Yarmuth (KY-03), Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09), and Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS-02) aim to change that.

Their bill would authorize a new federal Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative (MRRRI) to coordinate restoration and resilience opportunities up and down the Mississippi River corridor.

In the headwaters state of Minnesota, Friends of the Mississippi River Executive Director Whitney Clark said that while there are several programs and initiatives that have made great strides for the river’s health “We need a coordinated, holistic approach — one that respects and supports local solutions, as MRRRI does — to truly address the Mississippi River’s complex problems. Rivers don’t respect political boundaries.”

Continue reading in our newsroom

What if the NRS Actually Reduced Nutrient Pollution?

IEC has released an updated analysis and corresponding policy recommendations showing that the pace and scale of conservation practice implementation continues to be insufficient to tackle Iowa’s nutrient pollution problem. According to data from the most recent Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS) annual report, Iowa hasn’t managed to pick up the pace.

Read an overview of the report in our newsroom.

Microcystin: What to Watch for When You're Swimming

With three microcystin advisories this week, a growing harmful algae bloom (HAB) at Saylorville Lake, and a hot holiday weekend ahead, it’s important to know the causes and risks of HABs in recreational waters.

Our newest video shares the economic and health impacts of HABs to Iowa business and families. Watch and share to help protect yourself and others you care about. Then subscribe to our YouTube channel to continue exploring our library and get access to the latest videos.

MRN Public Petition for New Vision for the Mississippi River

The Mississippi River Network is collecting signatures from the general public in support of MRRRI.

By gathering 5,000 signatures, the petition will demonstrate the thousands of Americans that care about the long-term health of the Mississippi River and the communities that depend on it.

Please add your name in support of MRRRI, and then share the petition!