Weekly Water Watch: September 1, 2023

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There are 18 beach advisories for the week of 9/1

15 Beaches with an E. coli Advisory:
Backbone Beach (Dundee, Delaware County, IA)*
Brushy Creek Beach (Lehigh, Webster County, IA)*
Crandall's Beach (Big Spirit Lake, Spirit Lake, Dickinson County, IA)*
Emerson Bay Beach (West Okoboji Lake, Milford, Dickinson County, IA)*
Gull Point Beach (West Okoboji Lake, Milford, Dickinson County, IA)*
Lake Darling Beach (Brighton, Washington County, IA)*
Lake Keomah Beach (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, IA)*
Lake Macbride (Solon, Johnson County, IA)*
Lower Pine Lake Beach (Eldora, Hardin County, IA)*
Nine Eagles Beach (Davis City, Decatur County, IA)*
North Twin Lake East Beach (Rockwell City, Calhoun, IA)*
North Overlook Beach (Lake Red Rock, Pella, Marion County, IA)**
Sugar Bottom Campground Beach (Coralville Lake, Coralville, Johnson County, IA)**
Union Grove Beach (Gladbrook ,Tama County, IA)*
Whitebreast Beach (Lake Red Rock, Pella, Marion County, IA)**

3 Beaches with a Microcystin Advisory:
Brushy Creek Beach (Lehigh, Webster County, IA)*
Green Valley Beach (Creston, Union County, IA)*
Lake Darling Beach (Brighton, Washington County, IA)*

1 City and County Beach exceeds the state’s advisory threshold for E. coli.*
View the map on our website to see where they are.

*Data from the Iowa DNR State Park Beach Monitoring Program
**Data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District

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State review committee recommendations

On Tuesday, the Governor’s Boards and Commissions Review Committee met to review recommendations for changes, consolidation, or elimination of numerous state boards or commissions. The committee was established by the Governor’s 1,600-page state government reorganization bill, which passed during the last legislative session. Earlier this year, the Governor reorganized state government by reducing cabinet agencies from 37 to 16.

Very few details of the Review Committee’s discussion were provided, other than the announcement of the recommendations and a call for public input ahead of a public hearing only a week later on September 6. The recommendations seek to eliminate and/or consolidate 116 of the state’s 256 boards and commissions down to 140.

IEC reviewed the list for boards and commissions related to environmental programs and regulation that are being recommended for elimination, consolidation, or other changes. Some include:

Reorganize/Other Changes

• Environmental Protection Commission (DNR)
• Natural Resource Commission (DNR)
• State Soil Conservation and Water Quality Committee (IDALS)

Eliminate

• Advisory Council for Public Outdoor Recreation and Resources
• Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Board
• Private Pesticide Applicator Peer Review Panel
• Watershed Planning Advisory Council (IDALS)

Consolidate/Merge

• Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Technical Advisory Committee
• State Advisory Board for Preserves (DNR)

No additional information about the meaning or intent of consolidation or reorganization was provided, so we have little knowledge about the potential impacts for these groups. Many questions remain and IEC is working with our coalition and advocacy partners to learn more and provide comments for the public hearing.

View the story in our newsroom to see the full list of environmental boards or commissions we identified, as well as how to make comments ahead of the September 6 public hearing.

Read the full story in IEC's Newsroom

More high heat looms for Labor Day weekend as drought impacts spread

Iowans are gearing up for another weekend of above normal heat, with temperatures expected in the upper 90s across most of the state.

The heat comes on the heels of last week's punishing heat wave, further stressing crops already weakened by drought. Other crops are facing similar issues, with Eastern Iowa apple orchards now reporting concerns.

Recreational businesses around the state are also experiencing challenges from the drought. Some canoe and kayak businesses are having to turn customers away due to low river flows.

Sign up to participate in Cedar Rapids' first Community Water Academy

The City of Cedar Rapids will host its first-ever Community Water Academy in October. The four-part series is designed to educate and empower community members with knowledge and skills related to water resources and conservation in the Cedar Rapids area.

Through expert-led programming and tours, participants will gain an understanding of water management, sustainability, and the roles we play in preserving the vital resource that is water. It's free to join, but spots are limited! Find out more, including how to apply to the the Community Water Academy.

EPA removes most wetlands from federal protection after ruling

The Environmental Protection Agency removed federal protections for a majority of the country's wetlands this week to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Sackett v. EPA.

As reported by NPR, the EPA said the rule will take effect immediately. "The agencies are issuing this amendment to the 2023 rule expeditiously — three months after the Supreme Court decision — to provide clarity and a path forward consistent with the ruling," the agency said.

As a result of the rule change, protections for many waterways and wetlands will now fall to states.