Madeleine Charis King
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Iowa Public Radio
A family farm in central Iowa recently transitioned their industrial hog operation to grow something else — specialty mushrooms. They say it’s better for them and the environment, and with help from a nonprofit, they hope to inspire other farmers.
Madeleine Charis King
/
Iowa Public Radio
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Samples from 41 taps across five eastern Iowa cities show wide disparities in what residents are drinking. A Cedar Falls-based environmental scientist conducted a study to better understand how nitrate levels vary in the region. -
After hearing from community members who wanted a one-year pause on data centers, the Salix City Council rejected a proposed moratorium. Google is considering a project near the small town. -
More than 60 years after a Cold War missile site was deactivated near Missouri Valley, a toxic compound remains in the groundwater. People living nearby are pressing federal officials for answers about health risks and how long the cleanup will take.
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A new art installation in Des Moines will honor former Des Moines Water Works CEO Bill Stowe, who spent years advocating for better water quality in Iowa. The artwork doubles as an outdoor classroom, where people can learn about the threats to Iowa’s drinking water. -
U.S. Geological Survey researchers developed models to better understand the timing and sources contributing to nutrient pollution in streams and rivers. They say their findings can help guide efforts to improve water quality. -
NASA is partnering with the University of Iowa, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Des Moines Water Works to create a new tool to forecast water quality conditions. The goal is to combine satellite imagery with water quality monitors across the state to predict when nitrate concentrations in surface or ground water will reach dangerous levels.
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A group of farmers say voluntary approaches to conservation are not delivering the scale of change needed to meet the state’s nutrient reduction goals. They’re calling for a new system of incentives and disincentives. -
A new report identifies challenges to agricultural diversification in the Corn Belt and policy changes that could make it easier to grow different crops or integrate livestock and trees. -
Water quality has become a bigger part of the public conversation in Iowa as the Des Moines metro and smaller communities around the state grapple with high nitrate levels. Many homeowners are concerned about their health and are looking into reverse osmosis to filter out these contaminants.
