All in the New Year—
Lifetime Conservationists Bill & Lynne Rogers support UMRI in the name of Love…and for future generations to come! Photo provided by the Rogers.
We’re rowing into the new year with our continued efforts of working with our partners in the watershed to achieve healthy soils and improve water quality. As our Executive Director David Zentner states, we aspire to “help bring healthy food production systems and vibrant watershed communities into harmony”.
Love is in the Water—
Paddling, swimming, and safe consumption—that’s joy! Longtime supporters Bill and Lynne Rogers will double gifts for the first $5,000. In putting their money where their hearts are, the Rogers challenge others to match up to $5,000 for UMRI work related to hands-on engagement in stream sampling, education, and collaborations that protect and make better the Mississippi River. The campaign begins February 1st will run for 50 days through March 22nd. Please continued to check out our website for updates! Donations are always appreciated in the name of love!
To achieve our goals we work with our partner organizations. We continue to amplify the conservation voices through our networks in hopes of inspiring others to get involved and take action!
Watershed Teamwork in 2022—
What better way to share those voices than through our 2022 Series on Soil and Water Conservation “Thinking Like a Watershed” program. We feature guests for 30-40 minute presentations that shed daylight on good works done in the name of the Mississippi and its uplands. The winter series is one way we help others who share a goal for a cleaner river, a cared for environment, and kinder communities.
Our February program features Kelly McGinnis the executive director of the Mississippi River Network which includes 58 organizations including the Izaak Walton League and several of our UMRI partners.
Register in advance for UMRI’s 2022 Series on Soil and Water Conservation “Thinking Like a Watershed” program…After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Tuesday, February. 1, 2022 ~ 7 p.m. CT
THE POWER of 1 Mississippi and 20,000 River Citizens
How 58 organizations team up to drive policy—
“Can the river count on you?”
A call to action… from Kelly McGinnis, Executive Director, Mississippi River Network
Kelly will address the Mississippi River Network’s (MRN) use of public outreach and policy advocacy such as the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative Act and she will share other activities of the network, a coalition of 58 organizations dedicated to creating a healthier Mississippi River by working for the well-being of the people, land, water, and wildlife of America’s largest watershed.
Save Bloody Run in January—
Photo by: David Thoreson
Our January program was kicked off with an update from Save Bloody Run. Where we learned the latest details from water policy scientist, Steve Veysey.“Save Bloody Run Goes to Court” Thinking Like a Watershed ~ Steve Veysey— January 4th, 2022 An update from a Dedicated Water Policy Scientist who has turned Radical to Save Bloody Run.
Bloody Run Stream Trout Fishing in Summer 2021 Photo by: David Thoreson
“Bloody Run Creek is a designated Outstanding Iowa Water. Beyond that, we have laws about manure lagoons sited in karst terrain that should have prevented this from happening,” explains Steve Veysey, Committee to Save Bloody Run organizer. “DNR approved it anyway. I, for one, would like to know why.”
Save Bloody Run Litigation—
—10/27/2021 Sierra Club petition filed requesting the court overturn DNR’s approval of the Supreme Beef NMP nutrient management plan (NMP) approved April 1, 2021.
—1/6/2022 Hearing on DNR’s motion to dismiss (MTD) the Sierra Club complaint. This has not been ruled upon yet.
—1/21/2022 Ethics complaint filed against Sen. Dan Zumbach
—1/26/2022 Ethics complaint was deemed acceptable in form by the committee chair and ranking member, which was the first hurdle. It was then sent by the Secretary of the Senate to Senator Zumbach, who has ten days to reply (he can request an additional 10 days) at which time the complaint will be scheduled for review by the Ethics Committee.
—1/27/2022 Press Release Zoom Conference
—1/28/2022 The court approved Trout Unlimited’s petition to intervene and thereby stand with Sierra Club in the complaint.
Citizen Science—
in the works with Save our Streams program…
The Committee to Save Bloody Run has embarked on a comprehensive water testing initiative for streams in the area. The group intends to establish baseline readings to quickly identify when pollution occurs in the future. Both professional scientists and citizen scientists contribute valuable data. Steve Veysey worked with Save Our Streams trainer Susan Heathcote summer of 2021 to train and certify SOS monitors.
Save Bloody Run Stream study at Spook Cave with University of Iowa’s professional benthic team. Summer 2021 Photo by: Larry Stone
Steve just gave us an update: “We have 10-12 completely SOS certified volunteers, currently split into three teams doing chemical/physical assessments. Four teams, if I count myself and Luke as a team. We are covering about 25 sites. A few members of those same teams are also collecting the grab samples after rain events for ammonia and bacteria analysis at the State Hygienic Lab. Finally, we have a team doing the benthic studies at about 10 of the sites where there is adequate perennial flow for it to be most meaningful. About 15 of our 25 sites are headwater sites where chemical and physical parameters using bucket sampling from the roadside edge of bridges or culverts shows the impact from chronic pollution events, but they are not really accessible to do benthics.”
January Winter Snaps—
Iowa was once deeply rooted in beautiful prairie grasslands with bison roaming the landscape. This natural system created the beautiful rich soil we have and filtered the water in our watershed. Today we only have a few living examples of restored prairies, less than 1% of the original landscape remains. Robin Fortney captures this January Winter with two beautiful snaps…
Wooly grazing beasts smack in the middle of winter at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge captured by Robin on her way home from Red Rock Dam to take advantage of the golden light. January 2022 Photo by: Robin Fortney
The view to the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers just above Scott Street Bridge. People are lined up watching the bald eagles. January 2022 Photo By: Robin Fortney
Learn more—
Winter Salt Watch
in the works—
Izaak Walton League provides a fun educational outdoor activity for the entire family…
Learn more here!
To help celebrate the Izaak Walton Leagues’ 100th anniversary in 2022, The Des Moines Chapter is heading up an effort to expand the Izaak Walton League’s SOS (Save our Streams) program throughout Iowa. This is the only nationwide program training volunteers to protect waterways from pollution and to bring information about water quality to their communities.
The IWL’s history: At the turn of the 20th century, uncontrolled discharges of industrial waste and raw sewage, unrestricted logging, and soil erosion threatened to destroy the nation’s most productive waterways. The country’s forests, wetlands, and wilderness areas were quickly disappearing. In 1922, 54 sportsmen declared that it was “time to call a halt” to this destruction. Aware that action – not just talk – would be necessary to solve these problems, the group decided to form an organization to combat water pollution and protect the country’s woods and wildlife. As a reminder of their purpose, they named the organization after Izaak Walton, the 17th-century English angler-conservationist who wrote the literary classic The Compleat Angler.
“Defenders of Soil, Air, Woods, Waters & Wildlife”
Continue to Stay Safe and Stay Engaged…
Save our Streams—On-line training to become a certified Izaak Walton League’s Save Our Stream monitor
Click Here to learn more about Save Bloody Run
Links to 2021 presentations are here:
—This is the video link: “Heartland Heroines” Thinking Like a Watershed ~ Robin Moore & Denise O’Brien— June 1, 2021
—This is the video link: “Planting Seeds to Grow Vibrant Communities” Thinking Like a Watershed ~ Chris Deal & Art Cullen— May 4, 2021
How Jefferson, Iowa’s Chris Deal is working with California Rep. Ro Khanna and others to grow vibrant rural communities in the Heartland with perspectives from Pulitzer Prize—winning journalist and editor of The Storm Lake Times, Art Cullen.
—This is the video link “Watershed Bridges— Green to Blue”: Thinking Like a Watershed ~ Vicki Nichols Goldstein & Seth Watkins— April 6, 2021 How improving soil health and water quality in Iowa and other inland states benefit watersheds that provide critical services from land to sea.
—This is the video link “Local Heroes in Howard County”: Thinking Like a Watershed ~ Neil Shaffer & Hunter Slifka— March 2, 2021 How they have incorporated several thousand acres of land under conservation programs–the largest percentage in Iowa.
—This is the video link “The Accidental Conservationist”: Thinking Like a Watershed ~ Wayne Fredericks— February 2, 2021 How an Iowa Farmer is Improving Natural Capital while Increasing Profits with Conservationist and Farmer, Wayne Fredericks from Mitchell County, Iowa.
— Izaak Walton League’s Outdoor America articles on line.
—About water quality monitoring and research, check out The University of Iowa’s Chris Jones blog who has published several articles on where Iowa stands with regards to soil health and water quality.
—Wait no longer to watch, re-watch and share PFI’s full-length film, “Livestock on the Land“. Please help us get this to as many viewers as possible – farmers, eaters, citizens and policymakers.
—Iowa Farmers Union Events, check out their amazing weekly webinars…
—Iowa Environmental Council’s Event page is packed with fabulous opportunities to learn more from their organization and others.