Photo by: Elizabeth Partridge Blessington, February 2023
Wise Nature— Liz and her mother, Rosemary Partridge took their dogs for a long walk in the prairie along the creek in Sac County on a sunny afternoon in February. They witnessed this extraordinary sighting of a gorgeous Long-eared Owl roosted in a cedar tree on their Riparian Buffer Strip. This section of linear bands of permanent vegetation is adjacent to their creek ecosystem. Buffer strips maintain or improve water quality by trapping and removing various non-point source pollutants from both overland and shallow subsurface flow. Creating wild habitat is wise and beneficial for all life in the watershed.
Once again— We are grateful that the Izaak Walton League provides UMRI a home within a respected organization and leaders that give credibility to our undertaking of addressing problems of climate change, compromised natural resources; polluted waters, destruction of habitats, flooding, sedimentation and food production. Most of the individuals and organizations who are committed and take action are volunteers who give hours of their time to the cause of improving our natural capital to create a harmonious life for all. We are Thankful for ALL of you!
On the Farm Bill 2023—
During the past several months we have been participating with the Izaak Walton League’s National Agriculture Director, Duane Hovorka’s Farm Bill 2023 listening sessions. The resources and current policy platforms from all of the inputs are now available, Click here for all the details: IWLA 2023 Farm Bill Platform
Register Here! for Tuesday, February 14th @ 7 pm CT
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Please share this event with your networks! Facebook link!
Izaak Walton League’s Upper Mississippi River Initiative’s
Thinking Like a Watershed in 2023—“Crops + Livestock…a “Match Made in Heaven”
—Denise Schwab, Extension Beef Specialist, Iowa State University
—Caroline van Schaik, Driftless coordinator, Upper Mississippi River Initiative/Izaak Walton League
How re-integrating livestock and cropping systems is a marriage for soil health, climate change, and happy farmers – no blind date needed.
Forthright talk about cropland, livestock, and the matchmaking that would put soil and farmers alike in a healthier state have culminated in a just-released survey to understand why this marriage is so hard to sell. We know some about the benefits – to public waters, habitat, rural economy, roads, wildlife, and a pool of resilience against weather, climate, and global everything. But what are the challenges?
Iowa Extension beef specialist Denise Schwab and UMRI’s Caroline van Schaik shed light on the 6-state “Match Made in Heaven” project, its unusual bedfellows, the challenging conversations that shape the survey, and the 10,000 responses they hope the survey generates. Both are active members of the project’s advisory group and farm in northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota, respectively.
This monthly series is a project of the Upper Mississippi River Initiative of the Izaak Walton League of America, with co-hosts Chris Henning of the Panora Conservation Chapter and Des Moines Chapter Communication Director, Bud Hartley. We feature guests for 30-40 minute presentations that shed daylight on good works done in the name of the Mississippi and its uplands. In this way we uplift our shared goals for a cleaner river, a cared for environment, and kinder communities. Recorded programs are available at umri.org shortly after they air live.
Thinking April—
In March 2021 our “Local Heroes in Howard County” shared how they had incorporated several thousand acres of land conservation programs— the largest percentage in Iowa! We’re super excited to let you know that Neil Shaffer and Hunter Slifka will be updating us on their additional successes during our April 11th Thinking Like a Watershed program.
I’m not a big sports fan, but many individuals are and so we can make a comparison to Neil and Hunter’s wins for conservation on the landscape to Super Bowl LVII which was held on February 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to win 38–35, led by a stellar performance from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. If you’re interested in taking a look at all the accomplishments they achieved two years ago here’s the link: Thinking Like a Watershed ~ Neil Shaffer & Hunter Slifka— March 2, 2021! Stay tuned for April’s Thinking Like a Watershed program to learn why we consider them Super Bowl material for Iowa’s farmland.
Salt Watch Matters—
Iowa’s winter snow is almost gone now. I’ve enjoyed participating in the SOS’s Winter Salt Watch over the past couple of years. I hope to see some creek critters in the coming weeks. According to the SOS Salt Watch information, anything above 100 ppm is out of the ordinary, and prolonged exposure above 230 ppm or one-time exposure above 860 ppm can be damaging to aquatic life.” The two recent samples that I collected at West Des Moines’ Jordan Creek stream were significantly higher then 200 ppm of chloride.
Photo by: Christine Curry
Photo by: Christine Curry
“Why is there so much chloride in our streams right now? Much of the salt and brine that was applied in the past week or two has been frozen in place along the side of the road and in parking lot snow piles because of the bitter cold we experienced last week. As it says in my Water Reporter post above, the warm temps are causing melting, which is washing salt from the snowpack into the storm drains (which then empty straight into a nearby water body).
Photo by: Christine Curry
Photo by: Christine Curry
Check out the Salt Watch Data compared to snowfall in West Des Moines, you can see the days when extra salt was applied to the roads. Notable Winter Storm February 16th; Prolonged Freezing Rain/ Drizzle, Snow Showers February 22-23.
Water Matters Meeting with IWL SOS Midwest Coordinator, Heather Wilson and others, at the Des Moines Chapter house/Crum’s Center’s Education Hub, February 21, 2023 Photo by: Christine Curry
Good to know and good to share—
From Sunday, February 26th’s Des Moines Register
Your Turn
Matt Liebman, Larry Weber and Chris Jones
Guest columnists
On water quality, check data, your senses
“As Iowans with more than a century’s worth of work in environmental science and agronomy between us, we applaud the efforts of all those who seek to develop and implement farming practices that protect water quality, promote rural prosperity, and sustain crop and livestock production. But, as scientists, we also know the importance of relying on credible information, especially when it comes to making management decisions. That requires being skeptical of assertions that are not accompanied by an adequate amount of supporting evidence and that fail to acknowledge the relevant findings of other investigators.
We were therefore surprised to read in the Register that ‘Iowa farmers have made huge strides in water quality.’ Published data show statewide stream nitrate levels doubling since 2003 and tripling in streams draining to the Missouri River, and no progress in reducing phosphorus levels. The author asserts that last year ‘nearly 3 million acres of cover crops were planted in Iowa.’ But a 2022 study published by scientists at Stanford University and the University of Illinois, conducted with high resolution satellite data, indicates that cover crops were used on less than a third of that area in 2020, with a downward trend since 2018. As scientists, we recognize that quantitative estimates of landscape-level features can differ, but we adhere to an ethic that requires us to identify where and when large discrepancies exist.
We believe that Iowans are fully capable of using their own eyes, ears, noses, and memories to assess whether the state is making substantive progress in improving water quality. We invite you to visit a stream or lake near your home. Does the water look and smell the way you think it should? Are the species there that you think should be there? Are the streams buffered with setbacks for crops, or does the stream flow through a dirt-lined canyon vulnerable to flashy hydrology caused by drainage tile and stream straightening? Are corn and soybean plants sloughing off into your stream? Are cattle wading in it? Are the beaches you go to safe for swimming, or are they posted with notices about pathogenic organisms and toxic algae? Some people, in some parts of Iowa, may honestly report that the water seems adequate to them. For many others, our water quality is not close to being adequate and hasn’t been so their entire lives.
The corn-soybean-CAFO-ethanol system that currently dominates Iowa agriculture has been profitable for some, but it has been made possible by taxpayer-funded insurance subsidies and government mandates for ethanol consumption. It has also been accompanied by growing susceptibility to deadly pathogens like avian influenza. We believe it’s time for a new vision for Iowa. Diverse crop rotations and alternative livestock systems would produce better environmental outcomes and create better opportunities for young and imaginative farmers to get a foothold in an occupation that has been made off limits by high land prices. As taxpayers who contribute to Iowa farm income, the public should have a say in how that system is operated. Being clear about whether we’re actually making progress toward cleaner water would be a good place to start.
Matt Liebman is professor emeritus of agronomy and former H.A. Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University. Larry Weber is director, Center for Hydrologic Development, and Edwin B. Green Chair in Hydraulics, IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering at the University of Iowa. Chris Jones is research engineer with IIHR Hydroscience & Engineering at the University of Iowa.”
Learn more—
Previous recorded “Thinking Like a Watershed” programs are available at umri.org!
Izaak Walton League provides a fun educational outdoor activity for the entire family…
Learn more here!
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
— 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.
—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.