Water Monitoring: They Cut Funding - Now We Must Act!

Imagine living in a state so dependent on its rivers and farmland, yet so underfunded in protecting them, that citizens are forced to crowdfund water monitoring. That’s the reality in Iowa today.

The University of Iowa’s water monitoring program—one of the most important tools we have to track nitrate pollution, algal blooms, and water health across the state—was cut by $500,000 in funding. After more than a decade without a single funding increase, this vital program is now at risk of going dark.

Without it, Iowa loses accountability. Communities lose critical data. And our water quality crisis only deepens.

Why This Matters:

The price of survival is clear. It costs $500,000 per year to keep the monitoring network operating at minimum capacity. To run effectively—with equipment renewal and proper data analysis—it’s $600,000 per year.

Without data, there is no accountability. If we can’t measure what’s in our water, we can’t demand change.

This affects all of us. From rural wells to city taps, from Iowa’s lakes and rivers to the Gulf of Mexico’s Dead Zone, this monitoring work protects public health and ecosystems on a massive scale.

Who’s Leading the Effort:

The Iowa Division of the Izaak Walton League of America is taking the lead to raise the money necessary to keep this network alive. As the Iowa Division is a recognized 501(c)(3) not for profit organization your generous gift is tax deductible.

With the Iowa Nature Summit on the horizon, we have the perfect opportunity to launch this campaign and build unstoppable momentum.