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Iowa’s rabbit, squirrel season opens Sept. 2

Iowa’s rabbit, squirrel season opens Sept. 2

  • 8/29/2023 2:23:00 PM
  • View Count 4127
The good news for Iowa’s cottontail rabbit hunters is that Iowa has an abundant rabbit population, with the south-central part of the state seeing the best overall numbers. The better news for hunters is Iowa’s cottontail rabbit season begins Sept. 2 statewide.
Pheasant survey results highest in eight years

Pheasant survey results highest in eight years

  • 8/29/2023 2:12:00 PM
  • View Count 15033
The 2023 August pheasant population survey had the highest statewide counts since 2015, with the biggest increases coming from southwest, northwest and northeast regions. The statewide average was nearly 23 birds per route; a 15 percent increase over 2022.
Iowa’s dove season begins Sept. 1

Iowa’s dove season begins Sept. 1

  • 8/29/2023 2:11:00 PM
  • View Count 4905
Iowa’s sunflower and wheat fields will be popular places on Sept. 1, when thousands of hunters slip into the standing flowers and field edges in the early morning darkness for the opening day of dove hunting season.
Brook trout thrive at South Pine Creek wildlife area

Brook trout thrive at South Pine Creek wildlife area

  • 8/29/2023 2:08:00 PM
  • View Count 3840
The brook trout in South Pine Creek might be the most well-known of the trout species in the Hawkeye State. And for good reason. This strain has been confirmed through two genetic assessments as unique to Iowa.
Iowa’s teal-only hunting season opens Sept. 1

Iowa’s teal-only hunting season opens Sept. 1

  • 8/29/2023 2:02:00 PM
  • View Count 4367
Iowa’s 16-day teal only hunting season begins statewide Sept. 1, offering hunters an opportunity to enjoy Iowa’s wetlands and shallow lakes during the mild late summer weather.
Spill in tributary of North Raccoon River

Spill in tributary of North Raccoon River

  • 8/22/2023 6:52:00 AM
  • View Count 2553
COOPER - The morning of Monday, August 21st, the Iowa DNR Atlantic Field Office was notified of discolored water in an unnamed tributary of the North Raccoon River, approximately two miles east of the City of Cooper in Greene County. According to the caller, the discolored water was first observed on the evening of Friday, August 18, 2023.
Riverton Wildlife Area wetland pumping delayed

Riverton Wildlife Area wetland pumping delayed

  • 8/18/2023 2:43:00 PM
  • View Count 3122
Riverton, Iowa- A delay in the delivery of the precast concrete and new metal screw gate required to replace the failing Spring Creek outlet at the Riverton Wildlife Area will impact the ability for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to pump water on to the main marsh, north of county road J46.
Hawkeye shooting ranges to reopen Friday

Hawkeye shooting ranges to reopen Friday

  • 8/18/2023 8:19:00 AM
  • View Count 3935
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will reopen three shooting ranges at the Hawkeye Wildlife Area on Friday, August 18.
Air Quality permits under review

Air Quality permits under review

  • 8/17/2023 3:38:00 PM
  • View Count 2731
DES MOINES – The DNR Air Quality Bureau has the following draft permits up for review. The permits help protect Iowans’ health and the air where we live. DNR’s permitting staff review the applications to ensure facilities comply with state and federal air quality standards. The public has the right and is encouraged to comment on draft permits. DNR considers public comments before finalizing the permits. Submit comments in writing to the assigned permit writer before 4:30 p.m. on the last day of the comment period.
Natural Resource Commission to meet Aug. 17 via teleconference

Natural Resource Commission to meet Aug. 17 via teleconference

  • 8/15/2023 7:21:00 AM
  • View Count 2597
Des Moines – The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold its monthly meeting via teleconference beginning at 9:30 a.m., Aug. 17. The meeting is open to the public.
DNR Enforcement Actions

DNR Enforcement Actions

  • 8/10/2023 2:47:00 PM
  • View Count 3546
DES MOINES – DNR staff work with individuals, businesses and communities to help them protect our natural resources by complying with state and federal laws. This approach is very effective. In the few cases where compliance cannot be achieved, the DNR issues enforcement actions. The following list summarizes recent enforcement actions. Find the entire, original orders on DNR’s website at www.iowadnr.gov/EnforcementActions
Air Quality permits under review

Air Quality permits under review

  • 8/10/2023 2:41:00 PM
  • View Count 2844
DES MOINES – The DNR Air Quality Bureau has the following draft permits up for review. The permits help protect Iowans’ health and the air where we live. DNR’s permitting staff review the applications to ensure facilities comply with state and federal air quality standards. The public has the right and is encouraged to comment on draft permits. DNR considers public comments before finalizing the permits. Submit comments in writing to the assigned permit writer before 4:30 p.m. on the last day of the comment period.
Iowa DNR to host open house on Gull Point State Park improvement plans

Iowa DNR to host open house on Gull Point State Park improvement plans

  • 8/9/2023 7:33:00 AM
  • View Count 2936
Milford -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting an open house to discuss renovation and improvement plans for Gull Point State Park, at 6:30 p.m., Aug. 22, at Gull Point State Park Lodge. The public is invited to attend.
Big Creek Wildlife Area is hidden in plain sight

Big Creek Wildlife Area is hidden in plain sight

  • 8/9/2023 7:30:00 AM
  • View Count 4453
Often overlooked for its similarly named state park or mistaken for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sprawling Saylorville Wildlife Area, Big Creek Wildlife Area is roughly 3,100-acre, one stop outdoor shop just 10 minutes from Ankeny.
Invasive aquatic plants confirmed at West Okoboji Lake

Invasive aquatic plants confirmed at West Okoboji Lake

  • 8/9/2023 7:28:00 AM
  • View Count 4007
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently discovered Eurasian watermilfoil growing throughout the canals near Miller’s Bay and The Harbor canals on West Okoboji Lake in Dickinson County. Brittle naiad was also found in the Triboji lagoon. No Eurasian watermilfoil or brittle naiad was found in the main lake of West Okoboji or the other lakes in the Iowa Great Lakes chain.
See You at the Iowa State Fair!

See You at the Iowa State Fair!

  • 8/7/2023 4:11:00 PM
  • View Count 3174
Visit the DNR Building at the Iowa State Fair for a chance to win prizes, enjoy the popular fish aquariums, talk to DNR experts, attend an outdoor-themed presentation and more! 
DNR Enforcement Actions

DNR Enforcement Actions

  • 8/3/2023 2:58:00 PM
  • View Count 3343
DES MOINES – DNR staff work with individuals, businesses, and communities to help them protect our natural resources by complying with state and federal laws. This approach is very effective. In the few cases where compliance cannot be achieved, the DNR issues enforcement actions. The following list summarizes recent enforcement actions. Find the entire, original orders on DNR’s website at www.iowadnr.gov/EnforcementActions
Air Quality permits under review

Air Quality permits under review

  • 8/3/2023 2:55:00 PM
  • View Count 2701
DES MOINES – The DNR Air Quality Bureau has the following draft permits up for review. The permits help protect Iowans’ health and the air where we live. DNR’s permitting staff review the applications to ensure facilities comply with state and federal air quality standards. The public has the right and is encouraged to comment on draft permits. DNR considers public comments before finalizing the permits. Submit comments in writing to the assigned permit writer before 4:30 p.m. on the last day of the comment period.
Water Summary Update: July 2023 - Drought conditions intensify after another dry month

Water Summary Update: July 2023 - Drought conditions intensify after another dry month

  • 8/3/2023 2:54:00 PM
  • View Count 3588
DES MOINES - The month of July ended in dry conditions, with Iowa receiving 3.10 inches of rain, more than an inch below normal. This marks the fifth month in a row of less than normal rainfall. According to the Iowa Drought Plan, 4 of the 5 regions of the state are in “drought watch”. The US Drought Monitor shows that nearly all of Iowa faces some dryness or drought, with over half the state facing moderate drought conditions.
Wastewater Bypass City of Fontanelle and Middle Nodaway River

Wastewater Bypass City of Fontanelle and Middle Nodaway River

  • 8/2/2023 2:18:00 PM
  • View Count 2836
ATLANTIC -- Heavy precipitation is causing a bypass of untreated wastewater from the City of Fontanelle. It is flowing from Washington and Main Street in town to an unnamed tributary which runs over a mile before reaching the Middle Nodaway River. The bypassing began at 2:51 a.m. The amount of the discharge is unknown at this time.
Late summer underwater aquatic plant control for ponds

Late summer underwater aquatic plant control for ponds

  • 8/1/2023 12:15:00 PM
  • View Count 3064
A healthy pond needs aquatic plants, but too many can upset a fishing pond’s balance and become a nuisance. Many pond owners struggle with how to control the amount of aquatic plants, without completely removing all of them, so they can enjoy their pond.
Chronic wasting disease found in Marshall County deer

Chronic wasting disease found in Marshall County deer

  • 8/1/2023 12:04:00 PM
  • View Count 4241
A tissue sample collected in mid-June from a road killed adult buck deer in Marshall County has tested positive for chronic wasting disease. With the addition of Marshall County, 260 deer have tested positive in 16 Iowa counties since 2013.
Iowa DNR sending firefighters to Montana and Texas

Iowa DNR sending firefighters to Montana and Texas

  • 8/1/2023 12:03:00 PM
  • View Count 2856
AMES – As wildfires continue to rage in parts of the west, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fire Program has started to dispatch wildland firefighters to Montana and Texas.
Air Quality permits under review

Air Quality permits under review

  • 7/27/2023 2:43:00 PM
  • View Count 3117
DES MOINES – The DNR Air Quality Bureau has the following draft permits up for review. The permits help protect Iowans’ health and the air where we live. DNR’s permitting staff review the applications to ensure facilities comply with state and federal air quality standards. The public has the right and is encouraged to comment on draft permits. DNR considers public comments before finalizing the permits. Submit comments in writing to the assigned permit writer before 4:30 p.m. on the last day of the comment period.
Learn to Hunt program opens registration for youth waterfowl workshop

Learn to Hunt program opens registration for youth waterfowl workshop

  • 7/25/2023 11:55:00 AM
  • View Count 2944
Polk City, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a program to teach skills needed to hunt, field dress and cook waterfowl to youth who have little to no waterfowl hunting experience on Aug. 26, at the Olofson Shooting Range, near Polk City.
Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

  • 7/25/2023 11:51:00 AM
  • View Count 4893
Pheasant hunters in the northern half of Iowa had an excellent season last year, and many are looking forward to what 2023 has in store. The fall forecast will be based on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) annual roadside pheasant counts, that begins Aug. 1.
Lake Keomah State Park restoration being planned

Lake Keomah State Park restoration being planned

  • 7/25/2023 11:48:00 AM
  • View Count 3603
OSKALOOSA – Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other project partners are planning a lake restoration project at Lake Keomah State Park to improve water quality and recreational opportunities.
Pikes Peak State Park campground to open July 27

Pikes Peak State Park campground to open July 27

  • 7/25/2023 11:44:00 AM
  • View Count 3290
MCGREGOR – The Iowa DNR is re-opening the newly renovated Pikes Peak State Park campground on July 27. Campers will enjoy upgraded camping amenities, along with the ability to make same-day reservations at all campsites.
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