Tour cancelled; EPC meeting by teleconference May 23 5/12/2017 9:26:00 AM View Count 3203 DES MOINES –With few items on the May 23 agenda, the Environmental Protection Commission has cancelled plans for a pre-meeting educational tour in Clayton County. Instead they will meet by conference call.
Agenda for May 25 Air Quality Client Contact Meeting 5/11/2017 8:40:00 AM View Count 3517 An Air Quality Client Contact Meeting will be held Thursday, May 25, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the DNR Air Quality Bureau conference rooms.
Popular northeast and central Iowa paddling destinations closed 5/10/2017 3:12:00 PM View Count 3602 This weekend’s warm weather is perfect for paddlers to get out on rivers around the state. Water recreationists should avoid three popular destinations this weekend and possibly longer.
Space available in upcoming hunter education classes 5/9/2017 3:02:00 PM View Count 4502 Hunter Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must attend all sessions and pass the final exam.
Peregrine falcons building on nesting successes 5/9/2017 3:01:00 PM View Count 7220 DES MOINES - Peregrine falcons have increased their presence in Iowa, with peregrine partners and volunteers now reporting 20 peregrine falcon territories in the state.
Natural Resource Commission to meet May 11 in Des Moines 5/5/2017 1:17:00 PM View Count 3349 Des Moines – The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will meet at 9:30 a.m., May 11, in the fourth floor conference room, Wallace State Office Building, 502 East Ninth Street, in Des Moines.
Iowa Central shooters take individual, squad, team titles at Iowa State Collegiate Trap Championship 5/3/2017 3:41:00 PM View Count 3580 ACKLEY, Iowa - The Stockdale Gun Club, near Ackley, hosted 77 athletes from seven teams for the Iowa State Collegiate Trap Championship on May 1.
State Preserves Advisory Board to meet via teleconference on Friday 5/2/2017 12:10:00 PM View Count 2929 The State Preserves Advisory Board of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will meet via teleconference at noon, May 5.
Poultry litter runoff reaches Franklin County stream 4/26/2017 8:43:00 PM View Count 3297 BRADFORD – DNR staff determined April 25 that runoff from poultry litter located one mile north of Bradford in Franklin County reached a small tributary of Maynes Creek.
Alcohol ban in place, hours extended at two Iowa beaches 4/26/2017 3:23:00 PM View Count 4631 DES MOINES -- The Department of Natural Resources is reminding the public that an alcohol ban is currently in effect for the beaches at Lake Macbride State Park near Solon in Johnson County and Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area, north of Cedar Rapids. The ban applies to both the sand area of the beach, a 200-foot buffer of land surrounding the sand, and the designated swimming area adjacent to the beach as marked by buoys or swim lines. This ban allows the DNR to reopen the beaches until 10:30pm.
Indian Bluffs and Pictured Rocks wildlife areas to become a bird conservation area 4/25/2017 12:27:00 PM View Count 5690 MONTICELLO – A public ceremony to dedicate the Indian Bluffs and Pictured Rocks wildlife areas including the privately owned Indian Bluffs State Preserve as Iowa’s newest Bird Conservation Area (BCA) will take place on May 10 at 1:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Pictured Rocks Pavilion, located about four miles southeast of Monticello at the east end of 190th Street and just north of the boat ramp, located on the west side of the South Fork Maquoketa River.
Fertilizer release in Sac County city of Odebolt 4/21/2017 2:40:00 PM View Count 3027 ODEBOLT – A tanker carrying ammonium thiosulfate, a liquid fertilizer, tipped over in Odebolt this morning.
Iowa County Regional Environmental Improvement Commission designated as an Environmental Management System 4/20/2017 12:34:00 PM View Count 3458 IOWA COUNTY — Iowa’s Environmental Protection Commission designated the Iowa County Regional Environmental Improvement Commission as an Environmental Management System on April 18. Iowa County joins 13 other participants in the program and will begin specialized training provided by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Rains closing park and forest trails, damages Ledges State Park Road 4/18/2017 12:16:00 PM View Count 4704 While recent rains have cause minimal impact to state parks, people planning park visits are reminded to check current conditions before heading out.
Public comment sought for impaired waters list 4/14/2017 3:06:00 PM View Count 4007 DES MOINES -- The DNR is seeking public comment on the newly released draft impaired waters list. Data released by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, today, shows 56 impairments will be removed from the 2014 impaired list, once approved by the EPA.
Fishing license check nets fugitive 4/14/2017 2:26:00 PM View Count 4891 FORT DODGE - David Scott Dayton, 30, of Fort Dodge, was booked into Webster County Jail Thursday after assaulting State Conservation Officer Bill Spece who was checking fishing licenses at the little dam in Fort Dodge.
Opportunity to Submit Air Quality Client Contact Meeting Agenda Items 4/13/2017 1:07:00 PM View Count 2758 The Air Quality Bureau is accepting agenda topics for the next Air Quality Client Contact Meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for May 25 at 1:00 p.m., at the DNR’s Air Quality Bureau Office. A conference call option is also available for the meeting.
Natural Resource Commission to Meet April 13 in Des Moines 4/10/2017 11:22:00 AM View Count 2982 Des Moines – The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will meet at 9:30 a.m., April 13, in the fourth floor conference room, Wallace State Office Building, 502 East Ninth Street, in Des Moines.
Iowa Strategic Goals Program's Workshop: "EPA Compliance Tools & Common Clean Water Act Violations" on May 11 4/7/2017 1:15:00 PM View Count 3838 Join us at the Iowa Strategic Goals Program (ISGP) 1-day workshop on May 11, 2017 where regulators would provide hints and tips to help you better understand what is required of your business.
Online updates and environmental success stories top April 18 EPC meeting 4/6/2017 1:57:00 PM View Count 3046 WINDSOR HEIGHTS –Plans to enable farmers and consultants to submit manure management plan updates electronically will lead off the April 18 meeting of the Environmental Protection Commission.
Pleasant Creek Lake restoration project nearing completion 4/4/2017 12:42:00 PM View Count 6132 PALO – The restoration of Pleasant Creek Lake, Linn County’s largest and most popular lake, that began last fall is nearly complete. All that remains to be finished is some concrete work and seeding the area.
Trumpeter swans to be released at Wayne County’s Coffey Marsh 4/4/2017 12:32:00 PM View Count 6702 The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will release two trumpeter swans at Coffey Marsh in Wayne County at 1 p.m., April 20, rain or shine.
Upcoming Outdoor Events 3/21/2017 12:00:00 PM View Count 4154 Attend these exciting outdoors events in Iowa.
12 Iowa deer test positive for chronic wasting disease from 2016-17 hunting seasons 3/14/2017 11:44:00 AM View Count 7511 The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has closed the book on its 2016 chronic wasting disease monitoring effort that collected 4,879 tissue samples from wild deer with 12 samples testing positive for the disease. Test results are pending on deer from a handful of counties and on 86 deer tissue samples from the Clayton County special deer collection effort that ended on March 5.
Boater education is goal of national effort March 19-25 3/14/2017 11:36:00 AM View Count 3756 A national campaign is encouraging boaters to enroll in a boater education course before the kickoff to the boating season. Many boater education courses are offering discounts or other incentives during the week of March 19-25, to students who enroll or complete a boating safety education course.
Small manure spill quickly contained in Sioux County 3/9/2017 5:08:00 PM View Count 3080 NEWKIRK—The DNR Spencer field office responded Thursday to a small manure spill about 0.5 miles south of Newkirk in Sioux County.
State environmental commission to focus on sustainability and solid waste at March 21 Ames meeting 3/9/2017 1:25:00 PM View Count 3124 AMES—The Environmental Protection Commission will hear from Iowa State University’s sustainability office, and then tour the Ames waste collection facility following the March 21 business meeting.
Relaxed fishing regulations extended at Central Park Lake 3/7/2017 12:08:00 PM View Count 3350 CENTER JUNCTION - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has extended the relaxed fishing regulations at Central Park Lake in Jones County until July 1.
Natural Resource Commission to meet March 9 in Des Moines 3/6/2017 8:47:00 AM View Count 3405 Des Moines – The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will meet at 9:30 a.m., March 9, in the fourth floor conference room, Wallace State Office Building, 502 East Ninth Street, in Des Moines.
Derelict Building Grant applications due April 21 3/2/2017 11:43:00 AM View Count 4644 Small rural communities looking for assistance to help renovate or deconstruct abandoned commercial and public structures can apply for funding through the Derelict Building Grant Program.
Iowa’s 2017 Air Monitoring Network Plan Available for Public Review and Comment 3/1/2017 4:21:00 PM View Count 7297 The air monitoring network plan will assist the Iowa DNR in its efforts to monitor the quality of Iowa’s air and to keep the public aware of air quality problems. The plan is required by EPA’s national ambient air monitoring regulations. It contains detailed information about the location and purpose of any monitor in Iowa’s air monitoring network that produces data for comparison with national ambient air quality standards.
Group mapping out way to save the monarch butterfly 2/28/2017 12:52:00 PM View Count 10766 The recent study by the Mexican government released on Feb. 9 found the monarch butterfly population wintering in Mexico dropped by 27 percent this year, returning its population to historically low levels.
Cool things you should know about Cooper's hawks 2/24/2017 4:14:00 PM View Count 21255 Cooper’s hawks (Accipiter cooperii) are one of Iowa’s three accipiter species. (Accipiter is Latin for hawk and these species are primarily woodland raptors.) The Cooper’s hawk primarily dines on other birds. It’s the most widespread accipiter on the continent, with a range at least seasonally stretching from Panama to the southern tier of Canadian provinces.
Small diesel fuel spill stopped in Scott County 2/24/2017 9:14:00 AM View Count 3281 WALCOTT - A sheen on Mud Creek in western Scott County about 10 miles northwest of Walcott led to the discovery of a leaking pipe from an above-ground diesel fuel tank Thursday morning..
Marcel named as chief of DNR’s field services 2/23/2017 11:48:00 AM View Count 6523 DES MOINES– The Iowa DNR has chosen Jason Marcel to lead the agency’s Field Services and Compliance Bureau, which includes many frontline DNR staffers who explain scientific, legal and regulatory details that protect Iowa’s air, land and waters.
Concrete Training Sessions for Spencer Rescheduled for March 8 2/23/2017 9:05:00 AM View Count 3193 Due to an expected winter storm, two concrete training sessions scheduled for Feb. 24 in Spencer have been postponed.
Sign Up Now for Concrete Training—Design and Construction for Animal Feeding Operations 2/17/2017 10:54:00 AM View Count 6791 Make sure the next deep pit hog barn you construct is built to last, using the right materials in the right quantities. Contractors, consultants, livestock producers and geotechnical experts should plan now to attend one of seven concrete construction seminars held from Feb. 24 to March 3 across the state.
Agenda for February 23 Air Quality Client Contact Meeting 2/16/2017 8:47:00 AM View Count 3095 An Air Quality Client Contact Meeting will be held Thursday, February 23, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the DNR Air Quality Bureau conference rooms.
Outdoors Woman Spring Workshop Set for Honey Creek Resort 2/14/2017 12:41:00 PM View Count 3483 The 2017 spring Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) workshop will be held April 28-30at Honey Creek Resort State Park, in Moravia.
EPC to hold February meeting via teleconference 2/10/2017 3:44:00 PM View Count 3919 The Environmental Protection Commission will meet via conference call Feb. 21.
DNR officer pulls angler from West Lake Osceola 2/10/2017 12:56:00 PM View Count 15363 Osceola, Iowa - State Conservation Officer Michael Miller was on routine patrol late Friday morning when he saw two men setting up an ice fishing shelter on West Lake Osceola, in southern Iowa.
St. Ansgar boil advisory lifted 2/2/2017 8:23:00 AM View Count 3256 ST. ANSGAR – City officials lifted a boil advisory today after laboratory results show the city’s water is safe to drink.
Natural Resource Commission to meet February 9 in Des Moines 2/1/2017 2:43:00 PM View Count 3511 Des Moines – The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will meet at 9:30 a.m., February 9, in the fourth floor conference room, Wallace State Office Building, 502 East Ninth Street, in Des Moines.
St. Ansgar residents advised to boil water 1/30/2017 9:57:00 AM View Count 3652 ST. ANSGAR - A boil advisory has been issued for the city of St. Ansgar in Mitchell County following pressure loss to the town’s water tower.
Clean up in process at Hanlontown diesel spill site 1/26/2017 8:00:00 PM View Count 3047 HANLONTOWN – Magellan Pipeline Company reports more than 100 workers are on site Thursday working to clean up spilled diesel fuel after a leak reported Wednesday morning.