DNR News Releases

Search for a News Release

Press/Media inquiries: PIO@dnr.iowa.gov

DNR News Releases

Archive by tag: snowReturn

New snowmobile law streamlines permit requirements for residents

• 10/31/2024 1:48:00 PM
• View Count 4269

Iowa snowmobilers are no longer required to purchase and display an annual trail user permit, according to a new law that went into effect July 1, 2024.

Snowmobilers welcome return of winter

• 1/16/2024 3:12:00 PM
• View Count 3534

Snowmobilers across Iowa are welcoming the return of winter, eager to get out and enjoy the fresh snow.

Snowmobile and off-highway vehicle registrations expire at year's end

• 12/13/2022 12:37:00 PM
• View Count 8966

Registrations for snowmobiles and OHVs purchased during the 2022 registration cycle expire Dec. 31. Any decal displayed on a machine with a 22 printed on it will no longer be valid for machines used on snowmobile trails, public ice, or the OHV parks. Any registration that is not renewed prior to Jan. 1, 2023, will have a late penalty of $5 applied to the cost of the registration.

Spring snow goose hunting season open through May 1

• 3/8/2022 1:40:00 PM
• View Count 5664

The snow goose migration is underway and with it, the opportunity for waterfowl hunters to participate in the special conservation order allowing hunting of light geese in Iowa through May 1.

Snowmobilers encouraged to use safe operating practices when riding on the Iowa Great Lakes

• 2/3/2022 3:49:00 PM
• View Count 1684

SPIRIT LAKE - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reminding snowmobilers operating on the Iowa Great Lakes to use caution as ice conditions change throughout the winter.

DNR urges caution on the ice after snowmobile, ATV go through on the Okobojis

• 1/14/2022 3:45:00 PM
• View Count 1716

SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is encouraging ice anglers and snowmobilers to use caution when going out on the ice after a snowmobile and an ATV broke through the ice on West Okoboji Lake and East Okoboji Lake Thursday night.

Snowy Owls In Iowa

• 12/14/2021 3:34:00 PM
• View Count 5651

Snowy Owls breed in the open landscapes of the Arctic Tundra. During summers with abundant food (particularly lemmings), many young are produced, and the following winter, many of those young owls disperse south into the US to look for winter prey.

Snowmobile and off-highway vehicle registrations expire at year's end

• 9/8/2020 3:13:00 PM
• View Count 2148

Registrations for snowmobiles and OHVs purchased during the 2020 registration cycle will expire December 31, 2020.

Snowmobile and off-highway vehicle registrations set to expire

• 12/26/2019 11:32:00 AM
• View Count 2144

The DNR is reminding snowmobile and off-highway vehicle owners and users to renew their registrations before January 1, 2020.

Snowmobile and off-highway vehicle registrations set to expire

• 12/26/2019 10:04:00 AM
• View Count 2312

The DNR is reminding snowmobile and off-highway vehicle owners and users to renew their registrations before January 1, 2020.

Harsh winter conditions being felt on some Iowa lakes

• 2/26/2019 11:43:00 AM
• View Count 4948

Spirit Lake - As more snow and bitter temperatures dominate the forecast across Iowa, the mild start of winter is a distant memory. More than two feet of snow sits on many lakes and ponds across northern Iowa with 20-24 inches of ice below all that snow. Heavy snow on top of ice blocks sunlight from reaching aquatic plants and stops them from producing oxygen.  This combination can create low oxygen conditions that may lead to fish kills.

Man thrown from snowmobile in Webster County crash

• 2/20/2019 8:02:00 AM
• View Count 2771

LEHIGH, Iowa – Iowa Department of Natural Resources conservation officers responded to a snowmobile crash on Friday, February 15, 2019  at 1:45 p.m., approximately four miles south of Lehigh on the Des Moines River.

Milford man killed in snowmobile crash

• 1/8/2018 8:25:00 AM
• View Count 3596

CLAY COUNTY, Iowa -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a fatal snowmobile crash that happened on January 4 around 8:00 p.m., in Clay County.

Are you ready for winter?

• 12/22/2016 1:43:00 PM
• View Count 3922

Restrictions on Manure Application on Frozen Ground started Dec. 21.

Off-highway vehicle and snowmobile registration renewals due December 31

• 12/13/2016 2:20:00 PM
• View Count 4330

The Iowa DNR is reminding owners of off-highway vehicles to renew their registrations by Dec. 31, 2016. Vehicle types include: all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), off-road utility vehicles (ORVs), off-road motorcycles (ORMs) and snowmobiles.

Iowa owl identification guide

• 12/5/2016 2:51:00 PM
• View Count 101929

That tell-tale disc-shaped face tells you it’s an owl, sure – but which one? Iowa has nine different species that call our state home, whether full-time or part-time, and you can find them in a number of different habitats. Here’s what to look for.

Boone Man Injured While Snowmobiling Sunday

• 2/15/2016 2:25:00 AM
• View Count 4734

BOONE – A Grand Junction man was seriously injured Sunday afternoon while snowmobiling west of Boone along U.S. Highway 30.

Off-Highway Vehicle and Snowmobile Registration Renewals Due December 31

• 9/1/2015 12:00:00 PM
• View Count 10523

Owners of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), off-road utility vehicles (ORVs) or off road motorcycles (ORMs) and snowmobiles registered with the Iowa DNR will need to renew their registrations by Dec. 31.

Make Your Own Snowman Bird Feeder

• 2/6/2015 5:11:00 AM
• View Count 7221

Add bird and wildlife foods to your snowman to make this seasonal rite of passage fun and functional.

Go Calling Under the Owl Moon

• 2/3/2015 8:57:00 AM
• View Count 24160

February’s full moon is nicknamed the owl moon, as the crisp night air is filled with the calls and hoots of mating owls. Trek into the woods with the young and young at heart to practice calling owls.

Can You Guess the Mystery Animal?

• 1/29/2015 8:10:00 AM
• View Count 6517

Can you guess the Iowa animal featured in this extreme close-up?

Here's Why It Sometimes Thunders When it Snows

• 1/15/2015 3:10:00 AM
• View Count 11651

If you hear a rumble in the distance this winter, it may not be the snow plow plodding along the road. It might actually be thunder.

Backyard Ben & Jerry's: Make Your Own Snow Ice Cream

• 1/9/2015 3:14:00 AM
• View Count 9014

County fairs have sno-cones, convenience stores have slushies and the Hawaiian Islands have shave-ice. Now, there's snow ice cream.

Iowa Winter Treks and Trails to Test Those Fitness Trackers

• 1/7/2015 8:59:00 AM
• View Count 12220

If you’re looking for a way to put that new fitness tracker to the test and you’re sick of walking circles at the gym, take it outside and try some of these top winter trail activities in Iowa’s state parks, recreation areas and forests.