SLEIS Training in Cedar Rapids - February 25 1/21/2016 9:54:00 AM View Count 4512 Due to popular demand, a second SLEIS training session has been scheduled in Cedar Rapids.
State Preserves Advisory Board Meets Jan 26 1/21/2016 8:56:00 AM View Count 4190 The State Preserves Advisory Board of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will meet at 1 p.m., Jan. 26, in the fourth floor conference room of the Wallace State Office Building, 502 East Ninth Street, in Des Moines.
Trout Stocking at Bacon Creek Lake Re-Scheduled for Jan 26 1/21/2016 8:55:00 AM View Count 4559 Sioux City – The trout stocking at Bacon Creek Lake is scheduled for Jan. 26 at 1:00 p.m. Previously scheduled for Jan. 16, the stocking was postponed due to unsafe ice conditions.
Ice Fishing Event in Ankeny Re-Scheduled for Feb 6 1/21/2016 7:48:00 AM View Count 4230 Des Moines – An ice fishing meet-up is scheduled for Feb. 6 at the Ankeny Lake on the DMACC campus at 2:30 p.m. to introduce participants to the basics of ice fishing.
Pork Congress - Another Manure Applicator Training Opportunity 1/21/2016 6:56:00 AM View Count 4261 DES MOINES – Producers attending the Iowa Pork Congress Jan. 28 in Des Moines can fulfill annual training requirements for manure applicator certification.
49th General CRP Signup Underway 1/21/2016 6:55:00 AM View Count 4983 DES MOINES – Late in December the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the 49th general signup for the popular Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
Additional SLEIS Training Session to be Held in Cedar Rapids 1/21/2016 4:55:00 AM View Count 12329 The DNR has placed the State & Local Emissions Inventory System (SLEIS) into production. SLEIS is the DNR’s new online emissions inventory reporting system. It contains four years of emissions data from SPARS (2011 – 2014), allows for simpler and streamlined reporting, and also offers the option of importing emissions data via a spreadsheet template, significantly reducing data entry for facilities with a large number of emission processes.
Opportunity to Submit Air Quality Client Contact Meeting Agenda Items 1/21/2016 3:19:00 AM View Count 3867 The Air Quality Bureau is accepting agenda topics for the next Air Quality Client Contact Meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for February 18 at 1:00 p.m., at the DNR’s Air Quality Bureau Office. A conference call option is also available for the meeting.
8 Festive Birdfeeders to Make This Winter 1/19/2016 9:58:00 AM View Count 12747 While you may deal with this cold season by filling up on holiday treats and game day goodies, winter can be a lean time for Iowa wildlife. To help your feathered friends find a meal, take a few minutes to create one of these festive feeders for your yard, or make a fancy batch as a gift.
Use Caution on the Ice at Iowa Great Lakes 1/19/2016 7:29:00 AM View Count 9018 SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa - Officials are reminding snowmobilers, ice anglers and others that ice conditions are variable on all bodies of water and that there is no such thing as safe ice after four snowmobiles went through the ice recently at the Iowa Great Lakes.
Select Boat Owners Need to Verify Hull ID Number to Register Their Craft 1/19/2016 7:28:00 AM View Count 6282 Iowa boat owners who received a letter alerting them that their boat hull identification number (HIN) does not comply with U.S. Coast Guard regulations and they have to verify their HIN with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in order to register their boat.
Contributions to Chickadee Check-Off on State Tax Form Continues Its Modest Rise 1/19/2016 7:26:00 AM View Count 5378 Last year, roughly 7,500 out of a total 1.5 million Iowa taxpayers helped boost wildlife conservation with donations to the Fish and Wildlife Fund on their state tax form. This marks the first year in the last five where contributions and the number of contributors to the Fish and Wildlife fund have gone down. Donations to all the state tax form check-offs were down on 2014 returns.
Cabin Fever: Backbone State Park 1/19/2016 7:11:00 AM View Count 15600 In Iowa’s oldest state park, old man winter won’t slow you down–he’s just part of the scenery.
How to Tell a Golden Eagle from a Bald Eagle 1/19/2016 4:50:00 AM View Count 50281 Differentiating between a golden eagle and an immature bald eagle can be challenging. But sharp-eyed observers can tell the differences in the wings.
Natural Resource Commission to Meet January 20 in Des Moines 1/15/2016 5:34:00 AM View Count 4139 Des Moines – The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will meet 1 p.m., Jan. 20, in the second floor north conference room, Wallace State Office Building, in Des Moines.
Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Commissions Will Meet Jointly January 20 1/15/2016 5:29:00 AM View Count 4159 DES MOINES – The Environmental Protection Commission and the Natural Resources Commission, both of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, will meet jointly Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. at the Wallace Building second floor north conference room at 502 E. Ninth St. in Des Moines. Each commission will present its annual report followed by reports of mutual interest from DNR staff.
Water Testing and Maintenance Resources Available for Private Well Owners 1/14/2016 7:51:00 AM View Count 5919 With about 282,000 Iowans relying on private wells for their drinking water supply, understanding local conditions, keeping up regular maintenance needs and conducting annual water testing is important for private well users. To assist, the DNR offers online resources for Iowans who depend on private wells.
Applications Now Being Accepted for the Governor's Iowa Environmental Excellence Awards 1/14/2016 7:45:00 AM View Count 5075 Iowa businesses, organizations and citizens are invited to apply for the Governor’s Iowa Environmental Excellence Awards. To download an application, go to www.iowadnr.gov/eeawards; applications are due March 31, 2016.
Trout Stocking Delayed at Bacon Creek Lake 1/14/2016 7:41:00 AM View Count 4766 Sioux City – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has cancelled the trout stocking at Bacon Creek Lake scheduled for Jan. 16, due to unsafe ice conditions.
Water Summary Update: 2015 in review 1/14/2016 7:40:00 AM View Count 4048 2015 started as the driest in the state since 1988, but frequent precipitation in April and May gradually eliminated drought worries by the end of the spring. Precipitation was much more evenly spread out during the year, resulting in frequent, but less pronounced flooding than in other wet years.
Sunday's Ice Fishing Event in Ankeny Postponed 1/14/2016 4:25:00 AM View Count 4627 Des Moines – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has postponed the ice fishing event at the Ankeny Lake on the DMACC campus scheduled for Jan. 17, due to forecasted subzero temperatures.
Beware of Ice on Big Creek Lake 1/14/2016 4:14:00 AM View Count 5652 POLK CITY – The DNR is warning anglers to use extreme caution when venturing onto the lake at Big Creek State Park because of construction activity occurring near the dam.
New and Updated Air Quality Construction Permit Forms 1/13/2016 8:45:00 AM View Count 3303 The Environmental Protection Commission adopted rules and a fee schedule for Construction Permit application fees starting on January 15, 2016. A new form titled “Form AF: Construction Permit Application Fee” has been added to the construction permit application process. The new Form AF provides the information for minor sources to determine the correct fee to send with their application and for major sources the necessary billing and invoice remittance information.
Wastewater Discharge Occurs in Blairsburg 1/12/2016 10:23:00 AM View Count 4229 BLAIRSBURG – The city of Blairsburg in Hamilton County lost all pumping capability at their lift station about 2 or 3 p.m. Monday.
Deadline to Purchase Paddlefish License is Jan 31 1/12/2016 10:21:00 AM View Count 210177 Iowa anglers have until January 31 to purchase their 2016 paddlefish license for the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers. The special paddlefish season runs from March 1 to April 15.
Hook and Hunt University at Pheasants Forever State Convention 1/12/2016 10:19:00 AM View Count 4810 Efforts to create the next generation of Iowa hunters will be the focus of the Hook and Hunt University during Iowa Pheasants Forever state convention, Jan. 29-30, at the Prairie Meadows Hotel and Casino in Altoona.
DNR to Plant 69,000+ Trees Thanks to Arbor Day Foundation 1/12/2016 10:18:00 AM View Count 4601 The Arbor Day Foundation recently partnered and through its members provided funding to the DNR’s Forestry Bureau to plant 69,600 trees on Iowa’s State Forest Land in 2016. Bare root tree seedlings will be planted by hand and by machine to reforest and improve diversity on 170 acres of Iowa public forest land.
Iowa DNR State Forest Nursery and Mills Fleet Farm Team-Up for Conservation 1/12/2016 10:17:00 AM View Count 4795 The Iowa DNR State Forest Nursery and Mills Fleet Farm have teamed up for conservation.
Trumpeter Swan Soiree in Polk County Jan 30 1/12/2016 10:16:00 AM View Count 8951 The public is invited to a Trumpeter Swan Soiree, celebrating North America’s largest waterfowl species, at the Des Moines Dale Maffitt Reservoir and at Walnut Woods State Park lodge on Saturday, Jan. 30.
DNR Investigates Potential Wastewater Entering Stream in Shelby County 1/9/2016 2:33:00 AM View Count 3727 HARLAN – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating reports of land application of process wastewater potentially entering a stream after receiving numerous telephone calls from concerned citizens.
Fuel Spill Occurs After Accident Near Storm Lake 1/8/2016 7:24:00 AM View Count 4888 REMBRANDT – About 7:15 a.m., a car lost control on Hwy. 71 about 10 miles north of Storm Lake, ending up in Lateral 6 of Drainage Ditch 35.
Extension of CAP Permit Option Comment Period and Sample CAP Now Available for Review 1/8/2016 5:21:00 AM View Count 4422 To aid stakeholders in making comments, the DNR has developed a “Sample” Collection of Air Permits (CAP) document to provide additional clarification to applicants of what to expect in the format and language of the CAP. The information presented in the sample represents the possible permitting of a group of emission points at a facility that has a limit over several surface coating operations.
U.S. EPA's Review of Stream Use Designations Available 1/7/2016 8:16:00 AM View Count 5160 The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed its review and approval of use changes for a fourth batch of select Iowa rivers and streams on Dec. 14.
2016 Derelict Building Grant Applications Due Feb. 26 1/7/2016 8:14:00 AM View Count 4998 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.
Time to Update Emergency Action Plans 1/7/2016 8:12:00 AM View Count 4945 While no one wants to respond to an environmental emergency, planning for one can make it easier to deal with.
Environmental Protection and Natural Resource Commissions Meet January 20 1/7/2016 8:08:00 AM View Count 4537 The Environmental Protection and Natural Resource Commissions will meet Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. to discuss their annual reports.
Title V Permit Application Forms Revised to Accommodate New Application Fees 1/7/2016 4:45:00 AM View Count 4168 The Environmental Protection Commission adopted rules and a fee schedule for Title V application fees starting on January 15, 2016. Three existing Title V permit application forms have been modified to provide the DNR with the information needed for the new fee structure. Title V application Form 1.0 has been revised to include the necessary billing and invoice remittance information and Part 3 has been revised to include an application fees agreement statement.
Trout Stocking Delayed at Scharnberg Pond 1/5/2016 9:37:00 AM View Count 4879 Spencer – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has cancelled the trout stocking at Scharnberg Pond scheduled for Jan. 9, due to unsafe ice conditions.
River History Series Kicks Off as a Part of Water Trails Regional Planning Effort in Des Moines 1/5/2016 9:36:00 AM View Count 4749 The confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers has attracted humans for at least 7,200 years, from hunter-gatherers living in small houses along the river, to prehistoric mound builders, to soldiers exploring the area, to a growing metropolis.
Make a Financial Investment with the High-Value Hardwood Packet from the State Forest Nursery 1/5/2016 9:33:00 AM View Count 6040 DES MOINES – Add some value to your future forest, with the High-Value Hardwood specialty packet from Iowa’s State Forest Nursery.
Ice Fishing Clinics Scheduled 1/5/2016 9:31:00 AM View Count 5797 Free ice fishing clinics are scheduled around Iowa, depending upon favorable ice conditions.
Ice Safety Reminder as Iowa Lakes Freeze Over 1/5/2016 9:30:00 AM View Count 7936 The recent blast of arctic air is growing ice on lakes and ponds over much of Iowa and sending anglers scrambling to prepare their equipment so they can be out for the coveted early ice fishing of the season.
Winter Paddling Provides Thrills 1/5/2016 9:29:00 AM View Count 4457 Iowa paddlers and other water recreationists have been treated to above average temperatures and open water since November. While ice anglers have been grumbling, some paddlers have taken enjoyed the extended paddling season the mild winter has brought. Most rivers are ice free and running high from the December rains.
Iowa's First Day Hikes a Success 1/5/2016 9:28:00 AM View Count 5064 Des Moines – Iowa’s Fifth Annual First Day Hikes were a great success according to DNR staff reports. More than 600 people began 2016 with a hike in an Iowa state park, logging more than 1,100 total miles on New Year’s Day.
Are There Winter Tornadoes in Iowa? 1/5/2016 8:00:00 AM View Count 9461 Because tornadoes usually require warm, humid air to form, it’s not surprising winter tornadoes are rare in Iowa. But they can happen, and occur more frequently in the southern states during winter versus the Upper Midwest.