Beach-goers in eastern Iowa's Johnson County looking for a final summer swim before school starts should be aware of two unpleasant dangers — toxic algae and E. coli. [One of two stories in a special IowaWatch-Iowa City Press-Citizen collaboration.]
Only certain strains of cyanobacteria can produce toxins, although they don’t always do so. “Scientists generally agree that the cyanobacteria evolved this ability to produce toxin either as a competitive advantage or as some sort of protection,” Mary Skopec, who heads the Iowa Department of Natural
The public comment window for the controversial Waters of the U.S. rule is set to close on Friday, Nov. 14 – more than half a year after the regulation was introduced.
The EPA’s proposed “Waters of the United States” rule would add to the Clean Water Act by defining whether a water body is – or is not – protected by the act. The public has until Oct. 20 to formally comment on the proposed rule. So far, the rule has received nearly 6,000 comments. Hundreds of other
In March, the EPA issued a proposed rule to define what is considered a water body under its jurisdiction. Since then, farmers throughout the Midwest have expressed concern over the rule. Some have even claimed it could drastically change the way farmers run their businesses.
Two new studies of private well water in Kewaunee County, Wis., have linked contamination to fertilizer, livestock manure and human waste — laying bare a situation that county conservationist Andy Wallander, after 25 years on the job, can sum up in a sentence.
Government reports have recently found that the U.S. water supply is in jeopardy, both in terms of quantity and quality. Here are tools for reporters to research water issues.
In December of 2013, the Government Accountability Office released a report that highlighted a flawed Environmental Protection Agency water-conservation program. It also summarized the overall state of U.S. water bodies. The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting used the report to jump start an
