About IWQIS

IWQIS integrates data gathered by IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Geological Survey and offers access to real-time nutrient data on a range of water-related information, such as precipitation, stream flow, and soil moisture. The goal of IWQIS is to help researchers, agencies, and landowners directly monitor the impact of land-use strategies/changes on downstream water quality; enable watershed stakeholders to understand the fate and transport of nutrients in Iowa’s waterways; and help the state monitor the success of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

IWQIS Background

IWQIS Overview

Over the last decade, IIHR has developed a network of real-time, in-situ water quality sensors that measure nitrate, turbidity, and a handful of other parameters at over 50 sites across the state. Monitoring sites include major rivers leaving the state, smaller tributaries, springs, and edge-of-field nutrient reduction practices. These data are displayed directly on the Iowa Water Quality Information System (IWQIS), along with readouts from 8 U.S. Department of Agriculture and 10 U.S. Geological Survey sensors in the state. These real-time data, reported every 15 minutes, allow IWQIS users to assess the state of Iowa’s waters in real time. Continuous monitoring values capture dynamic events occurring in between grab samples. Color coding of the results makes it straightforward to quickly assess the overall state of Iowa’s waters; clicking on a site yields more detailed information. In addition, the nitrate sensors’ real-time measurements allow researchers to better understand how nitrate concentrations respond during large precipitation events.

The Importance of Monitoring

Concerns about nitrate in Iowa’s surface waters have been of increasing. Waters leaving Iowa contribute a disproportionate amount of the overall load of nitrogen leading to hypoxia (low oxygen) in the Gulf of Mexico.

Many researchers believe that long-term exposure to water with nitrate concentrations above or even below the EPA standard may lead to negative health effects. And as the state continues to invest in voluntary programs to reduce nutrient loading to Iowa’s surface waters, it is important to maintain monitoring capabilities to assess the effectiveness of those efforts.

Funding History

In 2015, the Iowa legislature invested Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure and Revenue Bonds Capitals II Funds to deploy the first few dozen water quality sensors in Iowa. Additional research grants and stable funding support from the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, co-founded by IIHR and based at Iowa State University, helped to expand and maintain operations of the network from 2015–2022. 

The state legislature defunded the monitoring network in 2023. Bridge funding from the Walton Family Foundation enabled IIHR to continue its monitoring efforts following the loss of state support. Today, the network is funded through contributions from several Iowa counties and municipalities, along with donations from private citizens, as IIHR continues to pursue a long-term funding solution and advocate for the restoration of state funding.