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Two men in dress shirts stand in front of a dam across the Iowa River

Close Up: Iowa waterways scrutinized over nitrate levels

Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Des Moines’ summer watering ban has brought attention to high nitrate levels in waterways and efforts to monitor environmental issues statewide.
A view of a river with rocks and trees on the banks

Iowa Insight expanding monitoring on water and air quality

Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Iowa INSIGHT will expand environmental monitoring across the state, tracking air and water quality. The program aims to pinpoint factors that may contribute to Iowa’s high cancer rate.
A view of the Iowa River near IIHR at the University of Iowa

Iowa INSIGHT begins July 1 with goal to monitor air and water quality statewide

Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Starting July 1, Iowa INSIGHT will launch as a statewide environmental monitoring program to track air and water quality, aiming to address public health concerns such as cancer risks and pollution.
A geologist in a University of Iowa tigerhawk helmet uses a hammer on a rock outcrop

Experts see potential for Iowa hydrogen, but need funding and data sharing

Monday, June 29, 2026
Hidden in Iowa’s bedrock could be resources with the potential to launch a lucrative, clean energy economy in the state, but researchers say state actions and corporate interests are burying the ability of others to explore further.
A man gazes out at a pond

Clin­ton weighs wel­com­ing data cen­ter

Monday, June 22, 2026
Iowa State Geologist Keith Schilling says that a proposed data center near Clinton, Iowa, could face complications from pulling water from the Jordan Aquifer. Iowa needs a statewide water plan, he says, in part to under­stand how one loc­ale’s project can affect other water cus­tom­ers.
A man leans over to add dye to water flowing through a clear plexiglass model

IIHR solves stormwater challenges for Iowa and the world

Friday, June 19, 2026
IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering at the University of Iowa has partnered with Iowa towns and major cities in the nation and world to manage their stormwater challenges, with the goal to efficiently discharge excess flows that can harm the environment and endanger people.
A man in glasses poses in a laboratory

How an Iowa Scientist Finds Inspiration in the Natural World

Thursday, June 18, 2026
With Mother Nature as his muse, assistant professor and IIHR researcher Cong Wang conducts fundamental fluid dynamics research at the UI College of Engineering.
An IFC stream sensor in a small gray box is attached to the downstream side of a bridge with trees in autumn colors nearby

Budget cuts force an Iowa county to abandon ‘gold standard’ flood warning system

Monday, June 15, 2026
Because of budget cuts, Winneshiek County in northeast Iowa replaced a USGS river gauge with an Iowa Flood Center stream sensor. The sensor measures water levels in real time, giving Snyder the early warning he needs before a flood hits. He said he turned to the solution after he was priced out of a federal gauge.
A view of the Iowa River as it flows through campus with the power plan in the background and trees along the banks

Iowa researchers launch environmental testing programs

Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Scientists at the University of Iowa have announced a research initiative designed to measure the health impacts of exposure to environmental toxins, including pesticides, heavy metals, and air pollutants.
Dirty Water

New UI research initiative aims to give Iowans clearer data on environmental health risks

Monday, June 8, 2026
The University of Iowa is launching a major new research initiative aimed at better understanding how environmental exposures may impact human health, with researchers focusing on issues ranging from cancer and maternal health to childhood development and water quality.