FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 24, 2026

Dubuque, Iowa — A coalition of Dubuque area government entities and local nonprofits are coming together to support the placement of water quality sensors on rivers and streams in their region. 

The Dubuque County Board of Supervisors and Dubuque Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) are each contributing $5,225 to support the sensors; Dubuque Area Water Land and Legacy will contribute $14,100. These funds will support sensors on Lytle Creek, Whitewater Creek, and the Little Maquoketa River. The Friends of Jackson County Conservation organization is contributing $3,650 and, with Dubuque Area Water Land and Legacy, will fund a sensor on the North Fork of the Maquoketa River. 

The sensors are part of the statewide water quality network operated by IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering (IIHR) at the University of Iowa. The sensors will gather data every 15 minutes and display the information on an online platform, the Iowa Water Quality Information System (IWQIS).

Dubuque County’s investment reflects the local leaders’ commitment to water quality, which they consider essential to protect the health and safety of residents, the integrity of local waterways, and the long-term sustainability of agricultural and natural resources. Monitoring these rivers and streams will provide reliable scientific information that is essential to understand the current state of Iowa’s water and to evaluate efforts to improve it. 

IIHR’s water quality sensor network has been in operation for more than a decade, gathering real-time data every 15 minutes. The sensor data inform critical decision-making to ensure that water is safe for drinking, recreation, and other uses. The information also supports the state’s nutrient reduction strategy goals and is critical for the evaluation of conservation practices on the landscape. The network provides researchers, landowners, policymakers, and the public with reliable, transparent, easily accessible information. 

Chuck Isenhart, a director of Dubuque Area Land and Water Legacy, advocated for the sensors with the Dubuque County board of supervisors. 

“As a county, working together with our neighbors, Dubuque can continue to lead by example on water quality,” Isenhart said. “Figuring out how to clean up our water means first quantifying the problems, then pinpointing and dealing with sources of the problems upstream. Continuous monitoring is essential, like taking the temperature of a sick kid,” he said.

Harley V. Pothoff, chair of the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors, affirmed the county’s support for the IIHR water quality sensor network. 

“Dubuque County residents need and deserve water that is safe for drinking and recreation. The IIHR water quality sensors will give us solid, science-based information with which to make good decisions for our citizens’ well-being,” Pothoff said.

Last year, IIHR presented the results of the Central Iowa Source Water Research Assessment (CISWRA) at well-attended public meetings across the state. The report focused on central Iowa, but it provided valuable information for the entire state. CISWRA included steps that state and local governments can take to address Iowa’s water quality challenges. Dubuque County’s support of the IIHR water quality monitoring program is a powerful step in the right direction.

IIHR Director Larry Weber praised Dubuque County’s action, which he says will have long-term benefits for the state. 

“Our decision-makers need quality, science-based information to ensure that our water resources are safe for Iowans,” Weber said. “By supporting the water quality sensor network, Dubuque County leaders have taken an important action to protect the health of Iowans and our environment.” 

Weber is a UI professor of civil and environmental engineering with a long history of service to Iowans related to water resources, flooding, water quality, and watershed processes. 

IIHR is working with other Iowa communities across the state to gather more support for the statewide water quality sensor network.

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