Polk County is stepping up to support a crucial water quality monitoring program in Iowa after state funding was cut. IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, is a program that tracks nitrate levels in Iowa's waterways, and is now receiving one-third of its necessary funding from the county.

How well does the short-term precipitation forecast support the National real-time streamflow forecasting system? This study, published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society and led by researchers at IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering and the Iowa Flood Center, addresses that question.

All that feed corn and all those soybeans—and those nearly 25 million hogs—produce a lot of nitrate. It’s making Iowans sick and causing them to die. And the politicians aren’t doing a thing about it.

In an effort to keep an Iowa water quality sensor program afloat past next June, Polk County Supervisors voted this week to invest funds in it, and they invited Linn and Johnson counties to do the same.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Polk County leaders have announced a plan to fund Iowa's water quality monitors, stepping in after state lawmakers cut $500,000 in funding for the program in 2023, which would have led to many critical river monitors going offline next summer. These monitors are crucial as they record nitrate levels, which reached record highs last summer, affecting over half a million metro water customers who had to reduce water usage.

The Polk County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to provide $200,000 to help maintain a network of water quality sensors in rivers and streams across Iowa.

Polk County supervisors voted Tuesday to invest $200,000 to keep water quality monitors functioning across the state — a move officials said they hope other counties will mirror. The funding will help a University of Iowa-headed monitoring system that was set to end in summer 2026 due to a lapse in funding. Polk County officials said the data provided by the system is “vital” to the state as it implements different practices to improve water quality.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Polk County announces a pivotal investment aimed at continuing crucial water quality monitoring across Iowa. In recent years, federal and state budget reductions have threatened to pause a decade of essential research, disrupting the vital monitoring and real-time data collection critical to preserving our water sources. This $200,000 investment highlights Polk County's unwavering commitment to enhancing water quality for both our community and the entire state.

POLK COUNTY, Iowa (KCCI) - Polk County Board Chair Matt McCoy says accurate water quality data isn’t just important; it’s essential. That’s why Polk County pledged to allocate $200,000 to Iowa’s Water Quality Information System (IWQIS) Tuesday morning.

DES MOINES, Iowa — After a historic summer of lawn-watering bans and high nitrate levels, central Iowa officials are taking steps to continue research for keeping water safe. Polk County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $200,000 investment to help keep 60 Iowa water quality monitors in operation. Those are all across the state in rivers and streams.