A University of Iowa research engineer has invented a custom physics-based approach for measuring the flow in rivers and streams, which could benefit applications ranging from design of structures to flood warnings to resource management.

JOHNSON CO., Iowa (KCRG) - Growth in North Liberty, Solon, and Tiffin is draining an aquifer faster than it’s being replenished, according to U.S. Geological Survey data presented to concerned residents.

DES MOINES, Iowa — The nitrate removal facility at Central Iowa Water Works has now been running for a full month. The readings for nitrates in the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers were as high as 17 milligrams per liter in January.

Nitrate pollution is straining small water facilities in Iowa, even when they have advanced filtration systems.

As national debate over fluoride intensifies, Manson, Iowa faces the opposite problem: naturally excessive levels

Iowa researchers have found that farm ponds — designed to control flooding and curb the amount of soil and organic materials moving downstream — are filling up with sediment more quickly than expected.

Kate Giannini spent a lot of her youth in Iowa City outdoors, playing in creeks and exploring nature. In high school and college, she enrolled in environmental classes and found inspiration to pursue the sciences. That led Giannini to her current job as program manager for the Iowa Flood Center — IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering in the University of Iowa’s College of Engineering. There, she works to enhance flood resilience across the state.

RIVERSIDE — Kate Giannini’s work on flood resilience has taken her from small-town Iowa to the Netherlands this winter, where she is using a Fulbright exchange to help bring a Dutch flood-planning tool to an Iowa community for the first time.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Central Iowa is once again seeing elevated nitrate levels in its rivers, this time in the middle of winter.

For decades, the University of Iowa’s IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering (IIHR) has been at the forefront of research in water science and environmental engineering. Visionary scholars, including Witold Krajewski and Jerry Schnoor, have become pillars of the field, shaping global perspectives of hydrology, climate resilience, and sustainable water systems. Now, as they transition into retirement, IIHR is entering a new era, building upon the momentum of fresh energy and bold ideas.