Water Quality Monitoring Data

The Iowa Environmental Council has compiled water quality monitoring data sources as a resource for Iowans who would like to know more about our lakes and streams.

We believe that water quality projects supported by taxpayers should provide regular reporting with standardized, easily accessible, user-friendly data. Iowans should understand if their tax dollars are resulting in cleaner water. Support for water monitoring on both the large and small watershed scale is critical to guiding implementation of the Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

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Iowa Department of Natural Resources Information

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) maintains a network of “fixed” stations to monitor ambient water quality data in Iowa. Currently, 60 stream sites are sampled monthly. The state program also includes monitoring of groundwater, public lakes, and selected wetlands.

• DNR Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Section: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/Water-Monitoring
• AQuIA is the public information portal to retrieve data collected by the DNR Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Section: https://programs.iowadnr.gov/aquia/
• Iowa’s Impaired Waters List: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/Watershed-Improvement/Impaired-Waters

University of Iowa IIHR – Hydroscience & Engineering Information

The University of Iowa IIHR – Hydroscience & Engineering manages a continuous water monitoring network of 60 high frequency, in-stream real-time monitoring sensors.

• IIHR website: http://www.iihr.uiowa.edu/
• IIHR Iowa Water Quality Information System (IWQIS): http://iwqis.iowawis.org/app/
• Jones CS, Nielsen JK, Schilling KE, Weber LJ (2018) Iowa Stream Nitrate and the Gulf of Mexico. PLoS ONE 13(4): e0195930. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195930
  • From The Des Moines Register: “A University of Iowa study shows the state's contribution to the Gulf dead zone spiked 47 percent to 618 million pounds in 2016, based on five-year running annual averages.” 

U.S. Geological Survey Information

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) manages 11 continuous water monitoring sensors in Iowa.

• USGS Water Quality Data: https://water.usgs.gov/owq/data.html
• Central Midwest Water Science Center: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/cm-water

Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy Information

The Iowa Water Quality Initiative (WQI) is the action plan for the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. There are no systematic protocols for monitoring plan design and/or data reporting for WQI projects. https://www.cleanwateriowa.org/            

• Iowa Nutrient Reduction Research Center (INRC), Iowa State University: https://www.cals.iastate.edu/nutrientcenter
• Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy Progress Reports: http://www.nutrientstrategy.iastate.edu/documents
• Iowa Soybean Association Environmental Services reports: https://www.iasoybeans.com/programs/isa-research/        
• Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance annual nitrate concentration data: http://www.acwa-rrws.org/water-monitoring/annual-data/

Conservation Practices Information

• Iowa Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Wetland Information: https://www.iowaagriculture.gov/waterResources/CREP.asp
• CREP Monitoring Reports: https://www.iowacrep.org/reports