Iowa volunteers monitor waterways after funding cuts
Following state budget cuts to official water monitoring programs, Iowa volunteers have stepped up to track nitrate levels and water quality in local rivers and streams. Grassroots networks and local groups are filling the data gap while raising awareness about agricultural pollution.
Grassroots volunteers across United States state Iowa have stepped in to conduct water testing after legislative funding cuts ended official monitoring programs. The state legislature approved a $500,000 budget reallocation in 2023 that defunded the University of Iowa's real-time water quality tracking network by 2026.
