Location
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Data centers and water: economic growth or environmental threat?
Posted onData centers aren’t new, but they’ve been getting an increasing amount of attention as tech companies work to meet the demands of an increasingly online society. In this article, IAWA breaks down the pros and cons of data center investments and corrects common misinformation. By Dan Looker Key Takeaways Water availability: Location matters. Some utilities…
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Great Outdoors Foundation drives change and momentum with inaugural conference
Posted onAthene Watershed26 focused on incubating innovative solutions, powerful funding mechanisms, and voices for change to improve Iowa’s water quality. By Dan Looker Des Moines, Iowa, and its suburbs sprawl outward from the confluence of two river systems, the Des Moines and Raccoon. In the week before the nation’s 250th Independence celebration and 183 years after…
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Cover crops get big boost in 22 Iowa counties
Posted on*Adapted from Iowa Dept of Ag & Land Stewardship press release DES MOINES, Iowa – Farmers in 22 counties upstream of the Des Moines area will have access to more cover crop cost share from a newly announced initiative called the “Greater Des Moines Watershed Program.” The initiative has goals to accelerate and scale up the…
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Cover crop interest strong, despite tough farm economy
Posted onBy Dan Looker, IAWA writer DES MOINES, Iowa – March 25, 2026 – In a struggling farm economy, will Iowa’s progress with cover crops be dragged down by burdensome operational costs and prices? It’s too early to tell, but our insights say, “no.” Multiple vendors of cover crop seed and cost share say demand continues…
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Popular Iowa livestock program gets green light for 3 more years
Posted onSouthwest Iowa – March 24, 2026 – A newly announced extension of Iowa’s Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project through 2028 signals growing momentum behind a simple idea: healthier soil leads to cleaner water—and grazing can help deliver both. Secretary Mike Naig announced the extension this month (March 2, 2026). The project is active in…
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Farmer Feature: Bob Puetz
Posted onHog farmer uses conservation to prepare land for next generation By Micaela Cashman In the gently rolling hills of northwest Plymouth County, Bob Puetz has spent a lifetime farming the land he calls home. The region, once dominated by tallgrass prairie, is rich with loam soil. But with erosion risk on slopes and naturally poor…
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Farmer Feature: Ross Kurash
Posted onRoss Kurash’s Recipe for Conservation Success: Recognition + Education + Implementation By Micaela Cashman Ross Kurash and his wife, Cassie, farm in northeast Iowa on the border of the Paleozoic Plateau, also known as the “Driftless Region.” This region is very different from the rest of the state, with steep bluffs, dense woodland, and rugged…
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The Secret to Clean Water in Cedar Rapids
Posted onHow the City of Cedar Rapids Treats It’s Drinking Water: A Step-By-Step Process As the second most populous city in Iowa, Cedar Rapids has a massive responsibility to provide clean drinking water to it’s over 138,000 residents. This is something that the city does not take lightly and has an advanced technological approach to accomplishing.…
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Where does extra nitrate go after it’s removed?
Posted onCentral Iowa Water Works has a nitrate removal facility that ensures safe and reliable drinking water in times where nitrate in source water is above the EPA safe drinking water standard. That standard is 10 ppm. Final treated water will always meet EPA nitrate requirements, and if it doesn’t your utility is required to tell…
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Celebrating Iowa’s Farmers with the Des Moines Bucs
Posted onDes Moines Bucs Celebrate Iowa’s Farmers With a 6-2 Win Farmer Appreciation Night Hockey Game Ends #1 Green Bay’s 14-Game Winning Streak On Saturday, January 3rd, IAWA partnered with Holganix and Versova to sponsor the Des Moines Buccaneers hockey team and put on a night celebrating the hard work and dedication of Iowa’s farmers. The…