Central Iowa
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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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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…
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Urgent: Jan 15 Deadline for NRCS Conservation Funding
Posted onFarmers interested in USDA-NRCS conservation funding for the 2026 planting season need to get their paperwork in order ASAP to meet the upcoming deadline. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has officially announced a national batching deadline of January 15, 2026, for the first round of funding for several key programs. While the NRCS…
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Farmer Feature: Emily Boettcher
Posted onA New Generation of Conservation: Emily Boettcher Carries on Father’s Commitment to Healthy Soil Even after growing up on a Dickinson County farm that’s been in her family since 1936, Emily Boettcher never thought she’d become a farmer. She got her degree in sociological justice from Northwestern College and planned to become a police officer. …
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Iowa Cover Crop wins Team Award
Posted onIowa Cover Crop wins team award for statewide network of cover crop advocates By Rebekah Jones JEFFERSON, IA (IAWA) — Iowa Cover Crop (ICC), a Jefferson-based conservation business co-owned by Bill and Melissa Frederick and James and Megan Holz, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Iowa Watershed Team Impact Award. They will be recognized…
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ACWA Chairman Wins Lifetime Achievement Award
Posted onHarry Ahrenholtz, Chairman of the Board for Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance (ACWA), a non-profit committed to improving Iowa’s water quality, has won the 2025 Watershed Lifetime Achievement Award.