Iowa

Iowa rivers face record nitrate levels following heavy rains

Published

2 years ago

May 14, 2024

Iowa rivers face record nitrate levels following heavy rains

Recent heavy rains in Iowa have led to record nitrate levels in the state’s major rivers, prompting concerns over water safety and environmental impacts.

Jared Strong reports for Iowa Capital Dispatch.

In short:

Record-high nitrate levels have been detected in the Boone, Cedar, Iowa, and Turkey rivers due to recent heavy rainfall.
Des Moines Water Works has reactivated its nitrate removal system as nitrate concentrations in some rivers exceeded safe drinking water standards.
State efforts to reduce river nitrate levels through voluntary conservation measures have shown little progress over the past decade.

Key quote:

“This is one of the biggest nitrate leaching events in 11 years.”

— David Cwiertny, director of the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination at the University of Iowa

Why this matters:

High nitrate levels can lead to increased algae growth in rivers and lakes, reducing oxygen levels and harming aquatic life. These conditions can also pose a threat to public health, as they compromise the safety of drinking water sources, particularly in heavily impacted areas like Des Moines.

Related EHN coverage:

Source link

Related Topics:Biodiversity farming Featured food health Iowa iowa nitrate levels nitrates rivers toxics water

Click to comment

Iowa

How much snow did we get? See Iowa snowfall totals from Thursday.

Published

2 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

How much snow did we get? See Iowa snowfall totals from Thursday.

Another round of snow swept through Iowa, leaving more than 3 inches in some parts of the state.

Flurries began falling in Des Moines around noon on Thursday, Dec. 11, and persisted until late in the evening.

Here’s a look at the highest snowfall totals in Iowa as of 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 12, according to the National Weather Service.

What were the highest Iowa snowfall totals?

West Burlington: 4 inches
Parnell: 3.8 inches
Salem: 3.8 inches
Mooar: 3.6 inches
Webster City: 3.5 inches
Muscatine: 3 inches
Yarmouth: 3 inches
Williamstown: 3 inches
New London: 2.8 inches
Riverside: 2.8 inches
Ottumwa: 2.8 inches

How much snow did Des Moines get?

Over an inch of snow fell at the Des Moines International Airport, with the National Weather Service reporting 1.1 inches as of 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11.

Grimes reported 1.3 inches of snow and other reports from the Des Moines area were around 1 inch.

Nevada in Story County reported 0.5 inches

How much snow did Iowa City get?

No reports were received from Iowa City, according to the National Weather Service. Nearby University Heights reported 1.5 inches. Oakdale reported 2 inches and North Liberty reported 1.3 inches of snow.

When is the next chance for snowfall in Des Moines?

Another round of snow is expected to begin Friday night and continue into Saturday, Dec. 13, in the afternoon.

Des Moines is projected to receive between 2 and 4 inches of snow during this time. A winter weather advisory is in effect for Des Moines from 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The advisory is also in effect in cities spanning from Sioux City to Davenport.

Temperatures are also expected to drop during the weekend, with daytime highs of 9 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, and lows of 10 degrees below zero on Saturday and 1 degree below zero on Sunday.

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.

Source link

Iowa

Iowa women’s wrestling goes on the road to defeat Grand View

Published

14 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Iowa women’s wrestling goes on the road to defeat Grand View

While Iowa women’s wrestling rolled Grand View, 32-10, on Dec. 11 at Waukee Northwest High School, the Vikings provided a worthy challenge in Central Iowa.

The Hawkeyes and Grand View were the second leg of a doubleheader, with a high school dual between Raccoon River Wrestling and Ankeny, the top two teams at last season’s IGHSAU state meet, happening earlier in the night.

The Hawkeyes won each match that was held, but did not send a wrestler at 160 pounds, while Grand View did not participate at 180, so each team took one forfeit. In the eight matches held, Iowa won all of them and two by bonus points at 131 and 145. A sizeable chunk of Iowa’s top starters didn’t wrestle, but Grand View fought tough nonetheless.

“They’re (Grand View) scrappy and they fight hard,” said Iowa coach Clarissa Chun.

The Hawkeyes opened with four wins by decision from 103 to 124 against top-end wrestlers in the NAIA division. Sterling Dias earned a 3-0 decision over Judy Sandova (No. 2 in NAIA) at 103, followed by an 8-2 victory for Nyla Valencia over Tristan Nitta (No. 5 in NAIA) at 110 and a 9-2 decision for Brianna Gonzalez over Mayangelie Colon (No. 3 in NAIA) at 117.

In one of the best wins of the night, Cali Leng downed Catharine Campbell (No. 3 in NAIA) at 124 by a 9-1 decision. Her front headlocks and control of the hand fight led to her rotating behind Campbell for multiple takedowns.

“She’s got a big gas tank and a big heart,” Chun said. “She found ways to adjust and put points on the board.”

Emily Frost won at 131 pounds as she normally does, locking up a headlock and tossing Maya Davis for a win by fall in the first period. Iowa native Lilly Luft followed that pin with a tough win by decision, trailing by criteria at 6-6, but securing two takedowns late in the second period to defeat Adrienna Turner, 10-6. Before the two forfeits, Cadence Diduch rolled in a 10-0 technical fall of Sofia Delgado at 145 pounds.

In the final bout of the night, Libby Dix gave fans at Waukee Northwest a show. Trailing by criteria at 2-2, Dix scored a late step-out point with just a few seconds remaining to clinch the win. While she hadn’t wrestled a ton of freestyle before her college career, she won with her awareness late to score on the one-point action unique to freestyle.

“She’s a gamer,” Chun said. “She’s competitive. If she wasn’t, she would’ve been hung up on losing the match 2-2, but she wanted to go get one.”

The Hawkeyes have one more test before going off on winter break, traveling to Naperville, Ill. on Dec. 14 for the North Central Open.

Iowa women’s wrestling vs. Grand View box score

103: Sterling Dias (IOWA) over Judy Sandoval (GVU) (Dec 3-0)
110: Nyla Valencia (IOWA) over Tristan Nitta (GVU) (Dec 8-2)
117: Brianna Gonzalez (IOWA) over Mayangelie Colon (GVU) (Dec 9-2)
124: Cali Leng (IOWA) over Catharine Campbell (GVU) (Dec 8-1)
131: Emily Frost (IOWA) over Maya Davis (GVU) (Fall 2:21)
138: Lilly Luft (IOWA) over Adrienna Turner (GVU) (Dec 10-6)
145: Cadence Diduch (IOWA) over Sofia Delgado (GVU) (TF 10-0 2:08)
160: Kami Senlycki (GVU) over (IOWA) (For.)
180: Katja Osteen (IOWA) over (GVU) (For.)
207: Libby Dix (IOWA) over Andjela Prijovic (GVU) (Dec 3-2)

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.

Source link

Iowa

Basketball legend Rebecca Lobo raves about Iowa State star Audi Crooks

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Basketball legend Rebecca Lobo raves about Iowa State star Audi Crooks

AMES – As ESPN women’s basketball analyst and Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo watched the Iowa State women’s basketball shootaround prior to the team’s Dec. 10 game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, several things stood out to her about Cyclones star Audi Crooks. Lobo was impressed by Crooks’ ability, her hard work and her personality.

“She’s such a smart, thoughtful, kind and funny human being,” Lobo said in an interview with the Des Moines Register prior to Wednesday night’s Cy-Hawk game. “And that just oozes out of her even when you spend just a short amount of time around her.”

Count Lobo as a fan of Crooks. The former college and WNBA star raved about the Cyclones star before calling the 10th-ranked Cyclones’ 74-69 win over the 12th-ranked Hawkeyes at Hilton Coliseum. Crooks poured in a game-high 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Iowa State improved to 11-0.

“I love it,” Lobo said of watching Crooks. “She’s such a good kid. You see the joy. I like watching joyful players. She is a joyful player. When you talk to her, she is somebody who looks like, when she’s on the basketball court, there’s no other place she’d rather be and I love that about her. She just has an infectious way about her that makes you want to continue watching her.”

College basketball fans across the country are quickly gravitating toward Crooks, who has become one of the best players in the nation. The 6-foot-3 center leads the country in scoring, averaging 27.6 points per game. Crooks has already broken Iowa State’s single-game scoring record twice this season, dropping 43 points in a game and then 47 in another contest.

Lobo, the Associated Press player of the year in 1995 and a WNBA All-Star in 1999, has been covering college basketball for a long time. She can see why Crooks, a native of Algona, has become one of the most dominant college post players. Lobo covered the Cy-Hawk game in 2023 when Crooks was a freshman. She’s made massive strides since.

“The first time you put eyes on her, you’re absolutely struck by the unique frame and how quick her hands and feet are — how good her hands and feet are at her size and then her increased ability to finish around the rim,” Lobo said. “And everybody is game-planning around Audi and yet she’s still leading the nation in scoring and has become incredibly efficient.”

Crooks has been a big reason why the Cyclones are enjoying their best start in more than a decade. Iowa State’s 11-0 start marks the best start to the season since the 2013-14 campaign when the Cyclones opened the year with 14 straight wins. The attention Crooks receives on the court has been instrumental in the success of her teammates as well. What’s she’s done has impressed Lobo thoroughly.

“Audi is just such a unique talent in the women’s game,” Lobo said. “There’s really no other player quite like her and doing what she can do. She’s been a phenomenal anchor for them so far this season.”

If Iowa State continues its successful season and Crooks keeps putting up massive numbers, the Cyclones star will find herself in the national player of the year conversation, just like Lobo was when she was a star at UConn.

“Certainly right now, when you look at an undefeated team that’s a top-10 team, you’re like, ‘All right, who’s their best player and should she be in the conversation,’” Lobo said. “A lot of it will depend on if she’s going to be able to keep this level of scoring and this level of efficiency while leading a team that’s winning games.”

Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.

Source link