Quasqueton, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is on a mission to remove or modify almost every low-head dam in the state. Still, it could be a while before that task is complete.

The dams are harmful to the fish that live in these waterways and pose a large risk of drowning.

The dam at Palisades-Kepler State Park is one of approximately 172 low-head dams left on major rivers in the state of Iowa.

InvestigateTV found there is no national inventory of low-head dams and less than a third of states track where they are located.

The state of Iowa has a map of every single one.

”Those dams come across loud and clear that they’re a hazard and that you should avoid them,” Nate Hoogeveen, director of river programs for the Iowa DNR.

The Iowa DNR says these dams are “extremely dangerous.”

The water running over the top of the wall causes a reverse current which kills 1.7 people on average per year.

”No matter your experience level never decide to enter that area. Whether you’re an angler from downstream. Not if you’re a boater from upstream. It’s just super dangerous,” Hoogeveen said.

The DNR wants to remove or modify every low-head dam to make them safer for people and the fish in the stream.

The project started in 2008. Since then, 38 dam projects have been complete, one being in Quasqueton.

”It was just a regular low-head dam, probably about a 5-foot drop,” said Orlan Love, a member of the Quasqueton city council.

In 2014, the dam on the Wapsipinicon River at Quasqueton was turned into a rock arch rapids.

The added rock displaced a lot of water, helping to remove the dangerous reverse current. Since then, there haven’t been any safety concerns.

These modifications can even open the river to recreational activities.

”Theoretically you can run a kayak or canoe over the rock arch rapids,” Love said.

The DNR hopes all low-head dams can be removed or transformed like the one in Quasqueton.

“That’s a career goal for me,” Hoogeveen said. “And for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. I’m certain this will keep going long beyond me.”

Hoogeveen said it could be a century until they’re all done. The DNR does not own every low-head dam in the state. Communities work with the DNR to get the projects started.

“At the rate we’re going, it’s probably a century timeline to be honest,” Hoogeveen said. “A part of that’s a matter of communities being ready for it.”

Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.

Iowans love pork and and they love football.

That is why the Iowa Pork Producers Association is bringing back the viral promotion involving Iowa State University athletes who throw around the old pig skin.

In hopes of encouraging people to buy more ham and bacon, the Iowa Pork Producers Association used a name, image and likeness deal with the last names of Iowa State football players.

Conveniently enough, the last names of ISU Cyclone football players Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, Tommy Hamann and Caleb Bacon make for a convincing ad campaign: “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon.” Since the first promotion, Cyclones Alec Cook and Zach Lovett joined the team.

When the promotion first dropped last year, it went viral with millions of views and a feature on ESPN SportsCenter’s social media account, according to the Iowa Pork Producers Association. The Sports Business Journal also named the partnership the Best NIL Deal of 2023.

The promotional campaign is coming back for 2024 and the association is looking for more Cyclones to join.

More: Hardly anyone recruited Caleb Bacon in high school. Now he’s a football star at Iowa State

What’s new for the ‘Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’ campaign?

Hamann will no longer take part in the promotion. He recently decided to leave Iowa State’s football program to focus on his engineering degree, according to the IPPA. A video came out of Hamann saying goodbye to his fellow teammates.

But this isn’t the end of the campaign. The IPPA is looking for more students to join the promotional cast.

Where can I watch the 2024 ‘Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’ promotional videos?

Videos can be found on the Iowa Pork Producers Association’s YouTube or social media. Every Monday at 10 a.m. for the next seven weeks, new tryout videos of Cyclone students will air to see if they fit into the “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon” mantra. The series will end Oct. 7, just in time for National Pork Month known as Porktober.

Pork promotion donates to food banks

For every student who takes part in the ad campaign, IPPA will donate $1,000 worth of pork to a food pantry of the student’s choice. Last year, $13,000 worth of pork was given to food pantries. Donations from the most recent video will go toward the following food banks:

• Food Bank of the Rockies in Denver, Colorado, in the name of Myles Purchase
• DMARC in Des Moines, Iowa, in the name of Tyler Moore
• Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners in Plymouth, Minnesota, in the name of Tommy Hamann
• Lake Mills Food Shelf in Lake Mills, Iowa, in the name of Caleb Bacon
• Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha, Nebraska, in the name of Alec Cook
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, in the name of Zach Lovett

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.

Every week, it seems like a new list with the top “this” or the top “that” comes out, and the latest from Yelp showcases the best pizzas in the Midwest. Granted, most of the places on this list come from Illinois and Michigan, which each have pizza styles of their own with Detroit-style, Chicago deep dish and Chicago tavern-style all making appearances.

Missing from this list of 100 is Iowa’s own style of pizza, Quad City-style, made famous at Harris Pizza, with two locations in Bettendorf and Davenport, and a third in Rock Island, Illinois. The pizza features a thin, crisp crust made with a malty, sweet dough and spicy tomato sauce. Next comes the toppings, layered under cheese. The pizza is then cut into strips with scissors.

Casey’s breakfast pizzas and Happy Joe’s, the originator of taco pizzas, also are not on the list.

The list also doesn’t include the Lincoln Winebar, the pizza shop in Mount Vernon named one of the 22 best in the country by the New York Times in June.

Yelp first broke down its user-generated ratings by looking at pizza locations from across the region, including Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Then the review aggregator winnowed down the list by using a large concentration of reviews that included relevant keywords and ranked them using factors such as the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords.

Here’s a look at the seven pizza restaurants in Iowa that did make Yelp’s list of 100 best in the Midwest.

Zoey’s Pizzeria

This pizzeria in Marion outside Cedar Rapids landed in the No. 64 spot on Yelp’s list. Zoey’s Pizzeria originally opened in 1991 and serves Chicago-style deep dish and New York-style thin crust pies. Try the NewZago crust, a Chicago-style dough pressed out thin instead of deep-dish style, or the Zookie, a warm chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

Location: 690 10th St., Marion

Contact: 319-377-2840 or zoeyspizza.com

Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta

This newcomer in Ankeny landed in the No. 72 spot on Yelp’s list. Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta from owners and New Yorkers Donnie Hizeqaj and Mike Kabashi opened in 2022 with options such as Grandma’s Pizza with a crisp, thin-crust square pizza topped with mozzarella, marinara sauce, olive oil, basil and Romano cheese; Sicilian square pizzas with tomato sauce and mozzarella or a lasagna version with everything but the pasta; gluten-free pies; or regular round pizzas.

Location: 1802 N. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny

Contact: 515-850-1085 or nonnaspizzapasta.com

Sfumato Pizzeria

The No. 90 spot on Yelp’s list comes from Alton in northwest Iowa. Sfumato Pizzeria opened in 2012 with a menu of Neapolitan-style pizzas baked in a wood-fired pizza oven. The husband-and-wife team of Matt and Shannon Slemp along with Mark Slemp, Matt’s father, run this pizza restaurant, technically in unincorporated Carnes. They named it Sfumato, an Italian word for a style of painting that translates into “up in smoke.” The family recommends the Margherita or the fig and caper with prosciutto.

Location: 4995 Carnes Drive, Alton

Contact: 712-737-3007 or facebook.com/p/Sfumato-Pizzeria

More: The 27 essential restaurants in the Des Moines metro: 2024 edition

Maggie’s Farm Wood-Fired Pizza

This Iowa City pizza farm landed in the No. 91 spot on Yelp’s list. Maggie’s Farm offers Napoli favorites baked in a wood-fired oven from wife-and-husband duo Carolyn Brown and Jerry Zimmerman, who grow the vegetables used on their pizzas on their farm, named after their first labradoodle. Look for options such as the Ellie with caramelized onions, blue cheese and bacon or the soppressata with Italian dry-cured salami and pepperoncini topped with a four-cheese blend.

Location: 1308 Melrose Ave., Iowa City

Contact: 319-351-4588 or maggiesfarmpizza.com

More: Visit a pizza farm for a plow-to-table, only-in-the-Midwest experience

Basal Pizza

Head to Waterloo for the No. 93 best pizza in the Midwest, according to Yelp. Basal Pizza offers wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas as well as Detroit-style pizzas. The pan-style Detroit pizzas serve two to three people, while the Neapolitan pies are meant for individuals.

Location: 225 W. Fourth St., Waterloo

Contact: 319-333-0180 or basalpizza.com

More: 9 things you probably didn’t know about breakfast pizza at Casey’s General Store

Smash Pizza

Bettendorf’s Smash Pizza ended up at No. 96 on Yelp’s list. The restaurant offers a 16-inch New York-style pizza and a 14-inch Sicilian square that the restaurant says sells out early daily. Try the elote with corn or the roasted wild mushroom and fried kale for something different. Before opening in 2022, chef and owner Brian Olsen operated Smash Pizza as a food truck.

Location: 3403 Devils Glen Road, Bettendorf

Contact: 563-900-4064 or smashqc.com

More: 11 Des Moines pizzerias to satisfy any craving spanning deep dish to crispy thin crust

Need Pizzeria & Craft Beer Bar

Head to Cedar Rapids for the No. 98 pizza on the Yelp list. Need Pizzeria offers gluten-free and vegan options with a focus on New Haven-style pizza. Do look for novelty options on the specials menu, which recently featured a sriracha BLT and Crab Ya Goon, a white pizza with crab dip, crab meat, green onions, crispy wonton strips and sweet chili sauce.⁠

Location: 207 Second Ave. S.E., Cedar Rapids

Contact: 319-362-6333 or needcr.com

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, X, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.