With funding cut, Iowa volunteers step in to carry on water monitoring
With funding for Iowa’s statewide water-quality monitoring system uncertain, volunteers across the state have stepped up to test local waterways for nitrate and other pollutants. One program volunteers turn to…
First Annual Nitrate Pollution Awareness Week Reaches a Broad Audience
Author: Sam Puckett, Clean Water Program Director Outdoor America 2026, Issue 3 Between July 26 and August 1, 2026, thousands of community members, clean water advocates and public health supporters…
Iowa kayaker paddles East Nishnabotna River establishing record time and testing water quality
Trevor Boyer kayaked the entire East Nishnabotna River from Atlantic, Iowa, to Brownville, Nebraska, completing the journey in about 32 hours while setting a record and promoting outdoor recreation. Along…
What is in Store for Nitrate Pollution Awareness Week
When you pour a glass of water from the kitchen tap or watch a local stream ripple by, you assume it’s clean if it looks clear. But there is a…
‘Iowa’s Cancer Rate is Skyrocketing. Our Tests Prove Why.’
Concerned community members in Iowa are using the Izaak Walton League’s Nitrate Watch kits to track levels of cancer-causing nitrate in their drinking water. This video from More Perfect Union…
‘Here’s why Iowans say they volunteer to test lakes, rivers for nitrates’
Volunteers participating in Nitrate Watch as part of their involvement with partner organization Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement share what motivates them to monitor in this article from the Iowa…
‘Water testing sets record in 2025, with Iowans leading the way’
Reporting from the Cedar Rapids Gazette explains how Iowans participated in a record-breaking year for volunteer water testing in 2025. The Izaak Walton League’s Nitrate Watch program saw more requests…
‘Iowans drive record nitrate test requests’
Summary statistics from the Nitrate Watch 2025 annual report are shared in reporting from Axios Des Moines. These statistics tell a story of high nitrate concentrations in waterways across Iowa…
‘In Iowa, many rivers and lakes improve briefly, then fall back into impairment’
The article from Investigate Midwest reports that while some Iowa rivers and lakes occasionally show short-term improvements in water quality, most remain persistently listed as “impaired” due to pollution from…
Your kit will include a bottle containing 25 nitrate test strips which you can use to test your water source(s) throughout the year. You’ll also receive postcards explaining how to use your nitrate test strips and how to share your Nitrate Watch results on the Clean Water Hub.
Your kit will include four test strips so you can test your waterway throughout the season. You’ll also receive a chart to help you interpret your results and a postcard with instructions for completing a Salt Watch test and reporting your findings.