‘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…
‘Winter road salt: How much is too much for Ohio’s environment?’
This news article from cleveland.com discusses how heavy road salt usage in Ohio during winter storms is causing significant environmental damage, with chloride levels in some waterways reaching nearly 14 times…
‘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…
‘Road salt used to treat icy surfaces can harm environment, experts say’
This article from 29 News reports an interview with the Izaak Walton League’s own Samantha Puckett who explains that road salt, while crucial for winter safety, poses severe and persistent…
‘Help protect our waters by reducing winter salt use’
This article from APG Media of Wisconsin gives a shout out to Winter Salt Week 2026 and discusses how winter road salt poses a growing threat to Wisconsin’s freshwater ecosystems,…
‘AI data center plans for Greenleaf scrapped amid community opposition’
Plans for an artificial intelligence data center in the Village of Greenleaf, Wisconsin, were abandoned following strong opposition from residents and local leaders. The proposed development by Cloverleaf Infrastructure would…
‘Seize the means of water testing!’
Little Village Magazine, an independent news & culture magazine published in Iowa City, Iowa, profiled the Nitrate Watch program in their November 4, 2025 issue. The article highlights how Nitrate…
‘In the wake of a near-total fish kill, southwest Iowans wade into water testing’
In March 2024, a valve malfunction at a NEW Cooperative facility spilled roughly 1,500 tons of liquid nitrogen fertilizer into the East Nishnabotna River near Red Oak, Iowa, causing one of the state’s…
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.