The History of The Iowa Lakes Project

 Water quality is becoming a serious environmental issue in the state of Iowa. Our water quality is deteriorating at an alarming rate and Iowa has some of the poorest surface water quality in the entire United States. Approximately 40-60% of the lakes, rivers and wetlands have been designated as impaired by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. When water, such as rainfall, runs off the land, it is shed into our lakes, rivers and streams.  The majority of Iowa’s water quality problems are due to the impact of human land use in the watershed regions that drain into bodies of water.  Serious problems come when runoff contains soil sediment from erosion and chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides.  As one of the leading agricultural states in America, Iowa is caught in a particular predicament.  While farming is critical for the economy, it can be very bad for our lakes, streams, rivers, and reservoirs, since farm run-off can deliver very large quantities of sediment and chemicals to bodies of water.  In addition, the chemical problem is not only caused by agriculture, but can be compounded by other sources including residential lawn care and recreational turf management on golf courses and athletic fields.

The UNI Lakes Project is an interdepartmental summer research program at the University of Northern Iowa. The project was developed to provide scientific research experience for undergraduates in the College of Natural Sciences.  Students and faculty members from the Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Mathematics, and Physics Departments plus the Environmental Science and Science Education Programs participate in this project. The study typically encompasses 10 professors and 16 students. This interdisciplinary group of people studies the quality of surface water through a comparison of lakes in northeast Iowa. 

The Iowa Lakes Study is currently in the 5^th year of study. It has now been expanded to include research in Iowa’s wetlands. The project began in 1999 with funds from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust. The trust supplied money to researchers and students to work on individual projects before 1999. Grants from the trust were awarded to faculty research members based on merit. Members of the trust felt that the impact on students was not great enough and there wasn’t enough interest in the results of the individual research. They wanted something more substantial and recognizable. That is how the Iowa Lakes Project was started. Researchers at UNI had been in contact with Bill Bird of the Iowa Space Grant Consortium. The Iowa Lakes Study became the base program for the Iowa Space Grant Consortium for the state of Iowa in 1999. The Carver Trust donates the majority of the funds for the Iowa Lakes project and pays salaries and stipends for the research. In addition to that support,  the Iowa Space Grant donates money that is used for supplies for the research and travel costs.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) suggested that the UNI scientists focus their study on Casey Lake and Silver Lake.  Due to its extremely deteriorated state, Silver Lake has been targeted as the highest priority for cleanup or remediation in northeast Iowa.  Casey Lake was used as a comparison because it is similar in size and was built at the same time.  Casey Lake differs from Silver Lake in the land use within the watershed and degree of impairment.   After several years of study, the UNI scientists have concluded that excess phosphorus is the primary problem at Silver Lake. While phosphorus is the limiting factor and keeps algae production down in Casey Lake, phosphorous is present in excess in Silver Lake.  Excessive phosphorous concentrations lead to blooms or large concentrations of undesirable organisms such as cyanobacteria.  As a result of the UNI research, the DNR is considering several strategies for reducing the current phosphorous concentrations in the lake.  This is a wonderful example of state Government taking interest and working with a state university.

Since it is very important to look for ways to change land use practices and reduce the input of phosphorous in the future, the UNI Lakes Project researchers have expanded the scope of the research program to include community education and outreach.   The goals of this aspect of the Lake Project include informing citizens about the quality of surface water and how human activities can impact lakes.  The outreach effort is specifically designed to raise scientific and environmental literacy of students in Iowa schools. 

A handbook has been designed to help support Iowa teachers in an effort to educate young citizens. You may access this from our website in the   Education Materials pages!