Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the water recreation season, and before you don a bathing suit, environmental experts in Iowa say being aware of water quality can help avoid serious illnesses.
The Iowa Environmental Council hosted a forum this week to highlight key information before people flock to lakes and beaches.
Alicia Vasto, Associate Director of the Water Program for the Council, said Outbreaks of E. coli on state park beaches have been fairly consistent, and there has been a gradual increase in swimming advisories prompted by harmful algae blooms.
They contain a toxin that Vasto describes as “nasty” after coming into contact with it.
“Even, you know, your skin contact can cause rashes and hives,” Vasto pointed out. “If you inhale it – like water droplets, if you’re boating or water skiing or something like that – it can cause you breathing problems. If you swallow it, it can cause pain in your stomach. stomach, vomiting and diarrhea.”
Algae blooms, which form in warm, still water, can look like spilled green paint or pea soup and give off a foul odor. The council advised swimmers to stay out of the water if warning signs are displayed. Swimmers are also encouraged to shower after contact with surface water, even if there is no warning. More than 20 such notices were posted on Iowa State Park beaches last year.
Toxic algal blooms have also been linked to fatal liver disease.
Peter Thorne, a professor of occupational and environmental health at the University of Iowa, said there are similar health issues for pets.
“Take dogs, for example. They’ll go into water, even if it’s dirty, and play in it, and they’ll ingest it,” Thorne observed. “And ingestion is the real problem.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in 2019, more than 200 animal deaths have been reported across the country. The panel noted that hot, dry summers, like the one in Iowa last year, can fuel harmful algae growth. Agricultural runoff is considered a key source of surface water toxins.
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After two decades of drought and with no relief in sight, many Utahans are looking for ways to conserve water, and for many residents, part of the solution may lie in their front yard, thanks to a program of state.
The Utah Division of Water Resources has partnered with several local water conservation districts for a second year of “FlipBlitz“, a process that encourages converting grassy lawns into waterscapes.
National and local authorities kicked off the second year of the program this week by demonstrating how small changes on the ground can make a big difference in water use.
Shelby Ericksen, water conservation coordinator for the Water Resources Division, said it was a simple process.
“Remove the grass and replace it with a waterscape and switch from spray heads and park strips to plant irrigation,” Ericksen pointed out. “This is estimated to save 5,000 to 8,000 gallons of water per year on each of these park strips.”
Ericksen pointed out that park strips and other grassy areas can be difficult to water effectively, and often result in wet sidewalks and wasted water. She explained that the program plans to convert more than 120,000 acres in 20 locations across the state, to demonstrate how small changes can lead to big water savings.
Ericksen added that while the program is currently in demo mode, they are planning a major expansion later this year.
“We are currently in the process of implementing a statewide grass removal program,” Ericksen pointed out. “This will be rolled out in the fall in the form of discounts for Utah residents.”
She noted that the program helps Utahns plan more effectively and be responsible stewards of water, while preserving the state’s beautiful landscapes.
“This is a voluntary program,” Ericksen noted. “It started with the Water Resources Division and then we expanded to include some of our local water conservation districts. So it’s really cool that it’s being led by the government to try to get more of examples and trying to change their park strips.”
For more information, visit UtahWaterSavers.com.
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Water is a precious commodity in Wyoming and throughout the West Mountain, and the Wyoming Food Bank is heading to resupply Rawlins residents who have recently experienced a significant drop in water reserves and boil drinking water orders.
Richard Plumlee, director of operations for the food bank, said a team was scheduled to deliver seven pallets of one-liter bottles today to all food-insecure Carbon County residents.
“Individuals having to choose between paying for food or other necessities such as rent,” Plumlee pointed out. “For some of our seniors, also making that tough decision between paying for food or some life-saving medicine that they might need.”
Today’s distribution, scheduled for 11 a.m. at 400 Lincoln Avenue in Sinclair, will not include food items. But Plumlee noted that the food bank trucks will be back on June 10 for the Mobile pantry is held every “even” month at the Carbon County Fairgrounds in Rawlins.
A below-average snowpack and persistent dry conditions, combined with what city officials called a perfect storm of maintenance issues, caused a water crisis in Rawlins in March.
Mira Miller, community relations coordinator for the city, said nearly $3 million had already been invested to fix broken pipes and other infrastructure that depleted storage tanks, prompting the order to ‘boiling.
“And since then, a lot of community members have wanted to start storing their own water,” Miller observed. “And it’s great that the Wyoming Food Bank has come to help those who are food insecure or (don’t have) the extra money to store water.”
Miller added that water service in Rawlins can now meet normal household needs, but residents are only asked to water their lawns once a week.
The Wyoming Food Bank distributed more than 13 million pounds of food in 2021, a 12% increase from the previous year, largely due to the economic fallout from the pandemic. Plumlee pointed out that the most effective way for people to help is to make a financial contribution.
“We can make that dollar stretch a lot more than if someone had to go to a grocery store to buy food,” Plumlee said. “Every dollar raised here in Wyoming stays here in Wyoming, so these funds go directly to food and nutrition programs for all 23 counties in the state.”
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Conservation groups are speaking out in favor of water rights in rural Mono County, saying Los Angeles’ thirst is endangering wildlife, ranching and tourism.
All parties await the judge’s decision after a recent hearingwhere the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) argued it had the right to shut off the water that ranchers use to irrigate Long Valley and Little Round Valley for cattle grazing near from the Crowley Lake Reservoir.
Wendy Schneider, executive director of nonprofit Friends of the Inyo, said the DWP bought out the water rights 100 years ago, but the Eastern Sierra was the small end of the stick.
“We want people to have water for drinking, cooking and bathing,” Schneider acknowledged. “But when our ecosystem is devastated, so that we can landscaping for non-native thirsty plants in the south, it doesn’t make sense.”
Drought, exacerbated by climate change, has forced big changes. Last week, the DWP ordered reductions in outdoor watering from three days a week to two.
The Sierra Club and Mono County sued in 2018 when the cuts were first announced. They argued that Long Valley’s green meadow supports sage grouse and fish populations, which also boosts tourism.
Schneider wants to see the DWP expand a program in Burbank to capture stormwater, instead of letting it flow into the ocean.
“I think we can get to a place where the Eastern Sierra still provides water to supplement,” Schneider pointed out. “But there will be a lot less dependency. We need more water here, not less, and we need Los Angeles to help us.”
Supporters would also like to see a big expansion of water recycling programs in the Southland.
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