News & Press

The University of Iowa's Public Policy Center and Iowa Flood Center are proud to announce two upcoming events that may be of interest to members of your organization. These events are part of the Living with Floods 2013 series of events being held statewide to commemorate the anniversary of recent flood events, celebrate progress made towards recovery, and raise awareness of flood mitigation strategies and the interconnectedness of our environment and watersheds. As the fifth-anniversary of the 2008 flood approaches, we hope you will be able to join us for these important events Thursday May 30th - Friday May 31st.

There's a lonely bridge over a small stream on the eastern edge of Tama, Iowa, that holds a degree of historic significance way out of proportion to the minor amount of traffic it carries.

This bridge happens to be the lone original bridge along the 5,000-mile route of America's first transcontinental superhighway, the Lincoln Highway. This year happens to mark the centennial of the Lincoln Highway, which opened in 1913.

The Lincoln Highway stretches from Central Park in New York to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. The road, which has been upgraded in places and rerouted in others, roughly follows U.S. Highway 30 across the Midwest and Iowa.

For travelers from southern Minnesota, one of the more interesting historic sites along the route is just a few hours south on U.S. 63 — that bridge in Tama, with "Lincoln Highway" spelled out in big block letters on the guardrails.

Tama, in fact, gets an early jump on this centennial celebration of the Lincoln Highway, hosting the Lincoln Highway Bridge Festival May 16-18, with a parade, food vendors, live entertainment and other activities. But the bridge, which is located on.......

Prairie Rivers of Iowa is continuing the fun and learning along the Lincoln Highway into the summer with the Kids on the Byway Camp. The day camp will focus on environment, natural resources, agriculture, and history. Planned activities will allow children will delve deeper into each area, creating opportunities for outdoor education and recreation along the historic Lincoln Highway. Day trips will be planned to sites in Boone, Story, and Marshall Counties led by trained environmental educators.

Through the camp, children will take nature hikes, learn about Iowa native plants and animals, and develop outdoor safety and navigation skills. Kids will learn the depth and breadth of the natural resources that are available in Iowa and how to protect them for future generations.  We will explore the farming and local food systems in the area, and discover the Lincoln Highway, one of the country’s most historic roads, celebrating its centennial year in 2013.

Boy Scout Troup 520 from South Hamilton area spearheaded a clean-up effort on the south shore of Little Wall Lake last Saturday morning. It’s not the first time this troop has focused their volunteer efforts on problems at Little Wall. This troop performed a similar service late last summer when garbage surfaced due to low water levels. All in all, they’ve collected truck loads of cans, bottles, plastic, 28 old tires and scrap metal from around the lake.

This spring, the Scouts invited area residents to participate as Friends of Little Wall Lake. The Friends group has been formed to support all efforts to enhance the lake and make it a destination for area visitors. Several area businesses and individuals have contributed to a fund to pump water into the lake and raise water levels. The Friends of Little Wall Lake also received a grant from the Enhance Hamilton County Foundation to help with this project.

Groups or individuals interested in helping with lake improvements should go to the Friends website (http://todey2739.wix.com/friendsoflittlewall) and email the group. You can also like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/friendsoflittlewalllake. More photos of this clean-up project appear on-line.

The share of U.S. farms operated by women nearly tripled over the past three decades, from 5 percent in 1978 to 14 percent by 2007. Although there have always been women farm operators, national-level statistics to track their numbers and examine their characteristics were not available until the Census of Agriculture began asking for principal farm operators’ gender in 1978. Using census data from 1978 through 2007, this report provides detailed information about women farmers and the types of farms they operate.

Attention Lincoln Highway Photographers!

Prairie Rivers of Iowa is sponsoring a photography class in the 2013 Iowa State Fair in celebration of the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway’s centennial anniversary.

It is open to adult and youth, black & white or color. The class is called “Lincoln Highway 100th Anniversary.”

First place receives $100. Entrants may also be chosen for display during the fair.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released for comment a draft report entitled National Rivers and Streams Assessment 2008-2009 (Draft NRSA).  Comments on the Draft NRSA are due May 9, 2013.  For more information on submitting comments, you can download the Federal Register notice for the comment period.

The major findings of the Draft NRSA are that an estimated 55 percent of the nation’s rivers and streams are in poor condition for aquatic life; fair conditions are found in 23 percent of the waterways; and only 21-percent sustain good conditions that support healthy aquatic communities.  The major pollutants are....

The Boone River Watershed Alliance, a partnership between farmers and landowners, government agencies, recreation groups, and conservation organizations, including Prairie Rivers of Iowa, is featured in the Department of Natural Resources’ January/February 2013 issue of Iowa Outdoors Magazine.

Prairie Rivers of Iowa was awarded one of 25 2013 Community Grants from the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Mike Brandrup, coordinator of Prairie Rivers of Iowa Log Products Program, will be presenting a seminar on the "Economics of Log Cabins" at the 42nd annual Iowa Association of County Conservation Board Employees Winterfest Workshop.  Winterfest will be held in Waterloo, IA on January 22-24.  For more information on Winterfest, please visit the conference website.

Prairie Rivers of Iowa has been awarded a Community Grant from the Alliant Energy Foundation in support of the "Kids on the Byway" environmental education program coordinated along the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway.

The grand opening of the Legacy Cabin at Briggs Woods County Park in Hamilton County, Iowa, is featured in the Winter 2013 Iowa Association of County Conservation Boards Board Member magazine.  Prairie Rivers of Iowa Log Products supplied the native Iowa white oak logs used in the construction of this cabin, and provided guidance and support to builders throughout the construction process.

Grow Your Small Market Farm™ is a business planning class to help potential and existing local farm and food producers learn the skills needed to create and strengthen successful farm business ventures. 2013 classes begin on Saturday, January 19 in Central Iowa. Spots in the class and some scholarships are still available, so sign up today.

Prairie Rivers of Iowa Resource Conservation and Development is announcing a new job vacancy.  This position serves as an Urban Forestry Specialist for three Iowa communities and will provide cooperative assistance to the Iowa Urban and Community Forestry Council across the state of Iowa. Applications are due by the close of business on 1/22/2013.

Like us on Facebook!  Prairie Rivers of Iowa has launched a new Facebook page that will be filled daily with the latest updates on our programs, conservation efforts in Iowa, and photos and videos from around the state.  Check it out today!