DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says swimming is not advised at 17 public beaches, all of which have E. coli readings that exceed acceptable levels. The DNR conducts weekly tests at more than three dozen public swimming beaches between the week before Memorial Day through Labor Day.

15 DNR Monitored Beaches with an E. coli Advisory:
Backbone Beach (Dundee, Delaware County, IA)* 
Beed’s Lake Beach (Hampton, Franklin County, IA)* 
Brushy Creek Beach (Lehigh, Webster County, IA)*
Bobwhite State Park (Allerton, Wayne County, IA)* 
Crandall’s Beach (Big Spirit Lake, Spirit Lake, Dickinson County, IA)*
Emerson Bay Beach (West Okoboji Lake, Milford, Dickinson County, IA)* 
Lake Ahquabi Beach (Indianola, Warren County, IA)*
Lake Darling Beach (Brighton, Washington County, IA)*
Lake Manawa Beach (Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, IA)* 
Lake of Three Fires Beach (Bedford, Taylor County, IA)* 
Lower Pine Lake Beach (Eldora, Hardin County, IA)*
Nine Eagles Beach (Davis City, Decatur County, IA)* 
Pleasant Creek Lake Beach (Palo, Linn County, IA)* 
Prairie Rose Beach (Harlan, Shelby County, IA)* 
Union Grove Beach (Gladbrook, Tama County, IA)*

2 DNR Monitored Beaches with a Microcystin Advisory:
Lake Darling Beach (Brighton, Washington County, IA)*
Viking Lake Beach (Stanton, Montgomery County, IA)*
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4 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Monitored Beaches with an E. coli Advisory:
North Overlook Beach (Lake Red Rock, Pella, Marion County, IA)**
Sugar Bottom Campground Beach (Coralville Lake, Coralville, Johnson County, IA)**
West Overlook Beach (Coralville Lake, Coralville, Johnson County, IA)**
Whitebreast Beach (Lake Red Rock, Pella, Marion County, IA)** 

Note: George Wyth Beach is closed due to flooding. Monitoring has been suspended at Lake Keomah due to renovation activities. McIntosh Woods Beach is closed due to park storm damage. From the Army Corps of Engineers, Oak Grove Beach was not sampled due to high water elevations.

*This data is from the Iowa DNR State Park Beach Monitoring Program
**Data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District

(Radio Iowa) – A top executive in the ethanol industry says there have been key policy victories this year for ethanol producers — including the E-P-A’s proposed eight percent jump in biofuels production obligations for 2026. Emily Skor is C-E-O of Growth Energy, a trade association that represents nearly 100 ethanol plants — including 28 in Iowa.

“I would go back to day one of the Trump Administration and that is the first time that we had an executive order specific to ethanol and biofuel,” Skor said. “The president really enshrined biofuels as part of his domestic agenda.” In April, the Trump Administration waived the E-P-A’s ban on summertime sales of E-15 in about half the country. Then, in mid-June, the agency proposed 15 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol be blended into gasoline next year, along with increased production of soybean-based biodiesel.

“That’s the strongest proposed volumes that we have seen out of the agency,” Skor says. “We saw in that proposal a commitment to really prioritize domestic feedstocks, which is a big part of our conversation with the administration right now. That’s important to our growers and to our plants as well.” Under the proposed rule, the credits used to enforce compliance with the Renewable Fuels Standard would be heavily tilted to favor domestically produced biofuels.

Imported ethanol as well as imported corn, soybeans or other feedstocks used to produce biofuels here would have half the value. The E-P-A’s proposed Renewable Fuels Standard rules for 2026 and 2027 may become final by the end of October. Skor, a Minnesota native, has been C-E-O of Growth Energy since 2016.

(Radio Iowa) – Democrat Rob Sand says Iowans are justifiably frustrated about water quality issues and he might call for new regulations if he’s elected governor — but Sand says he’s investigating the issue before releasing a water quality plan.  “I think people would be right to be frustrated with me if we hit fall of next year and I didn’t have a specific plan for what I was going to do on this issue, but that’s not going to happen,” Sand said. “We’re putting together a plan. We’re taking time to learn.” Sand spoke with reporters after visiting the Des Moines Water Works this (Thursday) morning.  “This, to me, is part of the process,” Sand said. “I think that if you are going to be a candidate for governor, but if especially you are going to be a governor, you have got to have a really good understanding of the facts.”

Earlier this week, researchers who worked on a report about water quality and nitrates in the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers called for regulations to limit run-off from ag land.  “Those are some of the folks that I’ll be talking to and I want to hear what they have to say,” Sand said, “but I want to also make sure that I’m listening to lots of other voices and putting together a plan that is realistic and well-informed and achievable, where we know we can just make a difference instead of just necessarily shouting at each other.”

Republican Kim Reynolds, Iowa’s current governor, says regulation of farming practices is hardly ever the answer to water quality issues in the state. Sand isn’t ruling out regulations, but Sand says he doubts there’s a one-size-fits-all solution.”I think we’ve hit a new high for the magnitude of this problem and the folks in charge in Des Moines are literally moving in the wrong direction,” Sand said. “The legislature just defunded nitrate monitoring systems across the state of Iowa…so people who are frustrated should be frustrated. I’m frustrated. I want to be able to take my kids tubing where we’re home in Decorah in the Upper Iowa River without having to hesitate.”

Sand is the only Democrat currently serving in statewide office. He was elected state auditor in 2018 and reelected in 2022.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State Fair opens its 11-day run today (Thursday) in Des Moines. Fair spokesperson Mindy Williamson says a big change this year allows you to bring in your own drinks. “You can now bring in your beverages excluding alcohol. You cannot bring in alcohol, but if you want to bring in your water, iced tea, Gatorade. coffee that you purchased on your way in, you can do that this year,” she says. Williamson says you can also bring in a soft-sided cooler with food. “If you have, you know, a special diet that you’re trying to stick to, or if you need snacks and things for your children, we feel like you know the fair is a family friendly place, and we want you to be as comfortable as possible. And so we made that change this year.” Williamson says.

There are parking lots outside the Fair, homeowners who charge you to park in their yards, or you can park at three pickup points and take a bus. “The Capitol and then west of the capitol, and then at Southeast Polk (High School). And you can easily ride those into the fairgrounds. It’ll drop you off at gate. ten which is near the Craft Beer Tent and the little kids rides, and then it’ll pick and then you can walk back there and ride it back to your car easily without the traffic,” she explains.

Williamson says there are several new things at the Fair. “People will not want to miss our new Shivers Plaza, which is the area right to the South of JR’s South Pork Ranch, and right across from our pavilion,” she says. “And it’s an area like a food court where there are vendors, there’s picnic tables and shade. There’s new restrooms.”

The Iowa State Fair gates open at 8 a-m. You can find out more about the schedule and daily events at iowastatefair.org.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State Fair spokesperson Mindy Williamson says they are working around the rainy weather as they prepare for opening day.  “The fairgrounds are buzzing even though it’s a little bit sprinkly out here today. So we have a last minute setup, our vendors are getting their food stands ready, maybe trying the processing of payments and things like that,” she says.

Williamson says the livestock judging has already been underway for a couple of days. “We have sheep coming in today, we have horses that have already been competing. We have pigs in some of the barns, so the Fair is in full swing,” Williamson says.

The Iowa State Fair opens tomorrow morning for its 11-day run.

(A report by the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Summit Carbon Solutions has a new CEO, Joe Griffin, who authored letters this week to signed and unsigned landowners along the carbon pipeline project route. Two versions of the letter, one dated Aug. 4 and the other dated Aug. 5, noted the company would be announcing “several updates” that would “open new markets and create greater opportunities for the region.” The letters also note Summit has a new senior leadership team.

The version addressed to landowners along the route who have not signed an easement agreement said they should expect a “revised Right of Way proposal in the coming weeks.”  The letter said the revised proposals would reflect Summit’s “commitment to offering terms that better support landowners and their long-term interests.”

The other version was addressed to landowners who had already signed easements and instead thanked them for their trust in the company and its project to build a carbon sequestration line across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and the Dakotas.  Summit has already signed easement agreements more than 1,320 Iowa landowners along the route, according to the company. Griffin wrote in the letter he wanted to “set the tone” for a “fresh chapter” for Summit. In addition to Griffin’s replacement of former CEO Lee Blank, the letter notes Summit has a “new senior leadership team” that is focused on “partnership and respect.”

“This team has constructed and/or operated more than 4,700 miles of pipelines, but what I’m most proud of is that we did it safely, working closely with landowners, communities, and emergency responders to ensure the safety of all,” Griffin said.  Griffin said he has spent his career in “energy infrastructure” though it is unclear what company the new CEO was with formerly.

“I’m the kind of person who’s not afraid to get out in the fields and help alongside the farmers, someone who understands that this project is about more than pipes and technology — it’s about people, land, and communities,” Griffin wrote in the letters. Former Summit CEO Lee Blank could not be reached for comment.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), Tuesday, announced more than $450,000 in cost share funding was awarded to nine conservation districts for water quality improvement projects, including in Adams and Union Counties. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Districts will use the funding to help private landowners implement practices like cover crops, sediment control basins, grassed waterways and other proven practices that will improve water quality in eight publicly owned lakes.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the water quality improvement efforts go toward “ensuring these lakes remain vibrant and healthy destinations.” “We are fortunate to have some beautiful public lakes in our state that significantly enhance the quality of life for many Iowans and provide valuable recreational opportunities and wildlife habitat,” Naig said in a release.  The announcement is part of the Publicly Owned Lakes program administered by IDALS and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. This round of funding is more than double what was allocated through the program in 2024. The installation of these practices up a watershed can help to keep sediment and nutrients from trickling down into Iowa lakes, which in turn, keeps the lakes cleaner and better protected for Iowans to recreate.

Three Mile Lake is one of several lakes the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has restored through its Lake Restoration Program. (Photo contributed by Iowa DNR)

Three Mile Lake had the highest allocation, of more than $133,000 to be managed by conservation districts in both Union and Adair counties. Three Mile Lake has undergone lake restoration projects for the past several years, though DNR said the restorations are considered near completion. Lake restoration projects at Casey Lake, which was also awarded funding, are also considered nearly completed. The rest of the funding went to conservation districts monitoring the watersheds of Hawthorn Lake, Pleasant Lake, Lake Miami, 12 Mile Lake, Lake Icaria and Lake Geode.

Funding for the program comes from IDALS’s soil conservation cost-share budget, and the watersheds are chosen by the DNR based on priority. Landowners in the selected districts are then eligible for additional cost-share funding for water improvement projects.  Many of the water quality improvement strategies surrounding Iowa lakes are dependent on voluntary participation by private landowners in the watersheds.

(Radio Iowa) – Hundreds of workers at a J-B-S plant in Ottumwa were given 90 days to find new work authorizations after the Trump administration revoked their legal statuses. Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice spokesperson Elena Casillas-Hoffman says workers at other plants across the state are facing the same pressures.  “With the limited options that they have, what you’re going to see is that many individuals are going to be pushed to an undocumented status, potentially. So, you know, J-B-S in Ottumwa is one example of many, as more and more statuses are pulled and individuals are trying to find, what are their next steps?,” she says. Casillas-Hoffman says her organization has also heard of status terminations impacting workers in Marshalltown, Storm Lake and Sioux City.

“They’re now potentially going to face the idea that they and their families could become undocumented,” Casillas-Hoffman says. She says they’re trying to find new ways to legally remain in the country. “The increasing terror, the increasing surveillance and the increasing possibilities that come with being an undocumented person in the United States is a very real threat to many,” she says. The move affects Haitian, Venezuelan, Cuban and Nicaraguan immigrants who lived and worked in the United States under a special humanitarian parole program.

Individuals under humanitarian parole work in a variety of different fields, but Casillas-Hoffman says a large number work in meatpacking.