(Atlantic, IA) – A group of citizens from southwest Iowa who are concerned about keeping area waterways clean will hold their first annual meeting this weekend, in Atlantic. The Nishnabotna Water Defenders meeting takes place on Sunday March 29, 2026, from 1-until 4-p.m., at the American Legion Memorial Building (201 Poplar St.) in Atlantic. The event had been rescheduled from March 15th. The Water Defenders formed as a non-profit organization to address the issue of the fertilizer spill in Red Oak, Iowa in March 2025.
Representatives of The Nishnabotna Water Defenders say they are focused on organizing, advocating, and educating with respect to improving water quality, not just in southwest Iowa, but across the State as well..
This year’s guest speaker is Liz Garst who manages a family farm near Coon Rapids Iowa and oversees two family-owned community banks. She served in the Peace Corps and worked for the World Bank, her family’s seed company and as a bank president. Garst has a BA from Stanford, a MS in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State and a MBA from Harvard.
She was a founder of Whiterock Conservancy and has a long career in civic engagement on behalf of agriculture, the environment, rural development and civil liberties. In 2023 she was inducted into the Iowa Business Hall of Fame. Her current passion is soil health.
For more information contact, email nishh2odefenders or their website at Water Defenders
