Iowa Izaak Walton League

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

It's a long drive back to Lake Okoboji from Cedar Falls, Iowa. That must have been on the minds of Dickinson County Conservation Board Roadside Manager Charles Vigdal, and his intrepid assistants, Levi Wittrock and Tim Frostestad. They made the long drive to the Tallgrass Prairie Center to pick up enough native grass and forb seed from Iowa Roadside Management to plant 40 acres along gravel roads this coming year. It was time to go home—but not yet.
We caught them in the hallway admiring our new displays, and they got a grand tour of the facilities, including our climate-controlled seed storage room, Kubota pendulum seeder, seed cleaning lab, and the new prairie root specimens we had just hung up to dry in the greenhouse. Afterwards, despite oppressive heat, they tramped down the hill to take a look at the seed production plots.
The county is very lucky to have Charles, Levi, and Tim looking out for their roadsides. We look forward to seeing Dickinson County roadside managers again next year!

09/05/2026

08/16/2026

8-15-2026 10am to noon
Please join us for some archery today, its raining a little bit but we are still going to shoot. No equipment needed. We provide everything you need with instruction. Free to everyone.

08/16/2026

Warren County Ikes is proud to make a donation to the Steve Lepic Memorial Youth Archery Fund, helping support young archers involved in Scholastic 3-D Archery (S3DA) with equipment, competition, and travel expenses.

Steve was an avid archer with a passion for sharing the sport with others, especially young people. He created Archery Paradise in Iowa City, where 25 3-D targets are available from April through September for anyone to enjoy at no cost. One of Steve’s favorite things was seeing young archers out on the range, making this fund a meaningful way to continue his legacy and support the next generation of archers.

For questions about S3DA or Archery Paradise, contact Warren County Ikes Archery Chair Kyle Reed at [email protected].

08/16/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1LMX2jfpuW/
We are thrilled to team up with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources! 🌲✨
Meet members of the Izaak Walton League - Iowa Division at the Iowa State Fair this coming week! 🎡
📍 Where: The DNR Patio
🗓️ When:
Thursday, August 20
Friday, August 21
Saturday, August 22
Bring the whole family by for some fun, free crafts, including:
📿 Nature necklaces
🎨 Rock painting
While the kids get creative, chat with us to learn about our 100+ year history of dedicated conservation work right here in Iowa. We can't wait to see you there! 🦌🦅🐟

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08/11/2026

This summer's Gulf dead zone is forecasted to be approximately 7,027 square miles, well above the 39-year average of 5,223 square miles and nearly the size of New Jersey.

The dead zone is an area with little to no oxygen, forcing marine life like fish and shrimp to flee or die. It's fueled by pollution flowing from across the entire Mississippi River system, a reminder that what happens upstream affects life hundreds of miles downstream.

Our Executive Director, Kelly McGinnis, spoke with New Orleans Public Radio about the stakes: "The dead zone doesn't just carry ecological and environmental impacts; it carries economic ones too."

The actual measurement is expected any day now. We're closely monitoring and will share the results as soon as they're released.

The full story is linked in the comments.

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Photo Credit: NASA/Landsat/Phil Degginger/Alamy Stock

Interview with Héctor Alejandro Arzate New Orleans Public Radio Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk
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