Iowa Water Center

4th Annual Virtual Harmful Algal Bloom Symposium
2024-01-04 09:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
The fourth annual research symposium will be held virtually and feature presentations on prediction, monitoring, and treatment as well as communication and outreach regarding harmful algal blooms (HABs).
In addition, the event will include a special feedback session with representatives from the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program studying the effects of freshwater acidification on HABs. The team at NOAA are currently conducting a nationwide stakeholder needs assessment for acidification concerns, priorities, interests, and intersections. The feedback session will offer attendees the opportunity to lend their perspectives and provide feedback to NOAA on the impact of freshwater acidification on HABs.
This event is organized by the Algal Bloom Action Team, a collaboration of water professionals, researchers, and educators from 12 states in the North Central Region of the United States.

PFAS Webinar: What Do We Know and Where Are We Headed Next?
2024-01-17 14:00 - 15:00
Tune into the first webinar in this year’s series from the North Central Region Water Network on January 17th at 2:00 p.m. CST. Each month, the best water-related research and Extension programming throughout the region are highlighted.
In this edition, you will hear about the latest research on PFAS and the social and economic issues related to PFAS risk, exposure, and remediation. It will also include a discussion on knowledge and research gaps and the future direction of PFAS work and policy.

Pasturing Oxbows: Optimizing Benefits to the Farm, Water, and Wildlife
2024-01-18 13:00 - 14:00
The Iowa Nutrient Research Center and the Conservation Learning Group join Iowa Learning Farms on Thursday, January 18th, to discuss Oxbows. Sara McMillan, professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University, and Karen Wilke, Associate Director of Freshwater at the Nature Conservancy, will share how an oxbow formed naturally in Kossuth County and the process to restore it.
Located within an actively used pasture, the restoration process took into consideration factors such as livestock safely accessing the water. Pastured oxbows help improve overall forage production by providing a place for water to collect and reduce flooding within the pasture. Additionally, by providing a water source from the stream, these systems improve water quality through the reduction of direct contributions of bacteria from livestock in the stream and the maintenance of streambanks that help retain sediment and phosphorus.

INRC Focus on the Future Seminar - Feb 14 Session
2024-02-14 15:10 - 16:00
Join the first session of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center’s Spring “Focus on the Future” Series! The following two topics will be presented.
Microbial communities as a pathway to improved woodchip and corncob bioreactor design and performance
The first presenter is Taylor Vroman, Environmental Science, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.
Her research focuses on analyzing the microbial communities within corncob and woodchip bioreactors to optimize the performance of the edge-of-field conservation practice. She is currently using nitrate removal, greenhouse gas production, water chemistry and gene presence to determine performance in laboratory upflow columns.
Ranking the effect of GxExM factors on the economic optimum N rate
The second presenter is Mitch Baum, Post doc, Department of Agronomy.
Mitch created a ranking of influential GxExM factors on the economic optimum N rate using a well calibrated process-based cropping systems model. The goal is to explore how the annual variability of the yield response to N can be managed with crop genetics and management vs. the uncontrollable variability caused by seasonal weather fluctuations.

Join online or in person at 1306 Elings Hall on the Iowa State University campus.

ILF Webinar: Agricultural Climate Resilience through Water Management and Soil Conservation
2024-02-28 12:00 - 13:00
This Iowa Learning Farm Conservation Webinar will feature Rick Cruse, professor of agronomy and director of the Iowa Water Center at Iowa State University. Cruse was raised on a farm in Northeast Iowa and has been engaged with Iowa farmers while working at Iowa State University for over 40 years. His research, teaching and extension efforts address management impacts on soil erosion, water and crop production.
Cruse will highlight factors and practices which affect agricultural climate resilience. He will focus on the importance of water and water management and discuss actions including draining excess water, capitalizing on water sourced from shallow groundwater, and maximizing water infiltration and storage through improving soil health.
“Water and water management are the most fundamental components of climate-resilient farm plans,” says Cruse. “We are eager to help Midwest farmers gain a better understanding of the underutilized water resources that they may already have and how those resources can substantially improve their climate resilience.”

Shortly before noon CST, click the link below or type this web address into your internet browser: https://iastate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xtAwWXycQZW8iwtNLz34GA#/registration

A New Look At An Old Way to Fix Broken Lakes
2024-03-12 13:00 - 14:00
This Midwest Greater Lakes Partnership presentation will illustrate the need for a more robust lake scientific study design that accurately quantifies glacial lake health as the first step in lake restoration, which is a team sport.
Jerry Sweeten, Senior Restoration Ecologist — Ecosystems Connections Institute, LLC, will present examples where nutrient and sediment monitoring were conducted to prioritize tributaries for restoration. Leveraging these data have helped to designate the lake in the National Water Quality Initiative and direct increased funding to on-the-ground conservation.

Virtual Field Day - A New Direction in Cover Crops: Developing Perennial Ground Cover for Corn Systems in the Midwest
2024-03-21 13:00 - 14:00
Join Iowa Learning Farms, the Iowa Nutrient Research Center (INRC), and Conservation Learning Group (CLG), for a FREE virtual field day.
The discussion will include D. Raj Raman, Morrill Professor of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University, and Daniel Andersen, Associate Professor of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University.
RegenPGC stands for Regenerating America’s Working Landscapes to Enhance Natural Resources and Public Goods through Perennial Groundcover. The vision RegenPGC is to make year-round groundcover on working lands the norm for Midwestern US agriculture and beyond. Central to the approach is developing and de-risking perennial groundcover (PGC) systems, where a perennial cover crop is planted once and then persists for multiple years alongside annual crops such as corn and soybean.
This project started nearly two decades ago, with Dr. Ken Moore, Distinguished Professor of Agronomy, and RegenPGC Educational Theme Leader, and his team exploring ways of planting a perennial cover between rows of corn. Early successes led to funding from the Sun Grant program, INRC, and others, and eventually to USDA’s-National Institute for Food and Agriculture Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agricultural Projects program. RegenPGC was formally started in September, 2021, as a 5-year transdisciplinary project combining research, extension, education, and commercialization efforts.

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Preventative Treatment & Adaptive Management
2024-03-28 10:00 - 11:00
This first webinar in the 2024 Great Lakes HABs Collaborative series will focus on preventative treatment and adaptive management of HABs with field case studies.
The presentation will feature the following speakers
Dr. Alyssa Calomeni-Eck, Research Biologist, US Army Corps of Engineers ERDC
Dr. Ciera Kinley-Baird, Aquatic Ecotoxicologist, Aquatic Control, Inc.
They will discuss cutting-edge research and technology on harmful algal bloom interception, treatment, and adaptive management.

2024 Conservation Drainage Network Annual Meeting
2024-04-03 08:00 - 2024-04-05 17:00 | Renaissance Columbus Westerville-Polaris Hotel, Westerville, OH, United States
This is a must-attend event for anyone passionate about conservation drainage.
Targeted Outcomes:

Raise awareness of the importance of agricultural water management to farm profitability, local, regional, and national initiatives to advance soil health, water quality, watershed restoration, risk reduction and climate resiliency goals.
Strengthen understanding of drivers for practice implementation and identify impediments to conservation drainage practice adoption.
Prioritize information needs (i.e., research gaps) to address risks.
Understand how to advance conservation drainage as an integral component of managing food production, regenerative agriculture, and terrestrial water supplies under changing climate conditions.
Advance conservation drainage implementation.

Webinar: Phosphorus Management and Water Quality
2024-04-10 14:00 - 15:00
Managing phosphorus to both meet crop needs and reduce P loss from agricultural fields is critical to managing water resources. This edition of The Current webinar will focus on P management and water quality – the latest research on P transport modeling and a review of ag BMPs and their efficacy for reducing P loss.
Featured Speakers:

Gurbir Singh, Assistant Professor/ and State Extension Specialist, Soil Science, Agroecology and Landscape Management, University of Missouri-Novelty
Peter Tomlinson, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist for Environmental Quality, Kansas State University
Rebecca Logsdon Muenich, Associate Professor, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of Arkansas

The Current is a networking webinar series for professionals engaged in water-related extension, research, and conservation activities. The North Central Region Water Network and Extension Directors from all 12 North Central states are sponsoring this series to highlight the best water-related research and Extension programming in the region.

Focus on the Future Series - April 10
2024-04-10 15:10 | 1306 Elings Hall, 605 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa, United States
The Iowa Nutrient Research Center continues its spring 2024 seminar series, Focus on the Future. Join current and recent graduate students as they discuss their studies and their experiences as early career researchers.
The April 10th presentation will feature the following topics and speakers:

Improving understanding of “corn yield drag” after cereal rye cover crop by tracking soil net nitrogen mineralization across three hillslope positions
Presenter: Mila Vicorio Pessoto, Department of Agronomy
Spatiotemporal variability of soil and digital soil mapping for agriculture
Presenter, Arturo Flores Godoy, Department of Agronomy

The monthly hybrid seminar series is presented online and in-person at 1306 Elings Hall, 605 Bissell Road, on the Iowa State University campus.

Great Lakes HABs Collaborative April Webinar.
2024-04-25 14:00 - 15:00
This episode will focus on Harmful Algal Bloom Interception, Treatment, And Transformation System (HABITATS). The speaker is Dr. Martin Page, Operational Water Research Team Leader, US Army Corps of Engineers ERDC.
The webinar will last 60 minutes with a facilitated Q&A to follow the speaker.

North Central Climate Collaborative (NC3) Webinar
2024-04-29 13:00 - 14:00
Applying social sciences in the development of climate-smart agriculture
In efforts to understand and advance agricultural practices that promote climate resilience, ag organizations and advisors face several challenges in facilitating the adoption of these practices. Social science research has honed in on these issues, developing nuanced frameworks for exploring these challenges and barriers.
In this webinar, Dr. Laurie Nowatzke, Coordinator of the USDA Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, Iowa, will present two studies related to farmers’ climate perspectives and conservation practice use. The presentation will also include a discussion of two applied projects that harness social science research to advance climate-smart outreach and programming in the Midwest.
The North Central Climate Collaborative (NC3) is comprised of individuals with expertise in climate science, agronomy, stormwater management, and other disciplines, and is working to increase the flow and usability of climate information for extension, farmers, natural resource managers, and communities. The team is working to increase the adoption of climate-smart practices and improving water management while maintaining profitability.

Public Radio's 'Science Friday'
2024-05-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Scheman Building, Ames, IA, United States
National Public Radio’s “Science Friday,” hosted by Ira Flatow, will be broadcasting from Iowa State University on Saturday, May 4, and will feature ISU researchers.
The first topic will be climate change. As climate change continues to have a larger effect on how agriculture works, how are the experts on the ground preparing for the future? Iowa State University faculty experts Dr. Arti Singh and Dr. Patrick Schnable will join other presenters to share how they see the future of agriculture, from using AI and robots to give farmers a better understanding of their crops in real-time and develop drought-resistance, to using environmentally sustainable farming techniques, like regenerative agriculture.
The live event at Stephens Auditorium begins at 6pm; doors open at 5pm

Focus on the Future - May 8th
2024-05-08 03:10 - 16:00
The Iowa Nutrient Research Center continues its spring 2024 seminar series, Focus on the Future. Join current and recent graduate students as they discuss their studies and their experiences as early career researchers.
On May 8th, the seminar topics are:
1) Evaluating Wildlife Responses to Working Land and Water Conservation
Presenter: Michael Rohde, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management. Advisor: Adam Janke
Iowa’s urbanized and agricultural landscape has caused water quality degradation and loss of species. Conservation groups are working to protect these resources, but they often lack coordination. To provide insight on the impact of water quality conservation on wildlife. He will provide estimated occupancy of key Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) across Iowa informed by the Iowa Multiple Species Inventory and Monitoring (MSIM) long-term dataset and the simulated various scenarios of water quality conservation using the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) to estimate potential effects of water quality conservation on the distribution of SGCN in Iowa.
2) Managing Crop Residue to Reduce AONR (Agronomic Optimum N Rate) for Water Quality
Presenter: Alexandria Logan, Department of Agronomy. Advisor: Michael Castellano
With renewed interest in using crop residue as biofuels and increasing yields, research aiming to understand the effects of residue management on the soil nitrogen cycle is necessary. This research evaluates crop residue management’s influence on optimum nitrogen rates, focusing on the subsequent corn crop.
The presentations are from 3:10-4:00 p.m. and take place online and at 1306 Elings Hall on the Iowa State University campus.

Iowa Learning Farms Webinar: Understanding and Improving Farmers' Edge-of-Field Perceptions
2024-05-08 12:00 - 13:00
The Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) conservation webinar taking place May 8 at noon CT will feature Wendong Zhang, Ph.D., extension economist and assistant professor in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. Zhang’s research focuses on issues related to the interplay between agriculture and the environment, the U.S. farmland market, as well as the global trade implications of Chinese food and agricultural demand.
In the webinar, “Decoding Iowa Farmers’ Understanding of Edge-of-Field Practices,” Zhang will draw on the outcomes from a recent report assessing edge-of-field (EOF) practice knowledge and adoption to illustrate current EOF practice adoption rates and adoption willingness, perceived environmental benefits, and barriers to adoption among Iowa farmers. He will also offer suggestions on effective education strategies which were shown to be embraced by landowners and farmers—and improved effectiveness of communication and message comprehension.

Discovering a Potential Treatment for Health Effects of Algal Toxin Exposure
2024-05-16 12:00 - 12:30
Microcystins are some of the most abundant and potent harmful algal bloom toxins and have emerged as a public health concern due to the potential to cause severe organ injury including liver damage. While currently there are no targeted therapies to protect against microcystin exposure, previous research found that naturally occurring bacteria from Lake Erie had the ability to degrade algal toxins such as microcystin.
Drs. Steven Haller and David Kennedy of The University of Toledo have made significant progress in discovering a potential treatment for microcystin exposure through probiotics. Researchers ran in vitro experiments on human liver cells as well as model experiments on mice to find out if microcystin-degrading bacteria can function as probiotics to protect against organ damage from toxin exposure.
Join this Ohio Sea Grant Freshwater Webinar on May 16 to learn more!

Algal Bloom Action Team Webinar: Cyanobacteria in the Context of Climate Change
2024-06-05 11:00 - 12:00
This webinar focuses on cyanobacteria in the context of global climate change, including nitrate, reduced ice cover, and increased temperatures and light. Tune in to learn about the work of Rebecca North, Associate Professor at the University of Missouri’s School of Natural Resources and Silvia Newell, Director of Michigan Sea Grant and Professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability.

North Central Region Water Network Webinar - Multistate Water Work in Action
2024-06-12 14:00 - 15:00
The North Central Region Water Network is celebrating the 100th edition of The Current Webinar Series! To celebrate this milestone they will showcase several examples of multistate water work that are expanding the scope and positive impact of programs through multistate partnerships. This will include:

The Confluence for Watershed Leaders program
The Conservation Drainage Network, and
The upcoming North Central Agriculture and Climate Conference

Iowa Learning Farms Webinar: Understanding Cereal Rye N Cycling Benefits and Risks
2024-06-19 12:00 - 13:00
This Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) conservation webinar will feature Richard Roth, assistant professor and extension nitrogen education specialist, Iowa State University. His research and extension program at Iowa State University focuses on engineering and optimizing nitrogen and sulfur management strategies to improve the efficiency and environmental sustainability of cropping systems in the Midwest.
Roth will provide an overview of cereal rye cover crop systems and discuss how adopting cereal rye influences nitrogen cycling and potential subsequent impacts on growing crops. He will also introduce and highlight some management options to help overcome potential risks from the impacts of cereal rye on nitrogen cycling.
“Cereal rye is excellent at scavenging nitrogen from the soil profile, but not great at returning that nitrogen to the soil in a plant available form for growing crops,” said Roth. “Cover crops, specifically cereal rye, are one of the most effective tools in a farmer’s toolbox to help improve soil health and minimize nutrient losses from their fields, but understanding potential risks associated with cover crop adoption is key to success in these systems. I hope that participants learn the potential risks associated with cereal rye but also gain an understanding that shifts in management can be made to help overcome the risk.”

Webinar: Ruination to Restoration to Revitalization: The Story of a Great Lakes Area of Concern
2024-06-27 12:00 - 13:00 | Arkansas Water Resources Center
This Water Webinar will focus on the restoration of Muskegon Lake and its wetlands in Michigan. The presentation will cover water quality, ecosystem restoration, and socioeconomics. Muskegon Lake is a coastal river mouth lake with a history of environmental issues. Many restoration efforts reconnecting wetlands have improved water quality and lake habitat. A wetland restoration project reduced phosphorus concentrations from over 0.8 ppm (mg/L) to 0.03 ppm (mg/L), wow! Research efforts provided a sound basis for restoration design and implementation. These restoration efforts also showed a 5.8:1 return on investment with $1 billion in increased in shoreline development. The region experienced unexpected issues about public access and “blue gentrification.” A water [success!] story from which we all can learn here in Arkansas and across the USA.
SPEAKERS: Dr. Alan Steinman, PhD, Allen and Helen Hunting Research Professor, Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan

HABs/Algae 101 Webinar
2024-07-25 18:00 - 19:30
Join Michigan Sea Grant and partners for a FREE webinar all about algae, the tiny living things at the foundation of aquatic food webs. Learn about algae’s vital role in aquatic ecosystems and get to know cladophora, didymo, and other types of algae that cause problems.
Topic speakers will include:
Algal Ecology: Julianne Heinlein, Great Lakes Environmental Center
Cladophora/Green algae: Marcella Domka, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council
Didymo: Jordyn Stoll, Trout Unlimited
Golden brown algae: R. Jan Stevenson, MSU (retired)

ILF Webinar: “Phosphorus Exchanges Between a River and its Floodplain”
2024-08-14 12:00 - 13:00
In the webinar, “Phosphorus Exchanges Between a River and its Floodplain,” Pete Moore will provide highlights and data from an ongoing study aimed at quantifying the inputs and outputs of sediment and sediment-borne phosphorus in the Nishnabotna River watershed located in southwest Iowa. He will present key results to date and what they suggest about opportunities and constraints for phosphorus management. Moore will also discuss the processes by which phosphorus is transported between water and floodplains. Streambank erosion is a significant source of phosphorus in waterways.
Moore is adjunct assistant professor, natural resource ecology and management at Iowa State University, and a geomorphologist who studies the erosion, transport, and deposition of sediment across the landscape.

Iowa Nutrient Research Center's Fall 2024 Seminar Series: Trends
2024-11-13 15:10 - 16:10 | 1306 Elings Hall, 605 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa, United States
Nutrient and Sediment Loads Measured from the Chesapeake Bay River Input Monitoring Network
Presenter: Jimmy Webber, hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey
Nutrient and sediment loads are changing over time in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This presentation will describe how the USGS uses a river monitoring network to assess these water-quality trends. Recent load and trend results from this monitoring network will be presented and discussed in context with Chesapeake Bay water-quality goals.
In person: Elings Hall
Online: https://iastate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0rduuhqzIsHNKqy1wf-NG2YvduKoOhzStH#/registration
