DES MOINES – A series of public meetings to gather input from citizens regarding proposed criteria for evaluating Iowa lakes used for swimming will be held throughout the state during the month of March. The list of meeting dates, times and locations is listed below.

 

The proposed standards measure the transparency of the water and recommend maintaining water clarity of a little more than 3 feet (1 meter) in at least 75 percent of the measurements. A standard of maintaining Chlorophyll-a levels not to exceed 25 micrograms per liter in 75 percent of the measurements taken is also being proposed. Both standards are based on measurements taken during the summer recreational months between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

 

The standards will apply to 127 lakes in Iowa that have a maintained beach, appear on the list of Significant Public Owned Lakes or have a mean depth of more than 3 meters (9.9 feet). A listing of the lakes and additional information can be found at: http://www.iowadnr.gov/water/standards/nutrients.html.

 

Water clarity is a safety issue on lakes where swimming is promoted as a recreational activity. Poor water quality and lack of clarity can result in not being able to spot a person having a problem in the water and at risk of drowning, said Chuck Corell, chief of the Water Quality Bureau for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

 

“But we have a number of studies that also show water clarity in lakes is very much an economic factor as well,” Corell said.

 

“In addition, we have seen research from other states that transparency of less than one meter reduces lakefront property value by as much as 22 percent. We also have data from the 2006 Iowa State University study that shows Iowans prefer lakes with cleaner water and those areas with better water quality often enjoy greater economic activity and higher shoreline property values,” said Corell.

 

The proposed standards were developed based on recommendations written by a Nutrient Standards Advisory committee chaired by Michael Burkart, an associate professor at Iowa State University.

 

Meetings for public comment on the proposed standards are:

 

            March 23, 2011                      10 a.m.                        Falcon Civic Center

                                                                                                1305 Fifth Avenue NE

Independence, Iowa

 

            March 23, 2011                      4 p.m.                         Washington Public Library

                                                                                                State Bank Room

115 West Washington St.

                                                                                                Washington, Iowa

 

            March 24, 2011                      10 a.m.                        Clear Lake Public Library

                                                                                                200 North Fourth St.

                                                                                                Clear Lake, Iowa

 

            March 25, 2011                      1 p.m.                         Wallace State Office Building

                                                                                                Fifth Floor Conference Rooms

                                                                                                502 East Ninth St.

                                                                                                Des Moines, Iowa

            

            March 29, 2011                      10 a.m.                        Rock Island Depot

                                                                                                102 Chestnut St.

                                                                                                Atlantic, Iowa

 

            March 29, 2011                      6 p.m.                         Iowa Lakeside Laboratory

                                                                                                Waitt Building, 1838 Highway 86

                                                                                                Milford, Iowa

 

            March 31, 2011                      4 p.m.                         Chariton Public Library

                                                                                                803 Braden Avenue

                                                                                                Chariton, Iowa

 

 

Any person may submit written suggestions or comments on the proposed amendments through May 15, 2011. Such written material should be submitted to Chuck Corell, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Wallace State Office Building, 502 East Ninth Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034, fax (515)281-8895 or by e-mail to [log in to unmask]