ICC's Objectives

Our Mission

Iowa’s Coldwater Conservancy (ICC) works as a facilitator and partner in collaborations with educators, businesses, other NGOs, public agencies, and landowners on projects to protect and improve the ecosystems that sustain our coldwater rivers and streams while expanding public access to these vital and unique natural resources.

ICC Strategic Plan PDF

Restore Habitat

Restore Habitat

Create, implement & manage sustainable coldwater river and stream improvement projects.

Expand Access

Expand Access

Expand more permanent access to private lands for recreational use.

Grow Outreach

Grow Outreach

Educate businesses and individuals as to the value and importance Coldwater rivers and streams.

Our Origin Story

About Us

Our Vision

Iowa’s Coldwater rivers and streams will be complete, healthy eco-systems that improve our natural environment and enhance the lives of everyone who has the opportunity to experience these examples of our natural heritage.

Why ICC was created?

Iowa’s Coldwater Conservancy organized in 2017 to protect and restore the ecosystems that sustain Iowa’s coldwater rivers and streams while expanding public access to these vital and unique natural resources.

ICC formed with the recognition that:

  • We could not continue to address the significant challenges to the ecosystems of our coldwater rivers and streams as stand-alone, volunteer-driven nonprofit organizations.
  • We could not continue to try to protect and restore watersheds and riparian zones of the unique rivers and streams in the “Driftless Area” of northeast Iowa by using the same practices which were used many years ago. We had to work with alliances of like-minded partners to raise the necessary resources to address these significant challenges.

Today’s Challenges

  • Climate change (more severe weather, flooding, rising water temps, plant and species extinction).
  • Antiquated and/or industrial agricultural practices.
  • Challenging political climate affecting environmental policy initiatives
  • Shrinking state and federal conservation budgets.
  • Challenges to public lands.
  • The need to create more outdoor opportunities for underserved populations
  • Increased competition for philanthropic dollars.
  • Rising cost of environmental restoration.
Make an Impact

Support ICC

When you give to ICC,

  1. You help to offset and adapt to the effects of climate change.
  2. You help educate people about the impacts of climate change.
  3. You support innovative and regenerative agricultural practices.
  4. You improve the political climate towards environmental policy.
  5. You help protect public lands.
  6. You offset shrinking state & federal conservation budgets to meet the rising costs of environmental restoration.
  7. You help environmental and climate justice.

Thanks for your help in creating a better world!

 

Iowa’s Coldwater Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

All online donations are securely processed through our partner, Give Lively. Use the button below to give online via Credit Card, Bank Transfer, G Pay, or Apple Pay.

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Restore Habitat, Expand Access, Grow Outreach

Our Projects

Grow Outreach

Wild & Scenic FilmFest

SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival (WSFF) inspires environmental activism and a love for nature through film. Wild & Scenic shares an urgent call to action, encouraging festival-goers to learn …

Grow Outreach

Fund the Trust Campaign

On June 27, 2022, ICC awarded a $500 Grant to the Iowa Environmental Council (IEC).  This grant was designated to support the efforts of IEC and coalition partners through the …

Expand Access / Restore Habitat

Rissman Farm Access

Yellow River, Allamakee County, IA Rissman Yellow River Easement  In 2018 the Rissman family, who for many generations have lived and worked on their farm in Allamakee county, agreed to …

Restore Habitat

Little Paint Creek

Yellow River State Forest, IA Before After Before and after photos of Little Paint Creek in the Yellow River Forest in Allamakee County from the winterof 2021 and 2022 tell …

Expand Access

Bloody Run Creek in Clayton County

Bloody Run Creek has been recognized as one of Iowa’s Outstanding Waters for its rugged beauty, abundant natural resources, and well established population of wild brown trout.  In 2019, a 165 acre parcel …

Expand Access

Ten Mile Creek Project

In 2019, a private land owner agreed to sell a multi-parcel addition to Falcon Springs Wildlife Management Area located between Bluffton and Decorah.  A thirty-two acre parcel included a section of …

Read Our News Archive

Our Partners

Iowa’s Coldwater Conservancy is an alliance of partners protecting and restoring the ecosystems that sustain Iowa’s coldwater rivers and streams while expanding public access to these vital and unique natural resources.

Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association
Iowa Driftless, Mid-Missouri, North Bear, & Spring Creek
Trout Unlimited Chapters
Upper Iowa Audubon Society
Winneshiek County Conservation Board
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Fish Habitat Program
Northeast Iowa RC&D
Trees Forever
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
Friends of Decorah Hatchery
Who We Are

Board of Directors

Iowa’s Coldwater Conservancy is a non-profit organization governed by a board of directors.

Every member of ICC makes an impact through multiple operating committees, from strategic planning, fundraising, and projects to marketing, communications, and governance.

Tom Murray

Tom Murray is a founding member and current president of Iowa’s Coldwater Conservancy. In addition to ICC, Tom lives in the Decorah area and also continues to work on conservation projects with the Iowa Driftless Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association, and the Winneshiek County Conservation Board.

Dave Jones

Dave Jones is currently Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Kent Corporation in Muscatine, Iowa. Dave and his wife Alice, have two daughters, two son-in-laws and five grandchildren. Dave’s outdoor endeavors include fly fishing, kayaking and cycling. He served on the Muscatine County Conservation Board for 13 years, two years as board chairman.

Kate Lodge

Kate Lodge’s outdoor interests have led her to be involved in a number of conservation organizations. As a member and treasurer of the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association of the Quad Cities, she also became a director of Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association, an affiliate of Fly Fishers International. She also served two years as State President and is currently on the board as Past President. Kate involvement with Spring Creeks Trout Unlimited Chapter 716 includes serving as secretary/treasurer and currently director. Trout Unlimited, State Council, positions include Secretary and Diversity Co-Chair. Kate and Willa Campbell are co-founders of Iowa Women Fly Fishers. Kate also participates in Wisconsin Women’s Fly Fishers, Dubuque Fly Fishers, Geneseo Izaak Walton League, and Minnesota Women’s Fly Fishers.

Andrew J. Hosmanek

Dr. Andrew J. Hosmanek is an Associate Professor of Instruction at the University of Iowa. He earned a PhD in Organizational Behavior and an MBA from the Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa. He earned his JD from the University of Iowa College of Law. Dr. Hosmanek is an avid fly fisherman and conservationist. He manages the popular Trout Fishing in Iowa website and Facebook page, which features videos, aerial photography, maps, and stream reviews of Iowa’s amazing trout fishing destinations.

Liz Siepker

With a strong educational background and love of learning, Liz works to educate the next generation of Iowans on the importance of science and biology in their everyday life. Liz has degrees in natural resource conservation and education. As a conservationist herself, Liz is particularly interested in the opportunity to mentor the next generation of conservationists. Since moving to Iowa in 2015, she has taken to exploring many of the natural areas that the Driftless Region has to offer. One of her goals in life is to “make a difference” and Liz looks forward to serving on the ICC Board to help protect coldwater resources in Northeast Iowa.

David Klemme

David is a life long Iowan growing up on a farm in the central part of the state. Now living in Ankeny, he spends his free time with his wife and dogs fishing, kayaking and hiking. Our natural resources need to be protected for our generation and generations to come and David’s mission is to help promote and advance this effort.

Tim Wagner

Tim Wagner’s love of the outdoors and all its wonders is directly connected to his Iowa farm roots, where he first learned to appreciate the beauty of the Monarch and the tug on the lure in that deep pool. That awareness would eventually lead him to a full time career in conservation and environmental protection. This included more than two decades in Utah working on climate protection and energy policy, stewardship of the West’s vast public lands, water and air quality, and eventually back to Iowa where he recently retired from the Izaak Walton League in his advocacy for regenerative agriculture practices and policies to protect Iowa’s precious soils and water. He lives in Decorah, Iowa with his wife, Shawna where he enjoys the coldwater streams of northeast Iowa, the local bike trails, and canoeing the rivers of the Driftless.

Dr. William Silverman

Bill Silverman lives in Iowa City with his wife and dog. His kids live nearby. He is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology at the University of Iowa. He served as Iowa Governor to the American College of Gastroenterology for 12 years, advocating for universal access to colon cancer screening, affordable access to healthcare and affordable medical insurance. He is a member of the Hawkeye Flyfishing Association and Trout Unlimited. Whatever free time he has is spent roaming the Driftless.

Adam Kiel

Adam Kiel is the Executive Vice President of AgOutcomes, a subsidiary of the Iowa Soybean Association. In this role Adam helps administer the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund where he connects buyers of environmental outcomes with farmers and landowners who can produce the outcomes. Adam has over 20 years of experience in the field and held a prior role as Director of Conservation for the Iowa Soybean Association. Adam has also held positions with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and National Park Service. Adam grew up on a family farm near Decorah, Iowa, which is the headwaters for Trout Run. Adam earned a Bachelor of Science in geography from the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

Mike Biderman

Mike Biderman is a personal injury attorney who lives and practices law in Iowa City. After earing his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Iowa, Mike moved to Fairbanks, Alaska where he served as a public defender for over six years and had the privilege of experiencing numerous Alaskan outdoor adventures. Mike moved back to Iowa City in 2011 with his wife Carolyn Buckingham. Since moving back to Iowa, Mike & Carolyn spend much of their free time at their off-grid cabin in rural Allamakee County near a coldwater stream, where they share their love of the outdoors with their two young children.

Kayla Bourquin

Kayla Bourquin has called Decorah home for the past 7 years, with her husband and dog. Her home has always been in the Driftless, and she has had the opportunity to live in many of its corners. Growing up in Northwest Illinois, attending college at UW-La Crosse and living and working in Rochester before establishing roots in Decorah. Her favorite pastimes include exploring the Driftless in all of the seasons. She has paddled the entirety of the Upper Iowa, and is currently working on the Turkey River. Hiking, camping, and morel hunting are other ways Kayla enjoys the area, and she has just recently tried her hand at fly fishing.

Dave Kemp

Dave Kemp is retired pediatrician who lives in Asbury, Iowa. He was raised on a farm in NE North Dakota & helps out on his son’s organic farm in northern Minnesota since retirement when he’s not fishing, camping or hiking. He loves the Driftless region, it’s cold waters & the hardwood covered hills here.
He appreciates rural life, family & our seasons. He wants to make a difference in a healthier environment & encourage young people to learn to love the outdoors.

Stephen Hopkins

Steve Hopkins is the Nonpoint Source Coordinator with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
(DNR), where he manages the EPA Section 319 grant that funds watershed projects and other water
quality projects to improve Iowa’s lakes, rivers, and streams. Steve has been with Iowa DNR for nearly
24 years, has served as the NPS Coordinator for 17 years, and has worked in natural resource protection
for 40 years. Prior to working in the NPS program, he worked in the public drinking water, private water
well, and onsite wastewater programs at Iowa DNR. He also operated one of the first dairy farms in
Iowa to use prescribed rotational grazing practices. He has a B.A. in Human Ecology from Luther College
in Decorah, Iowa, an M.S. in Land Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and completed
the Iowa Certified Public Management Program at Drake University. His goal is to help make Iowa’s
water cleaner for our children, grandchildren, and the next seven generations.

Carolyn Buckingham

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago but spent my weekends exploring the hollows of my family’s land in Driftless Wisconsin. I’d show up to school on Mondays smelling of campfire smoke, with burs in my hair, and with deer mandibles for show-and-tell.

After college, I earned a JD and Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law and my first job post-law school took me to Fairbanks, Alaska. I met my husband in Fairbanks, and we adventured under the aurora and the midnight sun with our sled dog, Ayla. In 2011, we moved to Iowa City, my husband being from eastern Iowa, and we’ve since had two kiddos. I’m in-house counsel for a large transportation company, I occasionally write about water quality issues in Iowa, guide trips with Wander Women Midwest, and I’m an Iowa Master Naturalist and Iowa Master River Steward.

When not lawyering, I enjoy spending time with my family outside, particularly at our off-grid cabin northeast of Decorah. I have been an active board member for several conservation organizations, and currently serve as President of the Johnson County Conservation Board.

Why Support Iowa's Coldwater Conservancy?

Access to clean water is one of the most basic human rights.

We depend on healthy water to sustain us and provide recreational opportunities that enrich our lives.

Healthy water depends on complete ecosystems.

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