ICC will continue to work with our partners to advocate for and support educational/outreach programs that lead to clean water for humans and wildlife alike. For example, in July of 2021 and 2022, ICC supported programs that offered landowners and farmers “Field Days” to see improved and more sustainable land use practices on a working farm near West Union, Iowa. These new practices included ways to reduce soil erosion and to improve soil health and productivity, while also enhancing the quality of the groundwater and springs within the watersheds and tributaries of nearby coldwater streams.
Also in October of 2021, ICC awarded a grant to the ‘Save Bloody Run Committee’. ICC joined numerous conservation partners to help this grass roots group purchase equipment and test kits for water quality testing on multiple sites within the Bloody Run Creek Watershed. This timely, collaborative support was in response to the ongoing cattle operation sited near the headwaters of Bloody Run Creek. This popular coldwater trout stream and its tributaries, which flow through fragile, karst topography, has been designated by the Iowa DNR as one of only 32 Outstanding Iowa Waters.
Projects
- Casey Springs Restoration Project
Phase 1, May/June 2023 Casey Springs is a coldwater stream that flows through the Sindelar Wildlife Access Area in Winneshiek County. This spring creek has wild Brown Trout and a … - 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 … - 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 … - Cicada Research Project at Upper Iowa University
One of the goals within the ICC Strategic Plan is to be supportive of educational projects that involve the wide variety of species within the ecosystems that sustain our coldwater … - Bloody Run Creek-Water Sampling
In October of 2021, ICC awarded a grant of $2,000 to the “Save Bloody Run Committee”. ICC joined numerous conservation partners to help this grass roots group of volunteers purchase … - Midwest Environmental Educators Conference (MEEC)
ICC provided a $1,000 Sponsor grant for the Midwest Environmental Educators Conference (MEEC) held July 26-29, 2021. The conference was hosted by the Iowa Conservation Education Coalition at the Center for … - Field Day Programs for Farmers and Landowners
Multi-Cropping Field Days In July of 2021, ICC donated a Sponsorship Grant of $500 to NEIA RC&D to help fund Multi-cropping Field Days at FLOLO Farm near West Union, IA. … - Streambank Restoration at Decorah Fish Hatchery
It all started with an idea to improve fish habitat and angler access along Trout Run, a popular fishery just south of Decorah. It quickly developed into a partnership between the Iowa DNR, Trees Forever, Alliant Energy, Iowa’s Coldwater Conservancy (ICC), Friends of the Decorah Fish Hatchery, and the Iowa Driftless Chapter of Trout Unlimited. In 2016, Trout Run was the third most popular trout stream in the state