If Iowa wants to ensure its Nutrient Reduction Strategy is working to curb farm runoff, a new report from an environmental group says it needs to do a better job of monitoring water quality around the state.

The Iowa Environmental Council noted that since 2013, Iowa has committed nearly $100 million toward water-quality projects. That includes keeping an eye on the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus entering waterways from sources such as agriculture. Despite the investments, said Alicia Vasto, associate director of the council's water program, agencies involved have yet to implement an approach to see if the efforts actually are improving the water.

"We believe that if there was monitoring, if there was more information available, that it would demonstrate current efforts are not where they need to be and we need to adjust the strategy," she said.

The report recommended collaboration on a monitoring framework that would include tools such as in-stream sensors, and the results made available to the public. In a move aligned with other states along the Mississippi River, the reduction strategy seeks at least a 45% reduction in total nitrogen and phosphorus loads.

The state departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture did not provide comments for this report before deadline.

While groups such as hers push for more information, Vasto said there are signs that Iowa's water-quality situation is getting worse. This includes more algae blooms that make the water less safe for recreation.

"It just kind of lowers the average quality of life for Iowans that we can't go out and access and enjoy our public waterways," she said, "because there's this pollution that is making them toxic."

A 2018 study by the University of Iowa found a nearly 50% increase over two decades in the amount of nitrogen pollution flowing from the state to the Gulf of Mexico. Last year, state lawmakers passed a major extension of funding for its strategy, but Vasto said unless monitoring improves, that money could be going to waste.

Residential water rates in Michigan are soaring, with an estimated one out of ten households without access to or unable to afford clean water.

A coalition of activists and conservation groups is proposing that state officials adopt a water-affordability strategy that supports low-income Michiganders and does not harm residents who can afford their utilities.

An analysis released yesterday finds that high water rates force many families to live in unsafe conditions, putting elders and children at risk.

Mike Shriberg - executive director of the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center, one of the study's sponsors - said that with the right plan, the problem is solvable.

"We can make water affordable," said Shriberg. "And by affordable, what we mean is no more than 2% of household income going towards water without impacting the rates of others. Because right now, we have a system that doesn't make a lot of sense."

Other sponsors of the study include We The People of Detroit and Freshwater Future. The study examined the impact of water rates on low-income households in six Michigan communities.

It found some families paying 20% or more of their income for water.

The study proposes reducing disadvantaged homes' bills to the 2% threshold while utilizing cost-reduction strategies to reduce overall revenue requirements.

Shriberg said funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill could be used to implement the program and upgrade substandard water systems.

"We've got billions of dollars coming in at levels we haven't seen since the '60s and '70s," said Shriberg. "These dollars are desperately needed because our water infrastructure has suffered along with some of the more visible infrastructure suffering that we've seen. It may be less visible, but there's been just as much neglect."

The inflation-adjusted average cost of water across Michigan has increased by 188% since 1980 and up to 320% in individual cities.

Shriberg said that has to change.

"We believe that water is a fundamental human right," said Shriberg. "Access to clean water is a fundamental human right. And if that's so, then no Michigander should be denied that. That's something that you need to codify in the state law to make sure it happens. You can't just rely on the goodwill of a lot of utilities."

Fracking is a very water-intensive industry, and a new study dives into the impact of unconventional oil and gas drilling on aquatic ecosystems in the Ohio River Basin.

Ponds, streams and reservoirs typically supply the water for hydraulic fracturing, which is used to create fissures in rock from which oil and gas are extracted.

Ohio Northern University Associate Professor of Chemistry Christopher Spiese said examining water-flow reductions is important as it results in reduced depths and the total volume of the water source.

"You're restricting the habitat that fish and invertebrates have to feed and spawn," said Spiese. "Water can actually get warmer, which can then lead to reduced survival rates for these critters. It enables invasive species to have an opening to start to impinge on the rivers and native species retreat."

Spiese and other researchers at Ohio Northern developed a model for estimating river flow and compared the data to water usage from the industry.

He explained that while they didn't see dramatic reductions in stream flow, the reductions that were discovered were severe and had the potential to negatively impact ecosystems.

The research calls for more accurate data collection and reporting for fracking water use.

Spiese said in their work with groups such as the Freshwater Accountability Project and FracTracker, they've found discrepancies between water withdrawals and water-usage reporting.

He added that there are policy implications that should be considered.

"We'd ultimately like to see an assessment of risk-benefit analysis kind of stuff," said Spiese. "What is this actually costing Southeast Ohio in terms of ecosystems, environmental health, human health, versus how much is it actually bringing in for economic benefits? And I don't know which way that scale is going to tip."

According to the report, water withdrawal in Ohio below 100,000 gallons per day does not require a permit.

With those below that threshold unregulated, Spiese said there are unknowns about the quantity of water withdrawn from individual watersheds.

Snow is on the ground in much of Minnesota, but the state is coming off another warm season with notable drought conditions.

Those who monitor precipitation said there are some glimmers of hope, while acknowledging concerns. 2021 brought the worst drought Minnesota had seen in recent memory, and this year, dry patterns were seen over the summer and going into the fall.

Brad Pugh, meteorologist at the Climate Prediction Center, said while the western U.S. has been dealing with a multiyear drought, problems are beginning to fester a little more in the central part of the country, creating many ripple effects.

"Short-term drought impacts are typically tied into agriculture; depletion of soil moisture. There's also increased wildfire danger for some parts of the country," Pugh explained. "It's just stressing water resources in general."

The Center's precipitation outlook for the next few months predicts a wetter period for the Upper Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes regions. He noted if it pans out, melting snow next spring could help recharge the soil.

In Minnesota, the same scenario happened earlier this year when a soggy spring erased most drought conditions across the state. Still, Pugh emphasized it is important to stay on top of recent dry patterns to see how climate change is affecting this part of the country, especially if Minnesota does not get as much snow as anticipated.

"If precipitation this winter, in the form of snowfall, doesn't occur [or] is not adequate enough, that certainly would be a major concern as we head into next spring," Pugh added.

Not only would it present challenges to farmers for the planting season, but a dry spring could also pave the way for more stress on Minnesota's lakes. Recently, the Department of Natural Resources asked residents in extreme drought areas to take water-conservation measures, noting 11 watersheds in the state were either in Drought Warning or Watch phase.