The Raccoon River in Des Moines on Jan. 15, 2026. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
A bill that advanced in a House subcommittee and committee Tuesday would prohibit a water segment from being designated as impaired unless the Iowa Department of Natural Resources identified the percentage of fecal bacteria coming from each animal species that contributed to its impairment.
Every two years, the DNR must submit a list to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of water segments in the state that are “impaired” or don’t meet water quality standards…