Iowa State Parks are gearing up for the Fourth of July weekend and are ready to welcome thousands of campers, cabin renters, picnickers and outdoor enthusiasts. The weather forecast for most of the state and weekend is favoring plenty of outdoor activity. Todd Coffelt, DNR State Parks Bureau chief, says “State Parks are great destinations for these major summer holidays. Whether you are staying for a week or making a day trip, they provide great opportunities for families and friends to gather and make memories.”

Reservable campsites have been filled for three months. Last minute campers can take their chances with walk-in campsites, as 25-50 percent of all state park campsites are first-come, first-served. Most of these sites are non-electric and realistically most will be occupied by Thursday. Best chances to secure a site will be at smaller, more remote parks. Visit www.iowadnr.gov/parks for a list of parks and their amenities.

Despite recent wet weather in some areas, nearly all state parks are in good shape and getting ready for the big weekend. Here are a few reminders for those planning a trip to specific state parks this weekend.

· Only one state park campground is closed due to recent weather (as of June 30th). Walnut Woods State Park, southwest of the Des Moines metro area, is still cleaning up from Raccoon River flooding. The park is expected to reopen late next week.

· Canyon Drive at Ledges State Park has reopened to vehicle traffic, but visitors are cautioned that any rain event in the area will likely close it again. Potential visitors wanting to drive into that area of the park are encouraged to call the park office at 515-432-1852 for closure information. The campground, trails, other roads, parking lots and both open shelters remain accessible by vehicle.

Visitors to Lake Macbride State Park in Johnson County and Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area in Linn County are reminded that those beaches will close at 6 PM each day. Due to high use and limited parking at the beach area at Lake Macbride, visitors should expect a beach closure on weekends and holidays. Access to the beach may be closed for up to 2 hours. During these times, people in vehicles will be stopped at the park entrance and asked to return to the beach at a later time or asked to visit one of the other beaches in Johnson County such as Sandy Beach, Sugar Bottom, West Overlook or Kent Park.

Equestrian trails are currently closed due to wet conditions at Brushy Creek State Recreation Area (except for the 12-mile Wet Weather Trail), Elk Rock and Waubonsie state parks and Shimek Forest (except the 3-mile Wet Weather Trail) and Stephens Forest. However, if dry weather conditions continue, equestrians are encouraged to call individual areas for re-openings.

Closure information is posted on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/parks and the parks reservation site at http://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com. Current information is also available by calling individual park offices directly.

As the Fourth of July approaches, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is reminding boaters and anglers to check for any unwanted hitchhikers to protect Iowa lakes and streams. Aquatic hitchhikers are invasive species – everything from zebra mussels to Eurasian watermilfoil – that are transported from one waterbody to another by hitchhiking on boats, in bait buckets, and other equipment used in the water. When brought to another lake or stream, they often grow quickly and spread rapidly due to lack of natural controls.

These aquatic invasive species can create serious problems for Iowa waters by reducing native species and making lakes and rivers unusable by boaters, anglers and swimmers. Kim Bogenschutz, aquatic invasive species coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says “The best way to control the negative impacts of aquatic invasive species in Iowa is to prevent their spread to new waterbodies. Boaters and anglers need to clean, drain, dry after each time on the water to stop aquatic hitchhikers.”

• CLEAN any plants, animals, or mud from your boat and equipment before leaving a waterbody.

• DRAIN water from all equipment (motor, live well, bilge, transom well) before leaving a waterbody.

• DRY anything that comes into contact with water (boats, trailers, equipment, boots, clothing, dogs). Before transporting to another waterbody either: Spray your boat and trailer with hot, high-pressure water; or Dry your boat and equipment for at least 5 days.

• Never release plants, fish, or animals into a water body unless they came out of that water body and empty unwanted bait in the trash.

It is illegal to possess or transport prohibited aquatic invasive species in Iowa. The fine for violating this law is $500. Signs are posted at public accesses to remind boaters to stop aquatic hitchhikers and to identify infested waters. It is also illegal to transport any aquatic plants on water-related equipment. Boaters must drain all water from boats and equipment before leaving a water access and must keep drain plugs removed or opened during transport. It is also illegal to introduce any live fish, except for hooked bait, into public waters.

More information about aquatic invasive species and a list of infested waters can be found in the 2015 Iowa Fishing Regulations booklet.

w/ Kate Olson

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A former Iowa egg farm manager will avoid jail time after cooperating with investigators in a criminal prosecution stemming from a 2010 salmonella outbreak. U.S. District Judge Mark Bennett sentenced Tony Wasmund to four years of probation Tuesday after the government said he provided “substantial assistance” in the salmonella case. Bennett imposed no restitution or fine on Wasmund, of Willmar, Minnesota.

Wasmund worked for egg tycoon Jack DeCoster, whose Iowa operations caused the outbreak that prompted the recall of 550 million eggs and sickened thousands. Under a plea deal, Wasmund pleaded guilty in 2012 to his role in bribing a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector to allow sales of eggs that didn’t meet federal standards. He cooperated in an investigation that led to convictions of DeCoster and his son Peter.

The weekly tests of the water near 10 state park beach areas showed high levels of bacteria last week — the most since the second week of testing when there were 13. The D-N-R’s Mary Skopec says all the rainfall is the biggest factor. “We’ve had several pretty intense rainstorms come through the state, so it is typical for this early in the season to have a number of beach advisories,” Skopec says. “But I think as we move through into the drier part of the summer, hopefully some of those advisories will go away.” The rain serves as a conduit for the bacteria to get into the lake.

“It washes any bacteria that are on the beaches or surrounding the beaches, or in the area surrounding the lake, into the water where people swim. So we have seen for many years with heavy rains, the bacteria levels really jump up,” according to Skopec.
Skopec says sunshine is the cleanser that clears the bacteria out. “The increase in the bacteria really depends on the lake, but generally within one to two days the numbers come down. Especially if we gave sunny calm weather, the bacteria drop out and numbers get a lot better,” Skopec says. Many lake levels are up right now after the rains — which can also lead to an increase in bacteria.

“The high water levels can have an impact. We do know that the near beach areas, the beach sands can actually be a source of bacteria,” Skopec says. “Goose droppings on the beach for example, can be washed into the lake. And so when those lake levels are higher because of high levels of rainfall or flooding — we do get some of that — geese droppings moving into the lake area. So, it will be a problem for awhile.” Beaches with high levels of bacteria have green signs posted on them.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Organizers of the Iowa State Fair are pairing the event’s famous butter cow sculpture with another butter piece celebrating the Monopoly board game. Officials say the accompanying piece, which changes every year, will this summer celebrate the game’s 80th anniversary.

Sarah Pratt designs the butter cow each year as well as a second piece. She is expected to feature some famous Monopoly pieces alongside the game’s main character, Rich Uncle Pennybags. Monopoly was first commercially sold in the 1930s. The property trading game has been printed in more than 37 languages.

The Iowa Star Fair is scheduled Aug. 13-23 in Des Moines.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey is encouraging Iowa hay and straw producers to register or update their listing on the Iowa Hay and Straw Directory. The directory lists Iowa producers with hay and straw for sale, as well as organizations and businesses associated with promoting and marketing quality hay and straw.

Northey says “The directory has been a great tool for both buyers and sellers and we hope farmers will take the time to review and update their information so that it remains a valuable resource. This directory can serve as a critical link for those producing hay and those looking to buy, so we encourage Iowans to take advantage of this free directory.”

The listing is available to interested buyers throughout the nation, however only sellers from within Iowa can be included on the list. Names are gathered throughout the year with added emphasis now that hay harvest has started. Sections within the Hay and Straw Directory include “Forage for Sale,” “Forage Auctions,” “Hay Associations,” “Forage Dealers,” “Hay Grinders” and “Custom Balers.”

Farmers interested in listing should visit the Department’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov. An application form can be found by going to the “Bureaus” link and then selecting “Agricultural Diversification and Market Development.” Then click on “Hay & Straw Directory” on the right side of the page under “Directories.”

For those without internet access, call the Hay/Straw Hotline at 800-383-5079. The Department will fax or send a printed copy of the application to be filled out. The Department is also supporting the Iowa Crop Improvement Association’s “Iowa Noxious Weed Seed Free Forage and Mulch Certification Program.” Through this program Iowa forage and mulch producers can take advantage of many emerging market opportunities for “Certified Weed Free” products.

For more specific information on this program producers should contact the Iowa Crop Improvement Association at 515-294-6921. More information can also be found by visiting http://www.iowacrop.org/Forage_Mulch.htm.

Recent concern that drought conditions might creep back into the state have been washed away by continues and sometimes large rainfalls. Tim Hall of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the water picture is much different now than it was in April. “We were almost an island in the middle of really dry conditions in Nebraska and Kansas and the Dakotas and Minnesota over into Wisconsin,” Hall says. “And there was some fear that those dry conditions would continue to creep into the state.” But Hall says the drought concerns have faded away for our state and those around us.

“The rains we’ve had regionally have really pushed the drought conditions back in the Upper Midwest and it really bodes well for us in the immediate future,” Hall says. He says most of the severe drought conditions in the U-S are now west of the Rocky Mountains. Northwest Iowa is the only area of the state that is showing drier than normal conditions right now. “Those areas that are drier than normal are small and still shrinking. There’s just some very minor areas in northwest Iowa that we are watching carefully for long-term water availablity,” according to Hall.

Heavy rains last week caused flash flooding and now stream flow conditions are above normal for three quarters of the state. Hall says we could see more of the flash type flooding in the future if things stay wet. “Whether the next rainfall is going to have the same impact of the one we just saw is the fact that the soil moisture is pretty high right now,” Hall expalins. “The stream flows can do down — and I expect they will — but if the soils remain pretty wet, and we get another decent rainfall, there’s really no place for that rain to go.” He says that’s one of the downsides to pulling out of the drought conditions and moving the other way.

“One of the things we saw early in this season and into last year — is when the soil is pretty dry and we get a good rainfall, a lot of that rain ends up soaking in. That’s sort of run its course. And if the soil is pretty wet, any rainfall we get is going to show up as runoff,” Hall says. “So, it’s a timing issue of where the streams are, and it’s also a soil moisture issue.” Hall says overall the water condition in the state right now is pretty good.

(Radio Iowa)

The severe weather that rolled through Iowa last week has threatened crop yields across the state. The USDA’s latest crop report issued Monday places 83-percent of the state’s corn crop in good to excellent condition. Soybean emergence rose to 96-percent, which is on par with the five-year average, but 11 days behind last year’s crop. Seventy-eight percent of Iowa’s soybeans are rated in good to excellent condition. Iowa State University Extension Agronomist Mark Johnson monitors a nine-county region that received up to 8 inches of rain in a 24-hour period last week.

“Normally when you drive around after a heavy rain, you see these ponds and maybe they (cover) a quarter acre or maybe half-an-acre. When I was out in Carroll (County), l saw 10-acre ponds. Greene was maybe a little bit better and Dallas was a little bit better. Those counties really took a hit,” Johnson said. It’s too late to replant those water-logged corn fields, according to Johnson.

(Radio Iowa)

Left to right: Clayton Saeugling, Nate Moen, Garrett Schwanke, Adam Freund

The Atlantic FFA Chapter placed 6th as a team in the annual Iowa FFA Agronomy Career Development Event held at Iowa State University in Ames on June 4, 2015. Members of the 6th place team included: Adam Freund, Clayton Saeugling, Garrett Schwanke, and Nate Moen. Their agricultural education instructor and FFA Advisor is Mr. Eric Miller. A special thank you to Aaron Saeugling for assisting the team. Team member Clayton Saeugling said, ”This was a very enjoyable, but challenging contest. This is my favorite Career Development Event of the year. We get to compete against many other great teams, to place 6th was a big accomplishment.”

FFA teams including 90 individuals from 27 chapters participated in this year’s Career Development Event designed to provide the student an opportunity to display their agricultural knowledge and skills in the area of Agronomy. Activities included demonstration of skills and problem solving in Agronomy, including crop, weed, insect and seed identification; crop and seed judging and evaluation; and grain grading. A written examination and computer application activities were included along with a team problem solving competition.

The Iowa State University Department of Agronomy hosted the event and provided T-shirts to all participants. The Agronomy Career Development Event was coordinated and conducted by Mr. Dennis Miller and other faculty and staff with the Agronomy Department at Iowa State University in Ames. The Iowa Crop Improvement Association provided lunch to all participants in the event.