DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has threatened to take over protection of Iowa’s waterways from the state.  The Des Moines Register reports that a federal investigation shows the state has been lax in requiring that livestock operations follow rules to keep manure out of Iowa’s creeks and rivers, ponds and lakes.

The EPA report says the state hasn’t properly inspected livestock facilities and failed in its duties about half the time when responding to livestock pollution.  The Iowa Natural Resources Department says the EPA criticism is misplaced.   DNR spokesman Kevin Baskins says his agency has been encouraging compliance, rather than imposing fines and other penalties as punishment for failure to follow environmental rules. And Baskins says there’s evidence the strategy is working.

Atlantic is one of three cities to host public meetings across the state in the next three weeks, to gather input on proposed water quality standards designated use changes for a fourth batch of select rivers and streams. The meetings, which are hosted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), are being held to gather input on changes designed to help protect aquatic life and recreational uses. The meeting in Atlantic will take place from 3-to 6-p.m. Tue., Nov. 13^th, at the historic Rock Island Depot at 102 Chestnut Street.

Those not able to attend the meetings may submit written comments or questions through Dec. 10 to: Rochelle Cardinale, DNR, 502 East Ninth St., Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034; by fax to 515-281-8895; or by email to rochelle.cardinale@dnr.iowa.gov.

For a list of stream designations being revised in the water quality standards, please refer to the list posted at: www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/RegulatoryWater/WaterQualityStandards/DesignatedUses/UseAssessments.aspx

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – The U.S. Agriculture Department has lowered its predictions for the drought-stunted corn crops in Iowa and Nebraska. The USDA says that, based on Nov. 1 conditions, it expects a Nebraska crop of 1.27 billion bushels. That’s down more than 2 percent from the October forecast and 17 percent below last year.  In Iowa, a corn crop of 1.90 billion bushels is expected, which is more than 1 percent less than October and down 19 percent from last year.

The Nebraska soybean crop is forecast at 203 million bushels, the same figure as October and 22 percent below 2011.  In Iowa, a soybean crop of 409 million bushels is expected, more than 2.5 percent higher than the October figure but still 14 percent under last year.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency, Thursday (Nov. 8th), reduced the grassland and field Fire Danger Index to “Low.” The threat of rapidly spreading fires due to outdoor burning of timber and other materials will remain low, due in-part to precipitation that’s expected across the area over the weekend.

The Missouri River Recovery Program is launching a new interactive online tool designed to provide insight to the river’s natural environment and efforts being made to preserve it. Steve Fischer, the program’s senior manager, says the tool is called the Missouri River Basin Explorer. It lets computer users explore the waterway’s different regions, from the Rocky Mountain foothills, along Iowa’s western border to the lowlands of Missouri. “You can take a look at each one of those different regions on the river,” Fischer says. “You can click on different tabs on the website and it’ll show links based on whatever topic you might have selected. It’s helping to show folks how things are interacting together.”

He says the tool was developed with plenty of input from stakeholders all along the Missouri River Basin. Fischer says the tool can help the public to better understand what takes place on the river. “As we engage with the stakeholders in a variety of different venues up and down the river, for example our Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee, our 70-member stakeholder group that we work with,” he says. “It’s a tool for them to go back and share with their constituents as well as for us to share with other basin stakeholders.”

The river serves many interests, including: agriculture, commerce, energy, natural resources, navigation, recreation and water supply. Overuse of the river, the group claims, has led to problems with the ecosystem — 51 of 67 native fish species now rare, uncommon or decreasing; reproduction has largely ceased for cottonwoods, historically the dominant floodplain tree; and aquatic insects, a key link in the food chain, have been reduced by 70-percent. The group says three-million acres of natural river habitat have been altered. Learn more at the website: www.MoRiverRecovery.org

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Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say Green Valley State Park near Creston, will be closed to the general public Nov. 17-18, for the ninth annual special park deer hunt. The hunt will allow 25 hunters to harvest up to 50 antlerless deer using only muzzleloaders. Hunters have already registered and will receive two antlerless tags each redeemable only during the special hunt at the designated areas and specified dates. Additional DNR staff will be on hand to patrol the park boundaries. Green Valley will re-open to the public on Nov. 19.

Alan Carr, park ranger for Green Valley State Park says “The hunt helps keep the deer population in the park under control. Hunters must attend a special safety meeting before the hunt where we explain the reason for the hunt, discuss the rules and show them the park boundaries.  We hope to harvest as close to 50 female deer as we can and do it in a safe and efficient manner.”  Carr said the hunt has been a great deer management tool for state parks.

“People want to see deer when they come to park, but we need to maintain a balance in the deer herd,” Carr said.  “Research shows that if you stop these hunts completely, the deer population tends to go back up rather quickly so the hunt will probably remain an annual event. The depredation biologist sets number of deer targeted for removal each year that is based on the population survey.”

The average harvest for the two day hunt has been just over 40 deer each year.