Rural Iowa Communities' Water Quality Awareness, Engagement and Policy Preferences
- Katherine Dentzman, Iowa State University
- J. Arbuckle, Iowa State University
Issue
Much of the current literature related to this topic focuses on farmers’ perspectives on water quality issues. However, buy-in from wider rural communities may have a significant impact on the success of both initiative development and implementation. We therefore aim to close this research gap.
Objective
Our project uses Geographic Information System (GIS) modeling, focus groups, interviews, and existing survey data to assess attitudes and awareness of water quality issues in rural Iowan communities. Additionally, we investigate residents’ awareness of these issues and associated programs aimed at tackling them.
Approach
GIS software will be used to create visually striking maps that will both inform our community selection and articulate our findings to stakeholders. Focus groups and follow-up interviews will allow us to identify rural citizen’s attitudes, perceptions and behaviors linked to water quality issues and associated programs. Existing survey data will also serve to inform our questioning and supplement GIS data. At the conclusion of this project, we will produce a series of technical reports and policy briefs tailored to communities and policymakers. Additionally, a working paper will be produced with the aim of disseminating our findings to improve water-quality initiatives and community outreach.
Project Update
December 2025
Multiple focus groups with community stakeholders in Jackson County, Douglas County and Polk County have been conducted and transcribed. An additional focus group in NW Iowa is currently being planned (after being cancelled in December due to weather). These focus groups have been extremely successful, with one hosting over 25 participants (very high for a focus group!). There's been a great deal of enthusiasm and interest!
One of our graduate students has also been working on several regional and one state-level water quality maps. One of these was sent in for the INRC mapping project and featured Maquoketa.
Related Activities and Accomplishments
4 workshops
A related research and extension grant was submitted to USDA NIFA Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Program.
July 2025
Project activities this period included:
- Creating a comprehensive list of water quality databases;
- creating a series of GIS maps using variables from these databases;
- selecting Iowa communities for further research/outreach based on this mapping;
- contacting watershed authorities in Dubuque and Jackson counties;
- organizing and conducting two focus groups with watershed professionals in Dubuque;
- setting up an additional four focus groups with community members in Dubuque and Jackson counties for early to mid-August; and
- beginning conversations for focus groups in Central Iowa.
January 2025
Researchers created secondary data organization and repository file containing all identifiable and relevant public data on Iowa water quality concerns. Assessed and chose relevant data; created ARC GIS file and analyses compiling and layering data onto map of Iowa. Key data categories include health implications (cancer rates, contamination rates of rivers, contamination rate of streams, contamination rates of groundwater, well contamination, etc.) agricultural pollution sources (location of animal feed operations), and governance (priority watersheds [HUC-8], EPA success stories, watershed management authorities).
Attended Iowa Nature Conference. Created annotated bibliography of relevant papers.
Related accomplishments and activities
Made grant application: Community Water Stories Project: Understanding Narratives and Policy Preferences to Address Key Water Justice Issues in Arizona and Iowa; USDA AFRI Environmental Justice A1461; Research, Teaching, and Extension; $999,967