Thanks to our friends at Drake University Agricultural Law Center! Episode #16 of Our Water Our Land is all about rivers! Please watch, enjoy and share this video!
“Today our over 70,000 miles of rivers and streams provide critical habitat for fish and wildlife, provide water for many of Iowa’s citizens, and help fuel our economy. Most of the time our rivers and streams are gentle corridors of nature but as our recent floods show they can also become destructive illustrations of nature’s power. In past decades the relation of most Iowans to our rivers and streams have waned and the lack of connection has contributed to our neglect and disregard for waterways. This neglect in turn has contributed to the water quality challenges we face.
The good news is there is an increasing recognition of the value and potential of our rivers and streams – as sources of economic development, natural beauty, and recreation. As you will see in this episode many people are contributing to this rediscovery but one important organization is Iowa Rivers Revival which is helping spearhead efforts to reconnect communities with their rivers. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is also implementing important programs to increase the safe use of rivers and streams. The even better news is an increasing number of communities have seized on their rivers and are using them to create exciting new opportunities for citizens to use and enjoy the river. This episode was filmed in Charles City – a great example of this process – but other communities like Des Moines are exploring how our rivers can be harnessed as engines of development and sources of natural beauty and enjoyment.”
~Neil Hamilton