State Representative Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids, who camped at a Club Outing near Canton on the Maquoketa River with other Sierra Club members a couple of years ago, organized a camping trip from August 4-7 to call attention to Iowa's Impaired Waters and to publicize SF 200 legislation that will provide funds for watershed improvement projects. A variety of current projects were featured at programs along the way. The hope is to develop many more over the coming years with the assistance of this legislation and funding.
Dick Worm represented our Sierra Club Group by attending the Backbone program and camping Saturday, August 6. One of the presentations featured there dealt with the condition of Backbone Lake. The Upper Maquoketa River and the South Fork Maquoketa River Water Quality Projects were also described. (Dick led a Sunday morning hike to the Devil's Oven on the Backbone Ridge returning along the base of the bluff for families of Representatives and DNR staff.)
Later on Sunday, at Julien Dubuque Monument in Dubuque, the tour ended with presentations by Rep. Pam Jochum and others. Rep. Hogg spoke of how important it is to have clean water so families can recreate together in natural settings. At city pools, parents often drop-off kids and leave.
One featured presentation by Jeff Pape described a watershed project in western Dubuque County. He said he got involved due to his custom farming work that took him across many fields that were simply eroding away! Incentives were funded by a $30,000 Farm Bureau grant. (see this article related to that watershed project.)
Dick Worm represented our Sierra Club Group by attending the Backbone program and camping Saturday, August 6. One of the presentations featured there dealt with the condition of Backbone Lake. The Upper Maquoketa River and the South Fork Maquoketa River Water Quality Projects were also described. (Dick led a Sunday morning hike to the Devil's Oven on the Backbone Ridge returning along the base of the bluff for families of Representatives and DNR staff.)
Later on Sunday, at Julien Dubuque Monument in Dubuque, the tour ended with presentations by Rep. Pam Jochum and others. Rep. Hogg spoke of how important it is to have clean water so families can recreate together in natural settings. At city pools, parents often drop-off kids and leave.
One featured presentation by Jeff Pape described a watershed project in western Dubuque County. He said he got involved due to his custom farming work that took him across many fields that were simply eroding away! Incentives were funded by a $30,000 Farm Bureau grant. (see this article related to that watershed project.)